5 Layers to Building a Culture of Retention: Accountability

 

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A while back, I was working with a school that was having trouble with one of their new teachers. She was relatively new to her role, and although she was gentle and loving to the children, she was struggling with classroom management and transitions.

 

The owner and director of the center knew they needed to discuss the issue with the teacher, but they were afraid of initiating such a difficult conversation. In particular, they feared that if they tried to provide feedback, the teacher would leave her job.

 

If this situation sounds familiar, I’m not surprised. It comes up again and again among the leaders I work with.

 

One of the hardest parts of having difficult conversations is holding people accountable for their actions. We think that when we push people toward accountability, they’ll leave and never come back.

 

But holding people accountable isn’t about pushing people away—it’s about creating stability, safety, and continuity inside your center, which are all things that significantly contribute to retention.

 

In this week’s podcast episode, I’m continuing our multipart series on building a culture of retention within your center. 

 

This time, I’ll be focusing on accountability and how you as a leader can better hold your staff—and yourself—accountable and increase retention.

 

Join me for a conversation about:

 

• Accountability and why we fear it
• How accountability is foundational to relationships
• The difference between a culture of blame and a culture of accountability
• How to create a culture of accountability within your center

 

So, what was the end to the story about the owner and director who struggled to hold their teacher accountable? They finally discussed what was happening inside her classroom and offered to provide ideas for how to improve her classroom management.

 

The result was relief! The teacher had been afraid to ask for help for fear of giving the impression that she wasn’t a good teacher and was incredibly grateful for their show of support.

 

The moral of the story? Accountability isn’t something to be feared—rather, it’s an essential part of the healthy relationships that make people want to stick around.

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

In addition to driving retention, accountability plays an important role in your ability to delegate effectively, which is critical to developing high-performing teams and reducing stress. If delegation isn’t your strong suit, you can build your skills and become a better leader by attending our on-demand Delegate to Elevate Workshop. During the 90-minute online workshop, you’ll learn how to delegate effectively so you can achieve your goals while reclaiming your life and your time.

Or if you’re looking for support that you can rely on long-term, join our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you’ll gain ongoing access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you build a school of excellence.

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Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts

Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners the inside knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.

Don’t miss an episode, subscribe today for everything you need for your leadership journey!