Staff Communication & Respect

[Miss_Annette]

We have a broad range of ages & experience levels within our centre and it can be quite hard to 'read' one another. moods are up and down & sometimes its like you just want to avoid. i feel like its getting to the point where we are avoiding the real issues and instead of just being honest and upfront about what's not working for us or our concerns we just keep our mouth shut and let it fester. HELP! we have a staff meeting next week and i created a game for it to try and boost communication skills between the team in a relaxed and fun manner.

Ive thought about a brainstorming wall to encourage one another to help with ideas and suggestions in regarding to extension planning etc.

any cheap/effective team building suggestions?

how's the team morale in your centre?

[patty]

I can completely relate to this! My centre has alot of tension building up at the moment all because of one staff member we cant seem to understand or get along with because they just are so unwilling to help or do their jobs. Everyone kept their mouths shut but now we are all slowly one by one having huge arguments with this staff member over seperate incidents because it has all been kept bottled up! We also have a staff meeting next week so hopefully our communication will improve between one another too and the tension will ease at work! Good luck with yours

[Miss_Annette]

Hey patty,
i created a game that might help you, if u guys can keep it friendly and use it as a way that promotes clear communication.

Its call 'I Feel' - its quite simple
you have a whole list of feelings - good and bad - on separate pieces of paper and put into 2 different bags, a positive feeling bag and a negative feeling bag.
During your staff meeting the 2 bags get passed around. Each team member takes a feeling from each bag - so they have 1 good and 1 not so good.
Then they have to complete the following - HAS TO BE WORK RELATED when its played otherwise it wont work.
So if i got excited i would have to say I feel Excited when.... and finish the sentence - i feel excited when we get new resources.
each person can choose which one they use first.
Negative - I feel Frustrated... when my classes nappies aren't changed in the morning if neither of our class teachers are here early.
examples.

p.s we have our team meeting next week so if u can think of any feelings or emotions i have missed - please let me know

[patty]

Thanks so much miss_annette! This sounds like a great idea to encourage communication! I will definitely introduce this next week at our staff meeting! thanks

[Miss_Annette]

Im more than happy to share my ideas. thats what we r here for yes? let me know how u go? We are going to try it at ours too next week

[Lorina]

Hmmmm... I like the strategies you suggested to build team moral but sometimes I feel when you try something new everybody sighs and rolls their eyes! It's pathetic I know especially when you try to create a more friendlier environment for everyone! After awhile you will begin to pick up on everyone's moods and you will sense how everyone is feeling... It's hard working with a bunch of women sometimes. I guess we all have our good days and bad! My only suggestion is to try and create a positive environment where no ones feelings gets hurt in the process... I think that a major problem is that some people take it too heart, too personally and that causes the tension!

In the staff room if you have a notice board or white board each week or each day you could write
a daily joke, (nominate each staff member to come up with a joke to write up on the board), a fun fact, or a staff member has to write something about themselves and others have to guess who it is referring too, a problem solving puzzle where staff have to figure out the answers... Anything that gives a mind a break from the children and to have a bit of a laugh!

How did it go at the staff meeting?