Making Every Day a Great "First Day of School"

It’s back to school time! For some, this time of year may elicit memories of excitement, joy and wonder. For others, it may be on the other end, fear, uncertainty, dread or even indifference. You wake up in the morning, head out to the bus and before you stepped foot in the building, you already had thoughts, feelings and expectations, negative or positive, based on the environment you were returning to, which then impacted how your day went.

Thinking about your “school leaders,” your teachers, who did you learn best from and perform the best for? It was likely those who encouraged you, who listened to you and who took a collaborative approach to teaching, working in concert with you and your classmates. These basic needs to be heard and valued do not change much as we enter adulthood.

Similarly, no one walks into work an empty slate. They bring their own residual thoughts, feelings and expectations based on their prior experience in your organization and with you as a leader. What can you do or what are you doing, to make your organization a place that people look forward to coming to every day? How can you make it so that they get ready for their “school day”, excited for what they’ll get to create and learn? How can you better listen and find ways to collaborate with the people that have so thoughtfully been chosen to join your team?

If you are a leader in the Rochester area and would like a jumping off point, please join the Rochester Small Business Council’s Boot Camp this September 13th for my workshop, “Building a Culture of Collaboration.”

Here’s to a great first day, every day!