Sense of Self: Building Positive Relationships With Staff Members

Management Self & Cultural Understanding Lesson 1 Apply Sense of Self: Building Positive Relationships With Staff Members Guide	WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG ACTIVITY ID: 18281 Name Certifier Date
Forming positive relationships with staff members helps you understand who staff members are as individuals and how they define their identities. This prepares you to do the important work of nurturing their talents and professional growth. Consider the following questions to help you build positive relationships: Get to know each staff member as a professional. Think about or ask staff: What inspired the staff member to work in child or youth programs? What do they get excited about professionally? What drives them to come to work and do well? What is the staff member’s style of interacting with other adults and with children? How does the staff member like the classroom or program space organized? What is the staff member’s history with the program? Is the staff member new to child and youth programs, or have they worked in other child or youth programs before? Does the staff member feel confident in their role? What experiences have prepared the staff member for their current role? What does the staff member value in a supervisor? What experiences have shaped how they participate in supervision and interact with managers? Get to know each staff member as a person. Think about or ask staff: What is going on in the staff member’s life outside of the program? Who are the important people in the staff member’s life? What are their responsibilities to family and/or community? What stories does the staff member share? How does the staff member choose to communicate? Do they tend to be talkative or more reserved? How do they communicate about problems or concerns? How do they communicate about celebrations or success? What can you relate to about the staff member? What do you have in common? Get to know each staff member’s priorities. Think about or ask staff: What is the staff member excited about? What are their goals for the next few months or year? What resources does the staff member ask for? Do they ask for advice? Materials? Get to know each staff member’s achievements. Think about or ask staff: What does the staff member love to do? What does the staff member do really well? How does the staff member like to be recognized for a job well done? Do they appreciate public recognition, or do they prefer private conversations?

Guide

WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG

ACTIVITY ID: 18281

Name

Certifier

Date

Forming positive relationships with staff members helps you understand who staff members are as individuals and how they define their identities. This prepares you to do the important work of nurturing their talents and professional growth. Consider the following questions to help you build positive relationships:

Get to know each staff member as a professional. Think about or ask staff:
- What inspired the staff member to work in child or youth programs? What do they get excited about professionally? What drives them to come to work and do well?
- What is the staff member’s style of interacting with other adults and with children? How does the staff member like the classroom or program space organized?
- What is the staff member’s history with the program? Is the staff member new to child and youth programs, or have they worked in other child or youth programs before? Does the staff member feel confident in their role?
- What experiences have prepared the staff member for their current role?
- What does the staff member value in a supervisor? What experiences have shaped how they participate in supervision and interact with managers?
Get to know each staff member as a person. Think about or ask staff:
- What is going on in the staff member’s life outside of the program? Who are the important people in the staff member’s life? What are their responsibilities to family and/or community?
- What stories does the staff member share?
- How does the staff member choose to communicate? Do they tend to be talkative or more reserved? How do they communicate about problems or concerns? How do they communicate about celebrations or success?
- What can you relate to about the staff member? What do you have in common?
Get to know each staff member’s priorities. Think about or ask staff:
- What is the staff member excited about? What are their goals for the next few months or year?
- What resources does the staff member ask for? Do they ask for advice? Materials?
Get to know each staff member’s achievements. Think about or ask staff:
- What does the staff member love to do? What does the staff member do really well?
- How does the staff member like to be recognized for a job well done? Do they appreciate public recognition, or do they prefer private conversations?