For Administrators and Supervisors

You know how we always talk about the children needing boundaries.  Studies have been done to prove that children are more secure in an environment where there are boundaries.  If we just open it up and make no rules, children don’t react well.  If we make things too strict, children don’t react well.

For those of you who supervise adults (heck, it doesn’t even have to fall into child development programs) it’s the same thing.  Adults need boundaries, too.  There can’t be too many boundaries, we like to have some freedoms; but when the rules are too relaxed, it’s just like children, they get unsecure.

We have a center where the supervisor was too relaxed.  Many of the people who work at that center, we thought, were going to end up leaving when we began bringing the rules into play.  We thought they were going to leave either of their own choice or because they chose not to follow the rules…still by their choice, but we might be involved in helping that decision, if you get what I mean.

My supervisor and I had to sit them down as a group and lay it on the line.  We had an hour long meeting telling them that things were going to get stricter again, etc…

I think we were BOTH shocked at the look of RELIEF on their faces.  It was pure relief and, in the end, excitement for the changes.

Two of the girls we thought for sure were not going to be able to do it.  Those were the FIRST two to stop by the office after the meeting to express how glad they are that we are doing this!

We are bringing in time clocks to the centers, rather than having everyone sign time sheets.  They are the first center to get theirs.  We installed it the very next day after this meeting.  I can’t tell you how excited they are about having a time clock.  What does that tell you?

Okay, it’s a biometric clock that uses a fingerprint to clock in and out, so that might be where some of the excitement comes from; but still.

Since we set those boundaries up, there has been a few occasions that the boundary has been tested (just like the children will do) but they are working better together, they are happier, and they are truly enjoying their jobs.