Toxic Team Talk Replay: Healing Your Broken Team
From Broken to Brilliant: A Child Care Leader’s Journey to Team Transformation
Mia’s heart pounded as she stared at her phone. Five of her teachers had gone out to lunch together—and none of them were coming back. They quit. All at once. đ¨
She sank into her office chair, overwhelmed. How had it come to this? Staff had been frustrated, sure. Tension had been rising. But she never imagined they’d walk out together.
Her child care center—her dream—was unraveling. And if something didn’t change fast, she knew she’d lose more than just employees.
She felt stuck, lost, and completely alone.
Then she picked up the phone and called me.
The Turning Point đ
Mia’s voice was shaky when I answered.
"Julie, I just want everyone to be happy working together!! Can you help?"
I could hear the exhaustion, the frustration—the deep desire to fix what felt broken beyond repair.
I listened, and then I told her something she hadn’t considered:
"Your team isn’t just broken—they’re disconnected. And disconnection creates chaos. But don’t worry… we can fix this."
I walked her through a proven five-step process—one that would reignite her staff’s passion, rebuild trust, and create a center where people actually wanted to work.
She was ready to try.
Step 1: Believing in Her Team đĄ
Instead of focusing on who left, Mia turned her attention to who stayed. It was tempting to see her remaining staff as victims of the walkout—or worse, potential flight risks. But I reminded her of something powerful:
"The team you have now is your foundation. If you believe in them, they will rise."
At her next staff meeting, Mia didn’t dwell on the walkout. Instead, she looked each team member in the eye and said:
“I believe in you. And I believe in us. We will turn this around—together.”
A few team members seemed skeptical, arms crossed. Others gave small nods. But most importantly, no one walked out.
It was a start.
Step 2: Listening to Her Team đ (The Right Way)
Mia had to face a hard truth—she hadn’t been truly listening.
Sure, she thought she was listening. But like many leaders, she had fallen into common traps:
đ¨ Getting defensive – Instead of hearing concerns, she had been explaining why things couldn’t change.
đ¨ Making snap judgments – Assuming struggling staff just weren’t a “good fit.”
đ¨ Listening just to respond – Thinking about her reply instead of actually hearing her team.
I told her:
"This time, listen with curiosity. No defending. No fixing. Just understanding."
So, instead of reacting, Mia simply said:
“Tell me more.”
And what she heard changed everything.
Her team felt unheard, overwhelmed, and unsure of their role in the center’s future. They didn’t just need better policies. They needed to feel valued.
So Mia made a promise:
"I hear you. And together, we’re going to rebuild."
Step 3: Recrafting the Vision đŻ
(Making It Theirs, Not Just Hers)
The old mission statement hanging on the wall? It wasn’t working.
Mia realized that for real change to happen, the center needed a vision that meant something to everyone—not just words, but a movement.
So I guided her through a powerful exercise to co-create the vision with her team. And together, they crafted a new one:
"To create a joyful, nurturing space where every child, family, and staff member feels valued, supported, and inspired."
This wasn’t just Mia’s vision anymore. It belonged to everyone. And that changed everything.
Step 4: Measuring and Tracking
Performance in Alignment with the Vision đ
To make sure their new vision wasn’t just a feel-good statement, Mia put systems in place.
We worked together to create clear, simple goals:
â
Engaging with children in meaningful ways
â
Creating positive parent interactions
â
Supporting and celebrating each other as a team
But here’s where things really shifted: Instead of only pointing out what was going wrong, Mia started celebrating what was going right.
Each week, they highlighted staff wins:
đ Miss Karen’s creativity in circle time
đ Mr. Tony’s patience with a struggling toddler
đ Miss Jada’s warm welcomes at drop-off
Small shifts led to big changes.
Step 5: Opportunities for Growth to Bring the Vision to Life đ
Mia realized that people don’t just stay for a paycheck. They stay where they grow.
So together, we built a plan to offer:
⨠Leadership mentoring
⨠Skill-building workshops
⨠Mindset growth
Instead of waiting for promotions that might never come, staff were becoming leaders right where they were.
The Transformation đ
Months later, Mia walked through the center and felt it.
The warmth. The laughter. The teamwork. Staff who once dreaded their shifts now stayed late, brainstorming new activity ideas. Parents noticed. Enrollment increased.
And for the first time in a long time, Mia felt at peace.
Her broken team had become a thriving, united force.
And it all started with a choice—to believe in them. â¤ď¸
And the best part?
Mia didn’t do it alone. She reached out, got the right guidance, and took action.
If you’re struggling with a team that feels disconnected, unmotivated, or even on the verge of walking out, know this: there’s a way forward.
And just like Mia, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
đŠ Join us in Happy Together!!
Your transformation starts today.
