EP94: Empower and Invest in Your Teams

Crisis is when your culture shines.

Reentry is top of mind for school leaders across the country. Many of these leaders are struggling with how to move forward with little guidance. They’re preparing for best- and worst-case scenarios. As we work to keep employees and students safe, collaboration across communities is key. In this episode, Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow and Waukesha County Director of Parks and Land Use Dale Shaver are back to discuss how the county collaborated in their response to the pandemic. They’ll discuss their commitment to data-driven decisions, the importance of empowering people and why culture is more important than ever in crisis times.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

What can we do to keep the momentum ahead of reentry without getting stalled?
Why is it so critical to invest in your people and your culture?
What are some practical actions leaders can take to empower those they lead?

To hear the beginning of our conversation with Paul and Dale, listen to episode #93 Make Silos Disappear. Also, if you haven’t already, listen to Dale Shaver discuss how his team rapidly responded to closures in their county, remained engaged and leaned on their culture while making the best decisions possible despite the uncertainty that remains, go back and listen to episode #68 Focus on the Positive.

Related Resources

Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework

Leading a Successful Reentry
In "normal" times when things are relatively predictable, strong leadership is desired. When unpredictable times appear, strong leadership is essential. Even the strongest organizational structures bring tremendous challenges that impact results. Our old way of doing business simply will not work.

Always Be Recruiting
In this competitive job market, filling open positions with talented candidates can seem like a daunting task. Especially if you weren't expecting an employee to leave and you have no pipeline of talented individuals to interview.

Organizational Excellence
It's not enough for organizations to be good. For those who want to be the top and timeless choice in the market, excellence must be the goal. Organizational excellence is achieved by focusing on culture and strategy.

Start with Why
Communicating change effectively is a skill all leaders need. How we frame communication around change to our teams is crucial because if people don’t understand why the change is needed, they’re less likely to embrace the change. For our organizations to reach our goals, stay productive, and do so with excellence, we need everyone working together.