People of Northwest Arkansas
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People of Northwest Arkansas
Leadership and Wellness: Empowering Educators with Rhonda Ellis and Anna Cannon
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This episode uncovers the vital role of early childhood education in mental health and community well-being. Rhonda Ellis and Anna Cannon from Washington County EOA Children’s Services share their insights on coaching, stress management, and leadership development that empowers both children and their families. We also discuss the importance of reflection during year-end, the complexity and necessity of early childhood education, strategies for effective stress management and the role of mindfulness and emotional intelligence in leadership.
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Reflecting on Northwest Arkansas Year
Speaker 1Danielle , how are you feeling right now ?
Speaker 2End of year I got the vit . No , I don't , I'm just kidding , I'm fine . End of the year . I've been a good year . I'm one of those people where I'm not like , oh my gosh , new year , 2025 . I have to make all these goals and I have to do all these different things and all of this . It's like good to look back on this year . It was actually a very hard year , as maybe one day we'll tell our listeners all the things we went through this year . However , I think that there was a lot of good that happened and there's a lot of good ahead , and so , yeah , that's just where I'm at right now .
Speaker 1Yeah , I love looking back over the year and I think you don't have to make a ton of goals , but I do think it is good to like reflect on the year and think about . The holidays can be really hard on our , on everyone , on our minds , on our bodies , because we're like stressed and running around and we're trying to do all these , trying to be all the things to all the people right Correct . But we have some really awesome guests today that have experience in the world of mental health and coaching and we're really excited to have them in . We have Rhonda Ellis and she is so she's with , she does certified health coaching and she's with the Washington County EOA Children's Services . And then we also have Anna Cannon and she is a program director . Welcome both . How are you ?
Speaker 2today Awesome .
Speaker 1Yeah , Rhonda and I connected on LinkedIn and she was telling me all about what she does . But before we dive into that , I want to know how each of you got to Northwest Arkansas . So , Rhonda , tell us how you came to the area or if you're from here .
Speaker 3So my husband and I moved here 10 years ago and the draw to Northwest Arkansas was all the nature things to do here the hiking , the camping , the biking and it's just an opportunity to be with a group of people that have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset . We look at Northwest Arkansas as a growth opportunity and so we moved from Searcy Arkansas in the central Arkansas area and we absolutely love it here . There's something magical about going through the tunnel . When you go through the tunnel , I love the tunnel .
Speaker 3It is just on the other side , it just feels different , and so we had some friends that lived here and we would come visit and we were like there's something magical happens when you go through the tunnel . So we love it here .
Speaker 2Absolutely For our listeners . Why don't we tell them what the tunnel is ?
Speaker 1yeah , some people might not know the tunnel .
Speaker 2It's when you cross over to the other side not like the lincoln tunnel in new york , is it ? Is that what we're talking about ? Hey , we're coming all the way from the north . No , it's from the south . Yeah , we're coming up north . We're driving through . The area is called devil's den , is I would say where the tunnel is .
Speaker 2So if you're coming up from the river valley , if you're coming from central arkansas , you're going to be driving up 49 and up north and you're going to go through this tunnel and it takes you right into northwest arkansas and it's .
Speaker 1It is pretty spectacular the views do you hold your breath in the tunnel or do any superstitious things ? We honk our horn .
Speaker 2My kids are like the horn , and so that's what we do . So , now our listeners know when you're coming up from the southern part of the state into northwest Arkansas . It is magical . This place is so magical and I love just I love living here . I think it was a great decision to move here and it was a great decision to stay , so I'm so glad that you're here , rhonda .
Speaker 3Thank you , me too . What about ?
Speaker 4you , are you from this area ? So I was born in Huntsville , arkansas , but we my family moved to South Florida when I was two , and so I grew up in South Florida , and then my dad moved back to the Kingston area I think I was maybe 14 . And so , at 19 , I had my first child , and she got older . My husband and I talked , and I really didn't want to send her to school in South Florida , and so we came up here to visit my dad and , thank goodness , my husband fell in love with the area and then so we moved here when she was four , and she's now 28 and I have two other children , so it was more of the opportunities that were going to be available to my children here , just a different environment , a different school system , and so that's really what drew me to the area , and then all the wonderful things Rhonda said as well too . It's beautiful , there's so many things to do outdoors and just a different landscape than Florida .
Speaker 1A lot different landscape than Florida .
Speaker 3Yeah .
Speaker 1Yeah , you're right , really good schools , I think , like the best in some of the best in the state in Northwest Arkansas .
Speaker 2Absolutely yeah .
Speaker 1So I want to go back and , rhondaonda , you can tell us more about this , because you explained it so eloquently , um to me , like through email and just as we chatted but tell our listeners about the washington county eoa children's services and what they do and how it's important to the well-being of our community .
Speaker 3Okay , I'll let Anna elaborate on that .
Speaker 1Okay , anna , oh , okay , tell us Anna .
Speaker 3We were just talking about it actually when we were sitting out there , and just the wonderful things that people may not know about EOA and children's services , and so I'm going to let Anna elaborate on that .
Speaker 4Okay .
Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program
Speaker 4So we are a comprehensive early childhood education program .
Speaker 4So we have Early Head Start and Head Start and then we also have a Children's House program within our Children's Services Division of EOA .
Speaker 4So Early Head Start serves children six weeks to 36 months of age , and then our Head Start program serves children that are three to five years of age , and then our Children's House program that is funded through a VOCA grant through the state of Arkansas , and those children are who have been subjected to some type of trauma or abuse and neglect in their lives , and so it's a little bit different than the early Head Start kiddos that we serve , but we prepare them for kindergarten , so not just the children but the entire family , and so we have an evidence-based curriculum that we use for those kiddos , starting at six weeks of age all the way through five years of age . We also do developmental screenings for those children . So we want to ensure that if there are any type of developmental or physical delays , that we're able to provide those parents with services while the children are in our program . So that way , hopefully , if they still continue to need services once they enter kindergarten , it's just a smooth transition .
Speaker 4A lot of times the children end up graduating out of needing those services and so by the time they get to kindergarten they're in line with their peers and they don't require any additional services . But we also work with their parents in ensuring that they're making sure the children are having their well child checks , they're getting their dental visits , they're current on their immunizations , but we have family advocates that also work with the parents and set goals for the parents and the families . So that's anything from . Some parents just want to obtain reliable transportation , housing , because a lot of our parents live with multiple families in one dwelling . Some of them want to go back and obtain their ged or go in into higher ed , and so the goals really fluctuate based on the family . But it really is a comprehensive program that serves the children and the families also it's like a customized service and each individual .
Speaker 1That's really nice . And you said six weeks of age it starts .
Speaker 3Yes , wow , I was not expecting that young yeah , and I was just telling anna , when I first started working with the eoa with , uh , the previous program director , lance , I had no idea that there was a curriculum , individual plans for each child at six weeks old . When you think about that , you think about , oh , I'm just dropping them off , they're gonna feed them , they're gonna get a diaper change , whatever .
Speaker 4But no , they are fundamentally developing these kids and I was just like in awe of how comprehensive it was I would have never imagined , because , yeah , you just think not much is happening , like , right , you're feeding them , they're sleeping , and I and I think with our younger , like our infants , we really , especially first-time parents , help them understand the importance of that attachment piece and making sure that if their child's not meeting those developmental milestones , that they're having those conversations with their pediatricians and because with our program , for instance , children that are in our program after 12 months of age we don't provide that they don't have bottles anymore , in our program they transition to a sippy cup .
Speaker 4Of course that process starts at four months of age . But I think I bring that up because a lot of times that's a question that we get from parents like why do you do that at 12 months of age ? And so we just go into the dental repercussions of that if you don't , and then just developmentally and help them with that transition , and so it really is just about helping those parents understand their child's development so they can help with that at home as well too .
Speaker 4Okay , it's really impressive because we have a parent curriculum as well , and then of course we also have curriculum that we send home . That ties over in activities that the parents can do that are related to the theme or topic that they're working on in the classroom . And of course we encourage lots of reading because we know how important that is for kiddos , starting it before in utero . It's important to start that , and so we just really try to help them develop those healthy , long-term habits .
Speaker 2Yeah , that's amazing . How many kids or how many families do you serve in a year ?
Speaker 4Well , that varies , because we do have children that leave the program for various reasons . I would say on average if you're thinking of the children that come and go from the program we probably serve on average about 450 children per year .
Speaker 2We probably serve on average about 450 children per year . Wow , wow , that's impressive .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's really cool . So Daniel always likes to back up . I'm going to back up . You're backing it up , backing it up . How , rhonda ? How did you get into professional leadership development and certified health coaching ?
Speaker 3How did ?
Speaker 1you get into this field
Navigating Professional Leadership and Health Coaching
Speaker 1.
Speaker 3Yeah , certified health coaching . How did you get into this field ? Yeah , so I spent 22 years in higher education and really the next leap for me would be administration . I didn't want to do that . Came across a coaching program by John Maxwell , certified in that , and really I met a coach , sarah Miller . She's really responsible for me being a coach and she actually . The reason I even got connected with the EOA is we were . She asked me to be her secondary researcher through .
Speaker 3The University of Arkansas has an it's called ECEP Early Childhood Education Program . They were doing research on creating a coaching culture in childhood development , in child care , and so I was paired with the program director at EOA at that time . But before that it was just like I remember being in as a clinic manager . So I spent 10 years in health care management before that and just thinking , oh my gosh , it was so lonely Just trying to navigate being a new clinic manager and what that looked like and how to really manage people , because managing processes and policies are pretty easy , but leading people that's totally different , totally yeah .
Speaker 3So then that's . I just remember going back to that and said I would love to help people that are new managers or managers who are looking to grow , and so that's how I became a coach , and so I'm certified by the International Coaching Federation , which is the largest international and national accrediting body of coaches . And then I decided in 2020 , whenever COVID hit , everybody wanted to coach around stress management and I was thinking , oh boy , I need some health coaching training to better serve my clients . So that's how I got into the health coaching space . And then , with EOA , this year , we actually did an add-on of health coaching and to health coach with anybody in the program agency that wanted to do that , in order for me to get my hours to sit for the , the national board of health and wellness coaching exam . So I did that in July .
Speaker 3But it's been a really cool journey to just be like . I coached with Anna when she was a center director and and really one of the things I remember about her is like the turnover in her centers were very low and I was like , okay , she has it going on . We need to figure out what she's doing and just replicate that right , so don't reinvent the wheel , just find out what's going really well . And so that's what we've done , and that's how I got connected is just by that research project of creating a coaching culture , and they have done an excellent job of creating a coaching culture at eoa .
Speaker 1So that's incredible . So when you said stress management I'm so curious about , well , I know you don't want to give it all away , but for my own personal curiosity I never get stressed oh yeah , never . No , I'm a ball of stress I would like to know what . What kind of some of that entails , like what are some ways people can manage their stress ? I know it's like I'm lying grounding is good grounding is good .
Speaker 1grounding is good when you lead people . That's a whole different element of stress , because you it will ripple down Right , just like being a mom . If you're stressed , everyone picks up on it . So , I'm curious , like from a mental standpoint . I think a lot of people know physically how they can de-stress , like work out , go outside , but are there any like mental tricks that you teach ?
Speaker 3but are there any like mental tricks that you teach ? Yeah , so when I was coaching around stress management I still do it's one of the top three topics that I coach around . It really is a multifaceted puzzle and it does include nutrition , it does include movement , it definitely includes sleep , and that's where I start with yes , yes , a consistent bedtime , eye mask , sleep hygiene , calm app . Yes , all of that influences your stress and that's so . I will start with that . But I really do stress mindfulness , meditation and , one of the things that I love about EOA , they offer the calm app for everybody that's employed there .
Speaker 1That's amazing . I love that app , by the way .
Speaker 3Yes , that's a great one . Yes , so that's part of the well-being piece that they have , is they actually ? Everybody has access to the Calm app and they even use that in the classroom with kids . So they start early . They're starting them early .
Speaker 1I love that . Yes , we're all early about this , where someone would have started early with me .
Speaker 2No one ever talked to me about calmness or mindfulness in the 80s and 90s about self-regulation oh my yeah , self-regulate , self-regulate , yeah my kids are learning that for sure I was it's important , but I learned how to do it as I got older , so I made a calming corner for my kids instead . Of a timeout corner and my husband actually he was funny .
Speaker 1The other day he was like do you feel like that was effective ? And I was like I did for a time .
Speaker 1Now they're preaching now they don't care about the calming corner . It needs to become something else . But instead of like and everyone's different with how they want to approach that but I just noticed with my kids giving them a minute to , just because I knew that when they were worked up nothing was going to get through that I was saying so I just tried to like , teach them to calm themselves and then like , we'll talk it out and I may not like what they have to say and they may not like when . Either one we may not agree , but I love teaching calmness well and we try to incorporate that in our classrooms as well , too .
Speaker 4So we have what we call quiet cubbies or and so that's more , for we don't make the child go there , but we allow that space for them . If they need a minute to regulate their feelings , or if they're just like I don't want to be around you or anybody else right now , right , they have the opportunity to do that . Because , really , when we talk to kindergarten teachers and about , hey , what is most important for you to have for these children when they transition into kindergarten , they talk about social emotional skills , self-regulation , those self-help skills . Those are the key things they're like . If they have that , we can get everything else . Yes , we do other things as well , too . I mean , we work on developing them cognitively and things like that , but really focusing on that social emotional aspect is important for the kiddos that we serve as well too .
Speaker 1Because that could be a roadblock for learning . Yes absolutely , because they can't move past that .
Speaker 3It can be a roadblock for learning for adults .
Speaker 2I know I was like our whole lives .
Speaker 3I know , yeah , that social , emotional , we talk about so much about emotional intelligence as part of leadership skills and it is . I always say that the gift that you give yourself is reflection , and so many times when we find ourselves so stressed is we haven't given ourselves that time of reflection . To say , hey , what's going well right now , what's not going well and what do I need to do differently and I think that's where I start with stress management is when I'm talking with a client is to say hey , what's going well , and then we dive into what's not going well . Just say hey , what's going well , and then we dive into what's not going well .
Speaker 1I want to use that too , just for yeah , for myself , or my kids . What's going well , yeah , and instead of what's wrong , I like that you said what's not and what can I do differently . Yeah , it's really simple and basic , but sometimes we don't think we just get in that heightened state and then , your mind , I'm the queen of like creating fake scenarios , you little enneagram six you and then I'm like , wait , why am I thinking about that ?
Speaker 1it's probably never going to happen . I'm always a murphy's law . That's always . My brain is like what could go ? I'm like no , I should think about what is working , yeah .
Speaker 2What is working ?
Speaker 3Really it does . Part of stress management is positive emotion , that positivity and I'm not talking about oh , the sky is always blue , no , we're not talking about that , right , but being in that state of not thinking what could always go wrong . Right , the stories that we tell ourselves yes , but really what is going well , and capitalize , yes , but really what is going well , and capitalize on that , and then you are a good you were meant for this , pumped up right now . Yeah , yeah and so anyway , but that's where we start with .
Speaker 2stress management is just to say what's going well and then what's not going well and what can we do differently . We need to do a session with you right now , Danielle .
Speaker 1I know what is going . Well , I could be the queen of jumping to conclusions , and Danielle is the dreamer and the idea girl and I'm like hold on , I haven't thought through every scenario .
Speaker 2I definitely jumped to conclusions that would have been a good career for me , I think , except for I'm glad you didn't take that career , so I'm glad we can do this . That's true . I do jump to conclusions sometimes . My favorite thing that my therapist says to me over and over is like okay , look at the evidence , look at the evidence . What is the evidence telling you ? And I was like , oh yeah , the evidence is telling me that's probably not going to happen .
Speaker 1Dang it , I know .
Speaker 2Oh , my goodness , Rhonda , you were saying that stress management is one of like three main things that you coach , and what are the other two kind of main areas that you're coaching people in ?
Speaker 3So with leadership development , it's going to be conflict resolution yes . And also feedback . Those top three are I coach around it every day without fail .
Speaker 2Yeah . So when I worked at John Brown University , I was one of several of the leadership classes students had to take for being an RA or in some sort of leadership position on campus , and so we like we dove into all of the things of of stress and conflict resolution . We talked about StrengthsFinder , now everybody's into the Enneagram . What's our Myers-Briggs ? How do we deal with those sorts of things ? What are some of the assessments that you use when you're working with your clients ?
Speaker 3So I use the Best Personality Profile . It's been around since the 70s , it's very simple . And then I also use Character Strengths by VIA . Those two really , I start with those . I'll also use an emotional intelligence assessment if we need to , and then I also do a STAR 360 , which is a 360 assessment , that a rounded view . Your peers interview , evaluate you and then also your supervisor and then the people that you lead , so your direct reports . So those are the four that I use on a consistent basis .
Speaker 3If anybody wants to start to learn to know their team , I would suggest the best personality profile and the character strengths . We've done that at EOA with each center . The center director says I want to better know who I'm leading . Right , so we'll go in and do the best personality profiling and I'll do a training on it and the character strengths , because you can guess what somebody's personality is .
Speaker 3But this assessment , there's no guessing , like you'll know , and the components are bold , expressive , sympathetic and technical and we use all of those . But some we use are more comfortable in going in that component of the personality than others , than others . So it really helps for people just to know and have a common language of really where they're showing up where those characteristics of that component , and then also with the character strengths . One of the things that I find is those two complementing . So if sympathetic is that person's component of that personality , the dominant , then we see in that characteristics kindness , forgiveness . So they really complement each other and that's why I love using those two . But yeah , I would say , if that's where people wanted to start to learn their team , that would be two simple assessments to use that's awesome .
Speaker 2if you're on my team and my full-time job that I have just get ready because we're hiring Rhonda , I can highly recommend that as well , oh my gosh .
Speaker 2No , I'm just sitting here listening and I just started a full-time job . I shut down my business . I owned a business , a media marketing business , and I shut it down to take a full-time job as a director of marketing , and so I have several direct reports and I think that I was walking into a team that I didn't grow or develop and I'm just like , oh gosh , yeah , we need that , not because anything's bad , but I think it just would help us as a team and it would help me understand even more of where they're coming from . So that's really great . When you think about the teams that you've worked with or the individuals that you've worked with , some of your coaching and leadership
Leadership Success Stories in Early Childhood
Speaker 2training , what are some of your like favorite stories , or what success stories of like watching somebody grow in their work or their job or in their leadership position , like what you don't have to use names , but do you have any examples of that ? That have been success stories , absolutely .
Speaker 3I wouldn't still be working if I didn't have success stories . All right , well , just tell us this is not working for me or anybody else , so maybe I better find another job . But EOA is a prime example of we started our fifth year working together this year and just watching the leaders . As a matter of fact , anna and I were just talking about this on the way up here on the drive up here is just seeing some people that were teachers in the classroom and now they've blossomed to center directors and the leadership skills that they've developed in that process .
Speaker 3You talk about succession planning . They have got succession planning down in that they believe in leadership development and it's one of those things that they put their money where their mouth is , that they say that we believe in developing leaders and they really do , and they do it well , and some of those center directors . I think probably the first thing is just believing in yourself , and so we help them believe in themselves and we teach them conflict resolution skills , how to provide feedback on a regular basis . And we were talking about annual performance reviews . Those are so outdated and if an organization is still using those , okay , they're in the 1980s . They're truly not in the 21st century , and if you're not having conversations and one-on-ones with your people , then you're missing out Like continuously through the years .
Speaker 1Yes , yes .
Speaker 3Absolutely .
Speaker 2I agree with that . I agree too .
Speaker 3And organizations haven't taken the time to revamp that evaluation system to really fit where leaders feel like yes , this is what we're really doing now , right , Not back in the 1980s .
Speaker 4Right , but yeah .
Speaker 3And that's where I see the biggest growth is people first of all having confidence in themselves and giving themselves the gift of learning who they are . We don't know what we don't know , and just that gift of doing a best personality profile or a character strength , seeing how you show up and then living into that and seeing how to live into that . Yeah , yeah , but they've seen a reduction in turnover .
Speaker 4We were just talking .
Speaker 3You want to talk a little bit about reduction in turnover and some other things that they've seen at EOA , just because of leadership development and the coaching that's happening there .
Speaker 4I mean so we ? Because my HR manager we were talking on Friday and so we use Bamboo , which is the HR system that we use , and she was just pulling some numbers to look at turnover at this time last year versus turnover now and it has reduced drastically . I think one of our centers was in percent at this time last year and right now she's sitting at about two to three percent .
Speaker 4Whoa and so yeah , I mean it's been drastic . We made some other kind of organizational changes too that have helped , I think . Think our center directors step into that role as well and be more confident .
Speaker 4But you know , I don't think without Rhonda's coaching they would be where they were at and it's as successful as they are because , again , having the tools to for conflict resolution and just open and transparent communication , and then the confidence I can speak to that from being a center director previously it really you step into that role and you're like , okay , well , I can do all of the logistics of this as far as like making sure we are meeting ratios and all of these other performance standards that we have to do , but the human piece of it was challenging and I was so grateful when Rhonda joined EOA and I was in that center director role just to have that guidance to help me develop those skills as a leader as well too . So , because that I think conflict resolution is probably one of the hardest things that you have to do in a leadership role .
Speaker 1Yes , and how did you get into this field ?
Speaker 4I actually I'm 47 and I have been in the field of early childhood education since I was in high school . So I was really on the cusp of dropping out of high school because I just I didn't have family support . I just didn't feel like it was a good fit for me . And so I went to my counselor and I said , hey , I think I'm just , I'm going to drop out and I'm going to get my GED . I'm going to do something other than this . And she was like well , what is what are you interested in ? I said , well , I think I like kids . They're cool , I babysit , whatever .
Speaker 4And she was like , well , there's a program at the community college . She said , just , let me connect you with that , and if you decide after doing that you still want to get your GED , I'll help steer you in that direction . And so it was like a dual enrollment program . And so I was able to leave a high school campus , go to the community college and work in their onsite child development center , and you know there was coursework involved with that . And so through doing that , I just really fell in love with this field and it also kept me in high school and I graduated . And so , yeah , I just , I think I've always been a teacher at heart , whether it's children or adults , or yeah , you knew from a young age , yeah .
Speaker 2Yes , that's a great story . That's a great backstory .
Speaker 1Well , and it helps us like . What we love about our podcast is we like to get the full story of why everyone's doing what they're doing , and it's really
Leadership, Communication, and Wellness Solutions
Speaker 1interesting . Like you , you're talking about assessments . It's important , like why , who people are by nature and how they came to to do what they do and why and it's the why here is amazing . I love it and it's I think it is a big part of helping the community , because this area does have a lot of we have fortune one companies and other huge fortune 100 companies in the area a lot of leadership , a lot of growth and also a lot of families too . That and people are really interested in that .
Speaker 1It's a very tight-knit community , very family focused , and I think that early childhood development is a big part of the well-being of the community , because that's our future and so I think it should be one of the top priorities . And when you agree , danielle , it's like I would shaping the future . Can you say that louder ? They're the future . We want them to be kind people , assertive , but be kind Right and just as a society . They have so much access to information and news and just it's very stress inducing All the technology children are exposed to so soon , and so I think that stress management , like you're saying , your emotional health , is so important . Yeah , yeah .
Speaker 3And I'll tack on there about stress management , and I stole this phrase from Brene Brown clear is kind , unclear is unkind For any leaders if they not read the book Dare to Lead . I would highly recommend that book by Brene Brown . But when we're talking about stress , the lack of clarity and expectations is really what drives a lot of stress in people that you lead , because sometimes we think we're clear but when it's all said and done , oh , if I would have known that then I wouldn't have done this . But then it just becomes a colossal mess . So the expectations clear up what's expected right , and so that people aren't guessing what should I be doing or how should I be doing it .
Speaker 3And then spinning their wheels right , and then that causes a ton of stress just constantly in their mind Am I doing this right ? Am I going to get in trouble ? What is that ? So I think that's probably another big driver is the lack of expectations being communicated well .
Speaker 2It's true , communication is so important . So I work in marketing and communication and I find that just a vital part of how we work as people . And I think also some people are like well , I communicated that , well , but did you communicate it in a way , to where it was received ? Well , like , did you communicate with the intention of people understanding what you're saying or did you just communicate just to communicate and say it like ? I think that's where some of that kind of falls through the cracks . And I think expectations are good too , like knowing what expectations you have of your team , what expectations you have of yourself , all of those things .
Speaker 2I have had a variety of different bosses , I've worked with a variety of different people and I think having clear communication and clear expectations really helps you do better in what you're doing . But also , like , I'm also one of those people that's like do not micromanage me , please , please , don't micromanage me , cause I've experienced that as well and that's hard , cause it's like , and so there's a difference between like you can still be clear without micromanaging people and you can still be clear without holding their hand and walking them through every process . There's a little bit of hand holding , that sometimes has to happen . But you know , at one point you let go Like I think of my kids and my daughter .
Speaker 2She still wants to hold my hand , my son , he's like once in a while , but like yeah but there are certain points that he's like mommy , I cannot hold your hand anymore and I'm like , oh my God , I want to cry , right now so you could apply that to teams and working with people , and yeah , anyway , but thinking through , like , as organizations plan for the year ahead , how can leadership development align with long-term goals for the workplace well-being , ensuring mental , emotional and physical health remaining a priority ? Yeah , whoa , hold on Wait . Can you repeat the question ?
Speaker 4Oh my God . We have a wellness committee , and so Rhonda is a part of that as well too , and then we have representatives from each center , whether I think there's teachers on there , there's family advocates , there's center directors , and so I think for us just continuing with that wellness committee and really being intentional about the support that we want to provide to our staff , and also taking the feedback from those other wellness committees on what the staff want , what support looks like to them , because I can assume a lot of things , but we all know what that does , and so I was gonna going to say it , but it's a clean podcast .
Speaker 2You guys know it makes a donkey out of you and me .
Speaker 4Because one of the coolest things I well , it's the coolest based on staff feedback is one of the things that we offer to our staff that came to light through the wellness committee is we provide them with collagen water coolers at each location . I would have never thought of that in a million years as being something that they would appreciate and would really affect their overall wellness . That came from someone at the center level , but when we survey staff and talk to them about the incentives or initiatives that we offer , that is always at the top of the list how much they appreciate having the cold water and it's encouraged them to drink more water , and so it's just little things . Again , that is not something that I would have thought of being something that went over so well and was so greatly received , and they're like please don't ever take that away .
Speaker 3And so yeah , hydration is one of the main things . If we're not hydrating , we have no energy
Focusing on Workplace Well-Being
Speaker 3and at the cell level there's a lot of danger and a lot of things that are not happening when you're not hydrated . And so one of the things that EOA , they're just so awesome about growth and about having a growth mindset . So I came across the Work at Health scorecard by CDC .
Speaker 1And I'm glad you brought that up , because I wanted to ask you about that .
Speaker 3Yeah , it's part of like preparing for well-being . What are you doing for 2025 in your company , right ? And so they have always been very gracious and saying , hey , let's try it Like I'll have ideas . I'm the idea queen and so I'll go with ideas .