8 Ways to Turn around Your Staff
Q: I own a school and have a staff of 17 people. It is hard to recruit staff because of our school’s location. The staff I have do not respect my authority. They come late, dress improperly, are insubordinate, and express many other negative attitudes. How can I restructure and build on my staff’s strength?
A: I understand your predicament. You don’t want to lose staff, because they are hard to replace. Yet, the staff you have aren’t being good role models to your students. Here are a few ideas that might help:
Reward good behavior. Hopefully, some of your staff are exhibiting good behaviors. Recognize and reward them for being good role models not just to your students but to other employees. Consider matching these employees with others who are struggling to serve as mentors and provide them with a reward for their extra effort.
Create a comprehensive policy book. Make sure all of your expectations are in writing. When new staff are hired, go over each item with them. Unfortunately, you can’t expect that everyone will have common sense. Ask employees to sign a document stating that they have read and understand the policies.
Create consequences for breaking the rules. Put a system in place to let people know when they have broken a policy. Remind them why this particular policy is important to the school and your students. Clearly identify the consequences for breaking the rule including both the impact on the employee and the influence it will on students. Create a progressive system of consequences leading up to termination of employment.
Suggest ideas for improvement. Provide your staff with alternative options for behavior. If they are doing something that is against the school policy, don’t just point out that what they are doing is breaking the rules – provide them with specific ideas of things that they could do instead. If this behavior is something that the employees always do at work and otherwise, they may not really think about other options.
Document challenges and progress. Keep notes for yourself with dates to help you remember what happened when. When you have a conversation with an employee about their behavior, follow that conversation up with something in writing that identifies the policy that was broken and what your expectation is for them going forward.
Build on your school’s strengths. Think of your school in terms of its unique strengths. What makes it special? If you do need to recruit new staff, do so from a position of strength rather than focusing on the inconvenient location. Position your school as a great place to work and you will attract great talent.
Carefully screen new employees. If you do hire new staff, make sure you are prepared to ask them questions that will help you determine whether or not they are a good fit for your school – and whether they will bring you the same challenges you have experienced in the past. Carefully observe their behavior and how they respond to your questions.
Be a role model. As the owner, you are the ultimate role model and are always being watched by your students and staff. Make sure you always exhibit the behaviors that you expect to see in others.
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