By Sam Robinson
My work is usually focussed on two main sectors: heavy industry and government. But recently I’ve had the opportunity to work with the childcare industry, and it’s been a welcome experience. I’ll share some observations about this industry and its people from a non-expert, enthusiastic supporter.
Complexity
Childcare is not straightforward. Would you entrust a second-rate business to look after your child? For owners and educators, there are lofty parental expectations, strict and exacting regulator standards, and of course the impact of dreadful operators who have tainted the sector’s reputation.
Inside childcare centres there are children of different ages with vastly different wants and needs. All interacting and influencing each other, catching diseases, making friends, breaking friendships. Preferences about food, sleep, noise, activity, toys, educators. Indoor and outdoor play areas, routines and paperwork.
And then there’s leadership and culture. How to make sure room leaders know and can exercise their discretion, what if a Centre Director dips down into someone else’s work, how to establish a positive atmosphere when everything is going wrong?
Leadership
In childcare, leadership has many, many different dimensions: from demonstrating the right level of support for a child, to directing adherence to a policy, to being assertive with a care-giver. The interactions can change and morph at whiplash speed.
The leadership risk in childcare tends to fall into a few main areas. A gentle approach with a child is not the same approach to take with feedback to an educator who is on their iPhone while assigned to the outdoor playground. Mediating conflict between educators will need a different approach to conflict between parents and caregivers. A direct approach to wearing a hat outside (a “must do”) is very different to supporting children to play in their own way.
Culture
Overwhelmingly – and I’ve been lucky to work with very good services – there are strong positive mythologies (the core of culture) in childcare about the work to care for children, the value of that work, and our shared sense of purpose. But there are challenges.
One word I listen for in any industry is the word “just”. I’m “just” a childcare worker. I’m “just” an educator. Many childcare workers are good at putting themselves down. This lack of confidence can filter down into plenty of unhelpful behaviour.
Another common mythology is the positive attention, enthusiasm, and energy given to children, but the dearth of energy and enthusiasm to “how we’re working together”.
Children are attuned to disharmony, conflict and inconsistency. It’s a survival mechanism baked in to help us protect ourselves. In short, children won’t thrive if there is regular destructive conflict between the people they look up to. Sometimes in childcare, the time isn’t taken to address conflict so it doesn’t turn into something worse.
Final thoughts
There are plenty of practices that – when applied sensibly – hold in place excellent conditions for children to thrive in childcare. One that’s always impressed me in childcare is reflective practice. It’s great to have positive ratings, a lack of incidents and a harmonious team. But where are we heading? Are we reflecting on what we can do better? Are we challenging ourselves in useful ways?
Effective reflection by educators is a critical part of the skeleton that holds great childcare services in place. It’s not something that happens by accident and needs to be explained and role-modelled. If there’s consistency and persistence, using reflection to fuel incremental improvement, you’ll see great results from reflective practice.
As the great leadership philosopher Kenny Rogers once said (and sang!) “Every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser”. It’s what you do with the lesson that counts.
At LKS Quaero, we never stop learning about leadership and culture. For more information, visit us at lksquaero.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
