64. Ordinary Moments: The Power of Difficult Conversations with Kathy Cameron

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-3

 

Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments

 

If you struggle with letting go, giving up control, and trusting the process, then this episode is for you. 

 

Today's episode is the third of my six-part series, where I'm interviewing and having conversations with owners of childcare centers across the nation, on how they are building their schools of excellence. And they're sharing their real and raw stories with all of you. 

 

In this episode, I sit down with Kathy Cameron, who has been part of the Schools of Excellence community since July of 2020. She shares her journey of letting go, she talks about her struggle of wanting to control the outcomes, and the processes that she's gone through to take a step back. Kathy is honest and vulnerable about her real retention numbers, and how bad it got. Tune in to learn more about the highs and lows of running a school of excellence, including cultivating the culture of having difficult conversations. 

In a nutshell, we speak about:

 

• How Kathy’s definition of excellence has changed since she joined the Schools of Excellence community.
• Some of the systems that Kathy has put in place to sustain excellence.
• The gratitude matrix - a system and process that Kathy has really embraced in her institution.
• The messiness around what gratitude looks like in Kathy’s organization and how that's really shifted her retention.
• How Kathy gets over the challenge of embracing the routine of connecting with her staff.
• Habits and trigger points that have helped Kathy stay consistent.
• Kathy’s first experience with delegating and how it went.
• How Kathy embedded the culture and courage of having difficult conversations with her staff.
• How delegating has made Kathy’s life better and richer.

 

… and so much more!

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-3

 

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.