thought twice about this weakness of mine, because I worked so closely with my boss who was very business-minded. We balanced each other out perfectly! She knew how to delegate projects and tasks that fit my strengths and interests, while also teaching me the business end of our programs (even if she knew I was starting to zone out haha!) However, once I took over as director, I became unsure of my abilities; I thought, “what successful director isn’t operationally and financially savvy?!” I am happy to share that through trial and error, vulnerable question-asking, and curious information seeking, I am now making informed decisions,
craving more data, and feeling more confident in my financial and operational knowledge. I share this story as a testament that you can favor certain aspects of this field, while still developing the other aspects that maybe don’t come naturally for you. So whether you lean towards the business-minded type or towards the creative-minded type (or maybe you’re the perfect mix of both), below are a handful of tips you can utilize to strengthen your weakness. You can also use these tips to help develop those around you who are struggling in one area versus the other.
How the Business-Minded Individual Can Lean Into Their Creative-Minded Side
THEN DO this
IF YOU...
Remind yourself of the famous quote by Thomas Jefferson, “with great risk, comes great reward.” Every successful idea started with risk! You may be asking, “what if my idea fails?” Failure is simply a lesson providing you information that will lead you to your next best idea! Remember that the financial aspect of our programs is only one piece of the puzzle! Connecting with your team, your students, school staff, and parents can tell you invaluable information that numbers don’t! Don’t start from scratch! Ask a fellow SNP if you can use their marketing materials as a template. Reach out to your industry partners who have amazing marketing materials that they would love for you to use. Lastly, make digital programs with premade templates (ie: Canva) your best friend! Remember that it is the people that make our programs successful, so by investing time into those you work with, you are ultimately investing in the quality of your programs. Unless you plan on working with robots (never say never!), working with other people will always be messy, complex, and filled with different personalities and emotions.
Struggle with taking risks in your programs
Only focus on the numbers when making decisions (ie: food cost, labor cost, etc)
Aren’t confident creating marketing visuals
Find the “people aspect” of your job exhausting and a waste of valuable time
Struggle with feeling creative in your job
Phone a friend! If there is someone you work alongside who really enjoys creative tasks and projects, don’t hesitate to lean on them for their creative skills and passion!
KEEP READING Let it go! When you focus too much on the tiny details of your programs, you will find it harder to implement any new ideas. This is often called “analysis paralysis”; you will analyze to the point of not actually doing anything! Remind yourself of the bigger picture and that things can always be improved over time.
Get lost in every detail of your programs
KEEP READING
Powered by FlippingBook