The Director's Planner: Week of October 28, 2024
Self-improvement goals, planning ahead for election day, and daylight savings.
1 Weekly Challenge
Set a Personal Improvement Goal for November
This week’s challenge is to set one meaningful personal improvement goal for the upcoming month. Personal goals can enhance both your effectiveness as a leader as well your well-being overall. For example, you might commit to reading one leadership book for inspiration or set aside time each morning to workout before heading in to better manage stress and productivity.
Choose a clear goal that aligns with both your professional and personal aspirations, and watch how even small, consistent changes can positively impact multiple areas of your life.
Ready to take it one step further? Find an accountability partner! Do this with your Assistant Director or another coworker and update each other every morning on your progress. Don’t have someone to hold you accountable? Join me! I will be reading and journaling about the leadership book “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. My reading schedule is linked below and I will be adding notes as I go along!
2 Thoughts to Consider
I. “Trust is built in very small moments.” -Brené Brown (Dare to Lead)
Now take a moment to read it again, and really think about what that means.
What small moments can you use this week to build trust amongst your team? The parents? The students? What about in your own family or group of friends?
II. "It’s simple but transformative: Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” -Brené Brown
When was the last time you held back from being fully clear with someone on your team, worried that being straightforward might hurt someone’s feelings? Many of us hesitate to be direct, fearing it will come off as harsh or critical. But remember, clarity isn’t about being unkind—it’s actually one of the kindest things you can offer.
When you’re clear, you’re not leaving your team to guess what you need or risking misunderstandings. Instead, you’re giving them the tools to succeed. Clarity helps people understand expectations, reduces confusion, and allows your team to support you and each other more effectively.
3 Action Items
I. Remind Parents about Daylight Savings
While many adults welcome the time change and enjoy an extra hour of sleep, in the world of early childhood, we all know this isn’t the case. Young children often struggle to adjust, even one hour of difference can throw off routines, schedules, and nap times. That’s why it is a great idea to remind parents about the upcoming time change and share tips and tricks to help their children adapt (Printable included below!)
This proactive approach can hopefully make next week a little smoother, not only for the families at your center, but for the teachers as well!
II. Review your plan to allow employees to vote next week.
As we rapidly approach the upcoming election, take time to review your plans for allowing your team to vote next week. While there is no federal law mandating time off for voting, over 28 states have specific regulations requiring employers to provide employees with time to vote, whether that’s paid time off or flexible scheduling.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with your state’s laws regarding voting and clearly communicate your voting policy to your team. Consider discussing logistics, such as accommodating various voting times and encouraging early voting, to help spread out time off. This approach will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to let their voice be heard, without running into issues with scheduling or ratio.
III. Prepare the November Newsletter
Don't forget to include a reminder to families about your upcoming closure dates in this month’s newsletter! It's also a perfect chance to share a message of gratitude, letting families know how much you appreciate being part of their children’s lives every day.
For my Insiders, the November Newsletter Toolkit is coming your way later this week! This toolkit includes ready-made content, ideas for celebrating unique holidays next month, and printables for your newsletter or to hang around your center. It’s all designed to save you time on newsletter creation and monthly planning, so you can focus on everything else on your plate.
New subscribers unsure what to expect? Take a look at September’s toolkit in my resources section to get an idea of what’s included!