Every week we email a free tip, technique, or strategy to help you manage, motivate and retain great staff.
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Boost Morale In Minutes Without Spending A Buck! Julie Bartkus Would you like to boost morale without spending a buck? I've interviewed thousands of child care professionals and have learned what motivates them to stay in the profession, what motivates them to excel in the profession, and on the other hand, why they leave their places of employment and sometimes, the profession. . . . keep reading
Motivate, Manage, and Retain Great Staff Julie Bartkus Salli is an employee who rushes into work every morning with only minutes to spare. She's rarely ready to go at the time she's supposed to start. Even though you've spoken to her about this several times, her behavior doesn't change. What will motivate Salli to change? . . . keep reading
Find Out Staff and Parent's Concerns Julie Bartkus There are many reasons to proactively find out staff and parents' concerns. You will: create a more dynamic, positive and productive environment for working and learning, motivate and retain staff, receive positive word of mouth advertising for your center, spend less money on advertising, prevent false accusations, identify behaviors that need to be changed, and reduce stress, frustration and anxiety. . . . keep reading
Dealing With Difficult People Julie Bartkus A parent consistently picks her child up late and then gets upset when she is charged late fees. You were taken by surprise when she yelled at you in front of her child, other parents, and staff. Wh . . . keep reading
Friendship and Leadership Julie Bartkus Many things go hand in hand -- like love and marriage. But what about leadership and friendship, do these two words work together? Or does one negate the other? Let's consider a few situations to help clarify the complications of friendship and leadership. These situations are an accumulation of happenings in the various organizations I've consulted with. . . . keep reading
Even Potatoes Explode When They Can't Vent Julie Bartkus As I was eating dinner one night, I heard a loud noise -- it was similar to a small explosion. I looked quickly around the house to see what happened. I saw nothing out of the ordinary so I finished . . . keep reading
Who Motivates The Motivator? Julie Bartkus All day long you motivate the children in your care to learn their lessons, eat their lunch, take a nap, clean up and play nicely with other children. Your energy, your time, and your love is poured . . . keep reading
Listening Skills Julie Bartkus Effective listening skills -- an important leadership quality! Relax, sit back, and listen is what someone once said to me. I thought this sounded like a good idea. However, as I relaxed I notic . . . keep reading
Negative Feedback Julie Bartkus During a recent workshop, a participant asked me: What if the feedback I get from my team is negative? Is getting negative feedback from your team something you fear? Does the thought of di . . . keep reading
Workplace Gossip - Just Make It Stop Julie Bartkus "Just make it stop" is what a leader told her staff during a staff meeting. Staff looked at each other and then looked around the room as if utter confusion had taken over. Some staff whispered . . . keep reading
Too Serious To Laugh Julie Bartkus Have you ever faced a situation that you felt was just too serious to laugh about? Many people feel that some things in life are just too serious to laugh about. But did you know that laughter is . . . keep reading
Renewing Team Motivation Julie Bartkus Well, it's that time of year. The Holidays are over and it's time to get back in the swing of things. Some of you may find that it's tough to get your team going, excited, and feeling enthusiastic t . . . keep reading
Start Off With A Positive Expectancy Julie Bartkus Fast forward for a moment to the end of this year. Reflecting back - what would you like to say you accomplished? If you sat down and made a list right now, what would your list include? Go ahead; . . . keep reading
Open Door Policies Julie Bartkus A leader told a new staff member: "I have an open door policy. Please feel free to come to my office any time you need to discuss an issue or if you have an idea you would like to propose." The new . . . keep reading
End With A Smile Julie Bartkus "One of the things that keeps me motivated to stay in the teaching profession is all the humorous moments I encounter through the day. When my workday comes to an end, I reflect on all the funny stuf . . . keep reading
Enabling Destructive Behavior Julie Bartkus Enabling Destructive Behavior (A case scenario for you, the leader) Sally is your team's self-designated spokesperson. She is the member of your staff who has no qualms about bringing minor issue . . . keep reading
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