15. Difficult Conversations: Crying - Part 2

Apr 20, 2021

Let’s face it, when a teacher starts to cry during a difficult conversation, it can make even the most experienced school owner uncomfortable.  It’s hard to know what to do, and our own emotional reactions can get in the way of thinking clearly. 

In today's episode, I tackle the second shield used by teachers when a difficult conversation comes up - crying. It's not the actual conversation that causes the response; it is the belief of what's actually happening. And a lot of times, when leaders are having such difficult conversations, they tend to stop the moment any emotion is expressed. They have a belief that emotion signifies that the employee is not in a place to receive feedback right now. But it's not true. Let them express their emotion and then pick up the conversation when they have regrouped themselves. We want to start being okay with the tears, and the emotions, and the discomfort that comes with holding difficult conversations. 

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why teachers cry during difficult conversations
• What to (and not to) do when a teacher starts expressing emotions during tough conversations
• How to validate and honor your employees’ feelings and still hold them accountable
• And so much more!

In next week’s episode, I’ll be talking about the third shield of difficult conversations - deflection. If you didn’t have a chance to check out the first shield, listen to last week’s episode!

Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts

Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

 

Access the Four Shields of a Difficult Conversation HERE

Get your Scripts Workbook HERE 

Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving Owners Workshop HERE. 

This workshop is ideal for you if you are looking to:

• Know what the next stage of growth looks like for your school
• Learn how to build out a calendar that serves your lifestyle and stage of life that you're in
• Identify the top priorities that you need to focus on to move your school in the right direction
• Learn what is working for other high achieving school owners in their stage of growth in the season that they're in right now
• Stop doing diffuse energy in a bunch of different directions that aren’t moving your school forward

Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving Owners Workshop HERE. 

 

 

If you are ready to take your school to the next level of growth and are looking for support, community and accountability to make that happen - then would love for you to apply for our directors inner circle or owners HQ program. 

Apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ

Looking for a do-it-yourself option of learning?

Schools in transition is a virtual series for directors and owners who want to focus on stability, security, and success.

• The world has been shaken by a pandemic. The effects are being felt in our lives every day. 
• How do you lead your teachers during a season like this? 
• How do you support children and parents? 
• How do you make strategic decisions about your school in a season of unknowns?

 

For these answers and much more : You can check out our chanie.me/schoolsintransition 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

 

In addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners the insides knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.