Two Notes A Day
If you want a way to build relationships with your staff that costs you next to nothing and takes less than five minutes a day then I have the strategy for you. It is guaranteed to move the culture in your building and gain some serious equity in your organization. I love Jimmy Casas and I have mentioned him before. When I was first hired as a building principal I had the opportunity to attend a conference he was keynoting at and heard him speak for the first time. I hadn’t even had a day on the job as a principal, but I knew that culture was going to be a key element in our building’s success. Jimmy mentioned in his keynote that he wrote two notes a day to the staff that were positive and supportive. I immediately knew that I was going to use this idea as soon as I assumed the role in my new position.
I was astounded at how quickly this took off in every building I was a leader in. I wrote these notes on bright colorful notecards and I dated and signed each one. I always found something positive to write about. It could be something they did in the classroom and sometimes I found things that weren’t even school related. It could be as simple as welcoming them back from an illness and telling them how much we missed them. Sometimes I would do it when I knew they were struggling and it would give them a boost or motivation to keep moving forward. I kept a spreadsheet for each quarter to make sure I didn’t miss anyone so everyone got at least one note a quarter. One of the coolest things this created was a culture where teachers did it for students and staff and even for me. I would walk into classrooms and teachers would have my notes taped to their desks or pinned to a bulletin board. People just want to be recognized and appreciated and that doesn’t cost a thing. People will appreciate the time you took to handwrite a note acknowledging their effort. The reason this is so effective is because people don’t do it enough today and it truly is special. Take advantage of that and start right now!
