The stories we tell ourselves and each other: that is what grows in our programs.
-Deb Curtis, early childhood practitioner and author
Steve Jobs was an excellent example of the "abrasive leaders" referred to in last Tuesday's ExchangeEveryDay, "Why Abrasive Leaders Succeed." And clearly from all the glowing tributes after his death, he did succeed. While we do not plan to further extol his accomplishments, nor explore his shortcomings, we do want to share an idea he offered in his commencement address to the 2005 Stanford graduating class on the importance of loving your work:
"I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me... It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
Early childhood program administrators often have a global impression that things are going well or not so well at their center, but they lack specific feedback on just what the different areas of the organization contribute to those impressions. This updated and expanded edition helps directors define more precisely how ten dimensions of a center shape the quality of work life for staff. It will help you look at your program in terms of collegiality, opportunities for professional growth, supervisor support, clarity, reward system, decision-making, goal consensus, task orientation, physical setting, and innovation. Written in an engaging and lively style, the ideas in this book will help you sharpen your leadership skills and make your center A Great Place to Work.
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Comments (1)
Displaying 1 CommentAlameda, CA, United States
There is a piece about modeling the message - in ECE a Center Director must authentically demonstrate care and respect for children, parents and families. No exceptions. It's great if a teacher can teach Art, but if they cannot model compassion to 4 year olds, how good are they really. A fabulous book by Robert Sutton is titled "No Assholes" and it is the single best support for productive management I have ever read. No one is so high a performer that they get a pass on ill treatment of others.
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