5 Ways To Inspire Staff To Stay Rather Than Leave

The last few years have been a rude awakening for educators everywhere. The danger of teacher and leader burnout, especially for those who were once on fire, is real, my friends. The demands that are being placed on all educators are daunting. Teachers are certainly feeling it, as evidenced by the increase in teachers leaving the profession, but if we look closely, our principals and superintendents are feeling it as well. Many are feeling stressed, isolated, and questioning their impact. Others find themselves in a downward spiral and cannot pinpoint when it all began to slide for them.

Hundreds of studies have been done in the last few years regarding the high number of educators leaving the profession. It’s like a dark cloud is hovering over our profession and it is pouring down rain, leaving us drenched and feeling beat down.

Here is what I am reflecting on this morning based on my coaching work within schools. Why are our people feeling beat down? My takeaway... Our system is wearing our people down leaving them more vulnerable to feel beat down. In many if not most cases, burnout is not an individual issue, but rather a systemic issue. The growing expectations placed on school personnel are concerning and even more so nowadays due to the lack of resources that are not being provided. Asking our people to do more with less is never a good formula. Uggh.

I will be honest, if I had one wish I would share it with our profession and wish that our educators, most of whom give of themselves so selfishly to not only their students, but to their colleagues, their communities, and the profession as a whole. But I know I can’t fix this one. However, I won’t quit and I am committed to keep doing my best to support my profession and my colleagues who find themselves wondering what if anything, they can do to turn this ship around.

So, what do I do when I find my mind having negative thoughts about our profession? Or find myself frustrated, judging, doubting, unsure of myself, or resenting the situation or even others. I go back to the interview chair, pause, do my best to reframe my thinking, and ask myself how I would respond or what I would do differently if I were sitting in front of an interview committee vying for a position I desperately wanted and I was asked, “If you were hired as principal, describe some ways in which you would work to reduce staff turnover?

Here are 5 Ways to Inspire Staff to Stay Rather Than Leave

1.    Recalibrate Our Mindset: I think we have to start by being more intentional in understanding why staff are choosing to leave our schools, and in some cases, the profession altogether. This begins with an internal reflection on all of our parts recognizing that we as leaders often play a role in staff leaving, rather than going to the perimeter and placing the entire blame on the staff member. The shift must occur in our minds by believing that every staff member wants to be great at what they do, contrary to what their words or behavior might be telling us. Over the years, this is an area where I have personally grown the most because I do believe that these behaviors are a result of their experiences, and investing time to hear their stories and understand their experiences, brings value to them. Moreover, it helps foster a stronger relationship that is not based on fear and when modeled consistently, overtime can quickly multiply around the campus and build positive momentum to improve the overall morale of an entire staff.

2.    Heart of a Teacher: Most campus leaders started their careers as teachers, but as we transitioned into administration and were given more responsibility, we slowly drifted into more of an evaluative role, thereby at times being viewed as threatening and punitive. I think we need to return to more of a teacher or coaching role. The staff knows we evaluate them, but we also need to coach them up if we want them to stay. By reframing the way we look at our staff, we can see them like our classroom and differentiate for their learning in the same way we expect staff to differentiate for their students. Imagine a classroom where students saw their teachers as helpful rather than punitive. When we focus on modeling effective teaching and management practices with them, then they begin to see us as aligned with them, building more credibility as we model the behaviors that we want to see within our classrooms.

3.    Collective Commitments: Coming together as a staff to create a framework agreement of how every staff member is expected to behave is a must. Too often we rush into our decisions due to the fast-paced nature of our work and we leave ourselves open to unnecessary scrutiny. In other words, we get sloppy. This is where we are most vulnerable and the criticism that often follows can be harsh and leave us feeling beaten down. Frameworks are effective in helping us slow down.  When a staff is intentional in identifying a core set of commitments, defining what those commitments look like and sound like, and agreeing on how we will respond when one of us violates a commitment, (because we will), then we are well on our way to creating an environment where staff feels safe and free of unnecessary toxicity.

4.    Prioritize Resources: I am going to say something that some may not want to hear, but it is something I feel strongly about and I believe it is one of the things I was effective in managing during my tenure as principal. Staff should never have to pay for supplies out of their own pocket. That’s right, I said it. I believe that the building budget is an area that we do have control over and we must be transparent in sharing our line items. Regardless of the size of that budget the key is sitting down with our staff or building leadership team and together transparently, determining the necessary dollars needed to fund the supplies our students and staff need to cultivate a creative and nurturing classroom, or building environment. When that budget falls short, then administration must work together with our central office administration, and/or partner with our local businesses, community foundations, or parent organizations to find a way to raise the money, but we cannot continue to drain our teachers of their time or minimal dollars they earn on something we should provide them as professionals.

5.    Invest Time In Your People: This could arguably be the greatest gift that we can give to others. Nothing says to others, “I care about you,” more than giving someone our personal time. When we take the time to check in on others, be there for them in their time of need, or circle back later to check on them, it sends a powerful message of how important they are to us. That is why we must spend more time on building relationships during our hiring process so that candidates begin to feel like they have landed in a place that truly values them. When we layer this process with an effective onboarding process that continues that connection and adds a level of skill development, we begin to grow a community of leaders who encourage, support, and inspire one another toward excellence. Finally, if we want to craft a culture where all people desire to be a part of such a community I just described, then we must make sure we include all of our support staff and our too-often forgotten guest teachers in this process so they too feel that sense of belonging.

Closely review the five steps and you will see a common thread that weaves throughout. That thread? I believe it is the experiences that we create with our people that bring about a certain feeling that cannot be explained, but they know it when they experience it. And when they do, they walk away and carry the banner for their students, colleagues, and supervisors, sharing with others that they cannot imagine themselves doing anything else or working with anyone else.

If we are going to right this ship and retain the best in our profession, then we can’t just wish for it to happen. We will need to hit the reset button, believe that together we can make anything happen, and give ourselves a chance to create meaningful experiences with all members of our school community so they become our best recruiters and have more reasons for wanting to stay rather than wanting to leave.

My friends, it is time to recalibrate.