Accelerate Your Performance

Belonging is essential to human beings. Psychologists rank our need to belong on par with our need for love. People need to feel like they belong at work. This is more important than ever in workplaces, especially following the disruptions many of us have experienced due to COVID. We don't see our co-workers as often, and sometimes we may feel excluded. Our colleagues may feel like that too at times. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares practical actions leaders can take to help create a culture of belonging.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What makes someone feel a sense of belonging at work?
• What actions can I take to increase a sense of belonging in others?
• What does it take to develop and hardwire a culture of belonging? 

Recommended Resources:  Leading with Vulnerability, Becoming an Authentic Leader,  Vulnerability and Teamwork, & The Benefits of Mentorship Programs

The work of continuous improvement is a journey. It requires commitment and hard work, the results of which can be so powerful, as the story of our guests in today's episode attests. In this episode, the Superintendent of the Estacada School District, Ryan Carpenter, joins us, along with Studer Education Leader Coach, Dr. Kathy Oropallo— or Kathy, as we like to call her.  Ryan and Kathy recently co-authored a chapter in Teaching Improvement Science in Educational Leadership, which they will share about. The chapter they collaborated on is about aligning values, goals, and processes to achieve results. As you'll hear, Ryan's leadership at Escatada is a shining example of this. They will also share advice for leaders new to the work of continuous improvement as well as words of wisdom for leaders who are deep in the work. Listen now to hear their rich discussion.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What are some key actions I can take to build my organization's culture?
• Why is it important for leaders to continually tell their stories?
• What are some things leaders should avoid to help them stay committed to the work of continuous improvement? 

Recommended Resources:  Keep the Complex Simple, Reward and Recognize, Five Why's: Continuous Improvement, & Teaching Improvement Science in Educational Leadership 

The landscape of the educational system is continuously changing-- and particularly so right now. Across the country, there is a struggle to fill the demand for teaching positions in high-need areas. As today's guest puts it, it's calling us to unthink and rethink teacher preparation programs. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Miller, Director of Partnership and Student Services for TeacherReady, joins us to discuss the impact of alternative teacher credentialing and what she and the TeacherReady team has learned is creating access for a diverse range of candidates. Dr. Janet Pilcher and Dr. Miller will present on this topic at this year's Carnegie Summit 2022. Listen now to hear the conversation as well as more about their upcoming presentation. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How does feedback fuel the achievement of excellence? 
• What can leaders in the field of education learn from other fields?
• Why is unlearning more important than intelligence?

Recommended Resources:  Use Standards of Service Excellence,  Exceed With Delight, Feedback That Inspires, & Feedback is a Gift... Or is it?

Expressing sincere appreciation to others for great work is a culture changer. It boosts morale and motivates others to continue their great work. It increases engagement. Rewarding and recognizing people takes little time, and the impact is significant. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks about the power of sincere appreciation and discusses how we can establish recognition systems in our organizations. She also shares ideas for rewarding and recognizing others -- how it can look and when to do it-- as well as tips for making recognition a habit. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How do we set up a system for recognizing employees to build a positive culture of appreciation and gratitude?
• What can I do to incorporate recognition as a habit for our team? 
• How can I reward and recognize my team without blowing my budget? 

Recommended Resources:  Motivate With Recognition,  Emotional Bank Account, What Gets Recognized Gets Repeated, & Episode 6: Can You Fix My Culture? 

Achieving excellence in an organization is a journey that requires commitment, constant effort, and reflection on where you are and where you need to be. It requires total commitment to the work of continuous improvement. This topic will be front and center at the upcoming  2022 Carnegie Summit. As our guest in this episode puts it, the summit brings together "champions of improvement" from across the country, offering an opportunity for leaders to share their learnings with one another. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher and our guest, Senior Director of Thought Leadership, Dr. Pat Greco, discuss great improvement work currently taking place across the nation, why committing to this process is so important, and what attendees can expect from this year's conference. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• When is the best time to commit to the work of continuous improvement in an organization?
• Why is it important to have a framework and set of principles to guide the effort of commitment to organizational excellence?
• How do organizations build a foundation for the work of continuous improvement?

Recommended Resources:  Continuous Improvement: Where Do You Start?, Organizational Excellence, Becoming an Improvement Organization, & Episode 87: Improvement to Accelerate Learning

The academic year is in full swing, and now is also the time leaders are beginning to plan and budget for 2022 and 2023. What actions can leaders take to set themselves up for a successful next school year? What areas are especially important to analyze before springing forward? In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher and our guest, Leader Coach, Amy Fowler, join us to answer these questions. Listen as they discuss how leaders can harness their learnings over this past year to make even more progress moving forward. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• Where should leaders start as they begin planning for the next school year?
• What key areas can leaders self-assess and learn from to help set themselves up for success?
• What should leaders avoid as they plan for the next school year?

Recommended Resources:  Using Data to Action Plan, Improvement Action Plan Sample, & Improvement Action Plan

It's been a time of monumental change that has presented many challenges at work for leaders.  With more on people's plates at work in these uncertain times, it's more important than ever that leaders recognize and appreciate members of their teams for their good work. Reward and recognition is timeless. It never gets old. It's fuel that helps keep people motivated and engaged at work.  In this episode, listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher explains why now is a great time to revisit Episode 50, Increase Employee Engagement with Recognition, which explains the importance of our ninth principle, and the impact it can have on our workplace cultures in these times. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How do we get recognition to stick in our organizations?
• What is the value of recognition to our employees and organizations? 
• How does recognition encourage high performance? 

Recommended Resources:  Ideas for Recognizing Your Employees, What Gets Recognized Gets Repeated,& What’s 1 Top Reason for Employees Quitting Their Jobs?

When leaders are authentic, it helps build a culture that is inclusive. It helps foster an environment where employees will feel free to also be authentic. Our guest in today's episode is a shining example of this. In this episode, Dr. Heidi Eliopoulos, Superintendent of the School District of Altoona, joins us to discuss the importance of authenticity and the impact it's having in her district's culture. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher asks Heidi to share what the other biggest difference makers have been for creating a strong workplace culture. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can we engage our leaders to help grow the organization?
• What can leaders do to demonstrate appreciation to team members more genuinely?
• How can leaders leverage what motivates their people to help them feel a stronger sense of purpose in their work?

Recommended Resources: Tips for Building an Emotional Bank Account, Emotional Intelligence, Actions For Excellence, & Organizational Excellence

All content © 2022 Accelerate Your Performance .

Is your communication clear and concise? In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher references an article written by Bill Murphy in Inc. Magazine, titled, "How Emotionally Intelligent People Use the Mark Twain Rule to Become Exceptionally Persuasive: Let me Get to Point". As Janet reflects over the key points in the article, she offers us three things to consider as we craft messages that will help us communicate more precisely, clearly, and effectively. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What are some things leaders need to change in order to communicate brief and concise messages to achieve goals?
• Why is it better to be brief and concise when it comes to communication?
• What are some common factors that detract from crafting a precise, clear message?

Recommended Resources: Accelerate Your Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Cascading Communication, & Keep Communication Simple

All content © 2022 Accelerate Your Performance .

Spring is just around the corner, and now is a great time for leaders to recommit and recommunicate what matters most to finish strong this school year. Our guest today shares how you can harness your leader superpowers of culture and communication to create a great experience for students, families, and your team the rest of this school year. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Leader Coach Tim Wyrosdick discuss practical ways leaders can activate these superpowers.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What are the most significant things leaders can do to sustain a positive work environment in challenging times?
• How do leaders build employee engagement?
• What should leaders be sure to incorporate into their self-reflection time?

Recommended Resources: Leadership Reflection on Hardwiring, The Keys to Employee Engagement, Boost the Employee Experience, & Episode 74: Becoming an Authentic Leader