Creating A Childcare Vision

Years ago when I started working with my staff. I would just open up my meetings. I would just give out raises. I will just start my day with no rhyme and reason. I had a coaching session with Dr. Deborah Tillman and during this coaching session, she asked me, “What was my vision?” And I was like, “My vision is this and that.” I was lost on what to say, even though I thought I had it going on. And so she said, “Andrea, you got to start with your vision.”  And of course, in my quiet time and seeking God for wisdom, it became apparent to me that my team doesn’t know the vision. Therefore, I have to give my organization a vision. 

And so I created a vision that I believe is a modeling vision because childcare businesses that have coached with me used the model all over the world.

So the reason why I’m telling you about this vision is because I stopped giving out raises to people just to give a raise if STAFF made it to 90 days, that means something about my vision you can recall, I stopped starting my meetings without a vision. I started giving my team a quarterly agenda with the vision. 

And so every meeting we started with the vision.

 I’ve placed it on graphics, shirts, new hire packets, on our website, on our quarterly agenda, and all over the facility. I’ve placed the vision strategically in every Jumpstart Bin, you’ll find the vision and even when they’re going for online training. And so the reason why the vision is so prevalent in my organization is because my vision tells a person what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how they facilitate getting it done. And so I tell my staff or have told my staff that you should see yourself in your everyday work, working the vision. 

So why am I telling you all of this? Many of you have staff members who do not know your vision and cannot quote your vision and could care less that you have a vision. And the only reason why those attributes are prevalent in your business is because you don’t know the vision. You treat it like it’s something simple, but it’s the most powerful set of words that people who work for you could ever connect to. 

So what I did was every meeting, before we got started, we quoted the vision. So when you come to your 90-day raise, you have to quote the vision. When I walked into your classroom, and I wanted to hear the vision, you had to be able to quote the vision. I’m telling you that this was one of the most game-changing hearts of company culture that I could ever build. I tell you what, half of the ladies who worked for me almost ten years ago can still quote you my vision to this day. Even I can still quote to this day. So the reason why we’re moving in this direction is because I need you to start thinking about your vision for your organization. Where do you want to take this business? What do you want for this business to do? How do you want this business to impact your community? 

I explained to my team my vision and wrote it down for my team and required my team to quote it. I can quote it. I lived it. I gave my best. I served the best. I provided the best. I wanted the best. I fought for the best because that was my vision. 

Now what’s your vision? Can you quote it? Do you have one? 

If you want to change the game in your business, if you want to create a framework for your vision, here’s what I would do. 

Once a person knows my vision, they get a special badge or they get a special vest or they get to wear a special color because you want for people to see that it’s a perk to knowing your vision. You want people to see there is value in knowing what you stand for and why you exist. And that’s what we did. We awarded that team with shirts, rewarding it with earrings, Apple earrings, etc. I just didn’t start branding myself with apples, my team members have been wearing apples. I just started releasing it to the world but apples have always been my brand and logo. So do something like that, that will shift the game for your organization that will create company culture, from the foundation of having a vision that people can see themselves doing so that people can understand why you do what you do. 

While my vision with the IOwnADaycare brand is, ‘Where we connect childcare business owners with proven management solutions.’ So everything I do is to connect you to a proven management solution. If it’s a conference, a webinar, a book, a product, a home study program, a coaching program, a coaching call, a discovery call, whatever it is I’m always trying to connect you to a proven management solution. That’s the vision that runs with it. 

For the Bible says,  “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

It means you are the CEO so write the vision, write what you want to see happen in your company, and watch people who read it and execute it in your classrooms, in your families, and even executed on the bus runs. 

Because the Bible says, “He that read it will run with it. It may tarry but stay focused. It may tarry but stay faithful. It may tarry but don’t quit. It shall speak, and shall not lie. 

As always remember if you manage the childcare business that you love, you love the childcare business that you manage.