Chapter 2

Developing Interpersonal Developing Interpersonal RelationshipsRelationships

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Chapter Objectives

• Discuss ways to create a positive climate through:

– modeling– community building– communicating

• List ways to motivate staff through:

– encouragement– job enrichment

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Director’s Role

• The director’s role is …

– creating a positive work climate– motivating the staff– promoting job enrichment– encouraging a sense of community

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Positive Work Climate

• The director’s role is to create positive climate through…

– modeling a positive emotional tone– developing a sense of community among

staff, parents, and children – promoting positive communication

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Positive Work Climate

• To create a positive environment, a director must model…

– honesty– respect– maturity

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Discussion Question

What are some ways that a director can model respect, honesty or maturity?

Staff Motivation

• The director’s role is to create positive work relationships through…

– words and acts of encouragement – not promoting competition among staff– specific and focused comments on job

performance

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Discussion Question

How can a director with limited resources provide motivation for the staff to reach their potential?

Staff Motivation

• Positive recognition

– builds self-confidence– provides job satisfaction– gives specific example of work or action

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Job Enrichment

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Job enrichment is a management strategy that

enhances job satisfaction by presenting more

challenges and increasing responsibility,

which, in turn, produce a sense of personal

achievement and on-the-job satisfaction

Job Enrichment

• The director’s role is to promote job enrichment through…

– Presenting challenges in the workplace– Increasing job responsibilities– Opportunities for advanced education

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Discussion Question

If a director increases job responsibilities in an attempt to promote job enrichment, will the staff just see this strategy as more work—which eventually leads to dissatisfaction and demands for more money or other material rewards?

Job Enrichment Principles

1. Give new and added responsibilities to staff members so they are constantly challenged and empowered to control aspects of their work setting

2. Provide opportunities for ongoing training and college-based education that will contribute to quality of performance and to personal and professional growth

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Job Enrichment Principles

3. Give staff members special assignments such as occasional delegation of coworkers’ or supervisor’s jobs to broaden each person’s understanding of the total operation of the organization

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Community Building

• The director’s role is to create a sense of community through…

– promoting a sense of belonging to staff, parents, and students

– leading the center by positively interacting with the community

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Discussion Question

A director is an extremely busy person with the mechanics of running the child care center. Why should she become involved in building a sense of community and a sense of belonging with the staff members?

Communication

• Keys to successful communication

– shares important information– encourages staff to respond– aligns verbal and nonverbal messages

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Communication

• Blocks to successful communication– demanding and controlling messages– put-downs– use of sarcasm or threats– flip humorous responses to serious concerns

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Discussion Question

Why are verbal and nonverbal communication skills important in a center setting?

Chapter Summary

• The center director

– creates the environment to support students and parents

– models skills– communicates respectfully– cares for staff and families

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