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(Unit 6) Topic 7: Dream Team: Successful Team Building 

2 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Respectful Communication

​Topic 7 Page 9

They balance each other!       

If your team was comprised of all “Type B” personalities that had strong creative skills but lacked in classroom management how well would you expect your center to function? ​Now, imagine that you have a well-rounded team of individuals who had very different strengths and weaknesses as well as personality types. Having a team like this would balance very well. Because of these differences, however, communication can sometimes be a problem.

Respect is earned and not given in most cases. Creating a team that values differences and collaboration and that meshes well together as soon as possible can follow a very strong path to respectful communication. Staff members with opposing ideas can work through their differences by respectfully discussing a matter as opposed to giving the silent treatment, or worse: showing passive aggression. ​        

Be a Role Model
It is important for the director of a center to expect respectful communication from their staff and support them in these respectful exchanges as much as possible. Perhaps the most effective way to do this is to practice it yourself and set the tone. If a director rolls their eyes behind the back of an employee after they walk away, it immediately screams a silent warning to other staff members. They lose trust in the director, begin questioning the leadership skills, and makes them worried that it is happening behind their backs as well. Not all interactions with staff members will be wonderful, however, it is imperative to remain respectful and professional.      

Encourage Open Lines of Communication
Whether your center uses a central email system, a mailbox system in a central location, or casual conversations between staff members, it is important to support open communication. All staff members should have multiple means to communicate with others in convenient and simple ways. This encourages communication even for challenging topics. 

Differences
When considering options to open the lines of respectful communication it is of paramount importance to consider the differences that your staff members may have. These may range from personality differences to language barriers and many things in between. Introverts may appreciate email correspondence while English Language Learners may find spoken communication to be preferred. 

Bad News
Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news, so as a leader in your program it is important to do what you can to alleviate the stress that comes with this challenge. Be sure to encourage honesty and openness with communication and information sharing while modeling and encouraging respectful ways to communicate.

(Unit 6) Topic 7: Dream Team: Successful Team Building ​ * Navigation Menu