The Magic of Communication 

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“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, but we listen to reply”.

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This famous quote by Stephen Convey always hits me hard. How often does this happen? Someone comes to you with a question but you already have the response before the conversation has started.

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The day-to-day life of an educator can be exhausting and overwhelming.

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Communication can lack when people are busy, stressed and have different opinions.

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Below are 5 points to help keep communication consistent and open:

• Touch base with your educators. Know what is going on in their lives, value their opinion and let them be heard.

• Hold regular team meetings and room meetings. This encourages everyone to have a chance for open communication, to express their ideas and collaborate towards goals.

• Trust your team. The more trust you allow and recognising what an amazing job your educators do every day can be transforming.

• Honesty; don’t hold on to something trivial. You will be surprised when you are honest and open, amazing growth will happen. Most of the time communication breakdowns occur when people are hiding behind what they are feeling, without addressing what is actually happening.

• Conduct regular Performance reviews; mid-year and yearly. Always make sure the reviews are focused on an educator’s strengths and make them positive. Set goals and review these goals often so educators are continuously reflecting and improving.
   

Remind your educators of how important their job is as an educator; that when we turn up each day, we may be the best part of a child’s day, first and foremost.

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Respect, trust, collaboration, and honesty. These are key factors in the magic of communication.

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