Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/building-and-rebuilding-your-credibility/5012906/
"What happened to my credibility?" pondered Kathryn. Kathryn had been hired as director of the Hill Street Child Care Center when it was in crisis. The center was broke, its license had just been revoked, and two long-time teachers had just left to start their own center - taking many parents with them. Tempted to quit when she found out how bad the crisis was, Kathryn decided to give it a shot. She worked 60-hour weeks, doing everything from tearing down the old porch (that had cost the center its license) to teaching the three-year-old class, cooking meals, and driving all over town posting ads for teachers and parents.After two years, the center was back on its feet; three years later, Kathryn had the center accredited with a long waiting list.
Then one day she observed a teacher hitting a child. In accordance with center policies, she dismissed the teacher immediately. Also in accord with center policies, Kathryn could not disclose to parents or teachers the reason for the termination.
Unfortunately, the dismissed teacher was very popular, and she felt no compunction about spreading the story that she was terminated because the director was jealous of her popularity. Pandemonium ensued; teachers were ...