With many early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs now well and truly underway for 2022, it’s the perfect time to take a moment and think about what your team hopes to achieve this year.
After two years of “keep up with constant change” and “make do amidst crazy circumstances”, 2022 offers the ECEC community an opportunity to say “we’ve got this!” and start to really dig deep on what it is they hope to achieve this year.
To help you along the way the Smart Central team have prepared our top five tips on how to make 2022 the best year yet.
1. Start with the end in mind - Picture this…it’s the end of year Christmas party, and you’re sitting back and enjoying all the fun of the season with your team. You turn to the person next to you and say “You know what I liked most about this year?”...
What is it you want to be saying next? “That we all chipped in and made it through?”
“The amazing changes we made?” “How we finally made our dream of a nature play space come true?” This would be any “Wish” you would like your team to achieve.
That moment can happen! But the way it happens is with the actions you take now. Want a more sustainable service? Stop saving for solar panels, and start hanging out the washing instead of using a tumble dryer. Want the kind of staff team who can really count on one another? Invest in the professional development that will get you there.
Think about what it is you want, and then break it down into actionable steps. Start small, but make a start. As soon as you finish reading this, stand up and put those wheels in motion.
2. Row with those who move the boat - Have you ever heard the expression “it’s hard to be what you can’t see?” If you want to be an inspirational and inspiring leader, you need to surround yourself with inspirational and inspiring leaders, drawing from their charisma, talent, and strength.
If you want to make wonderful things happen in 2022, you need to have a well of inspiration to draw from. That could come from others in your professional network, from the books you read, the podcasts you listen to, or the social media you consume. If you don’t like the way things are happening in your service, look to those services that inspire you, and critically reflect on how you can shift the gears at your service to be more in line with what’s happening in a more inspiring space.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help - it’s always easier, and feels nicer, to be the person who is out there helping others. It is hard to make yourself vulnerable and humble enough to say “I can’t do this on my own, I need help.”
Just like in our work with children, however, wonderful things can happen when we collaborate with an open mind and a willingness to both help and be helped. When you think about where you want to be, and where you want your service to be at the end of this year, take a moment to ask “who can help me get there.”
Within any team, there’s a mix of skills, interests and attributes that are ripe for growth and exploration. Why not start with an issue that’s been weighing on your heart and mind and ask your team for their support in addressing it?
4. Write down what you’re prepared to give up - Giving things up may seem like a funny way to get you closer to achieving wonderful things in 2022, but actually, when you stop and think about it, there’s a lot to let go of on the path to success.
You might need to give up those pinterest perfect hallway displays - but in exchange, you buy yourself time to have hallway huddle meetings with your room leaders to keep your goals on track. You might need to give up the weekly soccer stars incursion, but in exchange you free up budget for an artist in residence to meaningfully expand on children’s art experiences.
What are you willing to give up to help you get where you are going?
5. Review and revise - A goal without action points is just a nice fairytale you’ve told yourself. To make sure that you’re sitting at the table at the end of 2022 with a happy smile and a sense of achievement, you need to check in at various points of the year, and evaluate your progress.
In step one you got the ball rolling - but how do you keep it moving? Is it moving fast enough? What does it need to move better?
Making a time at regular intervals - be that once a week, once a month or once a quarter - to meaningfully measure your progress will support you to stay on track, and may even help you meet your goals faster!
So there you have it - hopefully, you’re feeling inspired and ready to take on a year full of opportunities to make something amazing happen.
The Team at Smart Central can assist you, your educators, and your families with a range of features including Customisable Digital Enrollments, Waitlist, Rostering, Sign-in Kiosks, CCS and so much more.
For further details or to lock in an on-line demonstration please contact us on 1300 859 470 / enquiries@smartfees.com.au / https://www.smartcentral.com.au/
