The Director's Planner: Week of January 20, 2025
You don't need to feel 100% ready, you just need to act like you are.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Before we jump in, let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible legacy of Dr. King. His dedication to creating lasting change, one small step at a time, is a powerful reminder of just how important our work is. By helping our youngest learners build a foundation of inclusivity and kindness, we’re shaping a future that will impact generations to come.
Let’s carry that inspiration into the week ahead as we tackle our goals and continue creating spaces where everyone feels valued and cared for. Now, let’s get into this week’s planner!
1 Weekly Focus
Assess and Refine Your Referral Program
Monthly Challenge: Enroll ___ families by January 31st.
Now that your website is up to date and ready to impress, it’s time to focus on getting more families to visit it. Did you know referrals often outperform traditional marketing when it comes to enrollment? Families trust recommendations from people they know, which makes word-of-mouth one of your most valuable tools. This week, your challenge is to create a referral program (or spice up your current incentives!) to get your community excited!
💡 Pro Tip for Insiders: Remember to check out the Ultimate Childcare Enrollment Workbook for a section on creative referral program ideas, tips and tricks. Because that “$50 off tuition” incentive youve been running for the past four years is getting real old 🥱.
2 Thoughts to Consider
I. Involvement Drives Commitment.
As leadership expert Ken Blanchard says, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” Research shows that when people are included in creating solutions, they feel a greater sense of ownership and commitment. So, as you work through some of this month’s challenges and action items, look for ways to invite input from your team or the families you serve—whether through brainstorming sessions, 1:1 conversations, or surveys. When your community feels involved, they’re far more likely to embrace and support the changes you’re making.
II. Act the Part, and Your Brain Will Follow
Science says the phrase “fake it till you make it” isn’t just fluff—it’s actually rooted in psychology. When you act confident, (even if you don’t feel it) your brain starts to believe you. This is why adopting confident body language, a calm tone, or even a smile can help you feel more in control. As you work on enforcing expectations this week, remember: You don’t need to feel 100% ready—you just need to act like it. Your brain (and your team) will catch up!
3 Action Items
I. Conduct Your Monthly Fire Drill
With the devastating wildfires in California weighing heavy on so many hearts, it’s a sad reminder of why preparedness is so important. Our brains are wired to focus on what feels urgent or immediate, which is why it can be easy to push routine tasks like fire drills to the backburner. But this is also the reason I continue to include fire drills as an action item once a month! So be sure to run your fire drill this week and start your tracker for the new year.
💡 Pro Tip for EVERYONE: Don’t forget to print out a new fire drill tracker for the new year! This resource is available to everyone in case your state doesn’t have a tracker available to use.
II. Communicate One Expectation with Your Team
Over the past two weeks, we’ve been working on identifying consistent frustrations at your center, turning them into clear expectations, and building a foundation for clarity at your center. If you’re new here, no worries! Be sure to check out the last two weeks’ posts to get caught up. This week, your challenge is to take the most importnat expectation you want to enforce (such as “no phone usage in the classrooms”) and communicate it to your team. Whether it’s through a team meeting, email, or quick chat, sharing expectations clearly is key to getting everyone on the same page.
💡 Pro Tip for Insiders: Need a little help? Use the 3 C’s of Clarity framework to guide you through how to effectively communicate your expectation, or listen to this week’s podcast episode for actionable tips to ensure follow-up!
III. Share Your Referral Program!
This week’s challenge is all about assessing, refining, or creating a referral program that works for your center. And it shouldn’t be too difficult to pull one together! Once you have the details nailed down, your action item is to roll it out to families and staff. Use a flyer, email, or even a quick announcement to share how the program works, what’s in it for them, and why referrals are such a valuable part of your enrollment strategy.
💡 Pro Tip for Insiders: Keep your eyes out this week for a fun themed referral program you can implement! It will an include an pre-written email you can send to parents, custom designed flyers you can hang around your center, and even images you can use on your social media sites to promote the incentive. This will only be sent to current Insiders.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn for extra tips, fun(ny) content, and updates! Last week I asked ChatGPT to capture the chaos of leading different types of childcare centers, and it didn’t hold back…. Head over to check it out and get your laugh for the day!
And that’s it for this week.
It’s as easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3!
And as always, I’m so grateful when my amazing subscribers refer a friend. Don’t forget—you can earn a free Insiders membership with every referral milestone! Just use the link below to share and spread the word!