“Cleaning up the lemonade.”
This week, a marketing director for Chick-fil-A came by the school to meet with me. We had spoken on the phone, and this was the first time we met face to face. He was dropping off some coupons and wanted to share others with our groups and organizations.
We started to talk about the legendary customer service his organization is known for and how it compares to what we are building at Churchill High School. We shared many parallels and discussed how we handled an upset customer or parent.
He made a statement that stuck with me long after he left. A young family had come into his restaurant, and their child ordered a small lemonade. Immediately upon sitting down, the child spilled the lemonade and began crying uncontrollably.
Without being prompted, an employee got a mop and started the cleanup. A second employee made another lemonade for the child. A third employee reassured the child and parent that everything would be alright. The marketing manager stood back and admired the teamwork that he just witnessed. There is no doubt that the family will return, and their narrative will be complete satisfaction and loyalty to that company.
How does this relate to education?
We build teams within schools, from administrative teams to counseling teams, grade-level teams, and departments. We ensure that personalities mesh and that we have the right people on the bus and in the right seats. We know that teams are cohesive when we see co-workers and colleagues “Cleaning up the lemonade.”
As an administrator, we must highlight these acts of kindness. This could be a handwritten thank you card or a shot out in your staff email. This could also be what you promote and highlight on social media. The important part is that we acknowledge these acts. We all know that what is highlighted gets repeated.
I challenge you this week to look for ways to celebrate cohesive teams. I would love to hear ways that you are celebrating them.
Last week, I conducted ten 3-5 minute walk-throughs and provided written feedback to the staff on my visit. I also completed two 45-minute observations. My goal this week is twelve 3-5 minute walk-throughs, two observations, and three 15-minute walk-throughs. What are your goals for visiting classrooms? More importantly, what are your goals for providing feedback to staff about all the good things you see?
Three Random Thoughts
Showtime has a documentary on 80’s/90’s rapper Biz Markie. It is well done and worth your time.
I have been making smoothies in the morning. Last week, I bought frozen fruit. I struggled with mixing it with ice and water. Any ideas or suggestions? Is it because I had a cheap blender? Do you have a go-to smoothie?
The state of Texas deserves six months of temperatures that range between 50 & 75. The last five months have been brutal.