Accelerate Your Performance

Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , wraps up her deep dive into mastering the art of constructive feedback. Joining her on this episode is Jon Malone , the Director and CEO of the Northwestern Illinois Association, to discuss the use of the three to one ratio in providing positive reinforcement while also challenging employees to distribute their high performance. Jon...

Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , continues the conversation from last week about the pivotal role of feedback in achieving important people outcomes within organizations. Joining her is Dr. KK Owen , a leader coach at Studer Education, to explore effective tactics for delivering genuine, timely, and specific feedback to employees. They’ll discuss the concept of bui...

Receiving positive feedback is transformative. It builds confidence, reduces anxiety, and helps individuals improve. Listen now as Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , emphasizes the importance of praising what’s right and sets the stage for future episodes on tactics you can use to give constructive feedback to the employees in your organization. This episode addresse...

What is goodwill, and how do we know if we’re practicing it? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she guides us through the journey of measuring our own personal goodwill and explains how we can radiate it to others, even during the busiest season of the year. Listen as she reflects on how even the most routine of encounters can emit warmth when infused with goodwill. Recommended Resources: Pursue Gratitude...

How can leaders use Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs) as a strategic tool to achieve successful outcomes? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher for the latest episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast where she defines what a BHAG is and urges organizations to set such long-term goals guided by core values and purpose to succeed in a world shaped by the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen as...

Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she engages in a conversation with Dr. Shelly Viramontez , Superintendent, and Ms. Whitney Holton , Associate Superintendent, of Campbell Union School District in Campbell, California. Dr. Viramontez discusses her commitment to leadership development, particularly focusing on aligning systems and streamlining processes so leaders can focus on meaningful and impactful work...

How do gratitude and goodwill enhance the quality and richness of life? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she invites us to reflect on the power of small acts that, when multiplied, shape a more harmonious and compassionate world. Listen as Janet reminds us to create a context of warmth and balance with every gentle gesture of goodness leading to the next. Recommended Resources: Finding Purpose Outside of...

Join us for part two of Dr. Janet Pilcher’s thought-provoking conversation with Superintendent Rob Clayton of Warren County Public Schools . In this episode, they dive into how Mr. Clayton has built trust, courage, ownership, and commitment with his team by leading with intention and transparency to achieve organizational excellence. They also discuss the importance of data-driven decision-making...

Join us as Dr. Janet Pilcher sits down with Mr. Rob Clayton of Warren County Public Schools for a compelling conversation about accountability, leadership consistency, and the transformative power of intentional communication. Tune in as Mr. Clayton describes the role of accountability in achieving organizational goals and how he is actively embedding his commitment to accountability into the dist...

Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she delves into the core principle of leadership accountability from her book, Hardwiring Excellence in Education . Janet explains that leadership is more than just a title; it's about modeling the right behaviors and fostering ownership within an organization. Listen as she explores the critical role of individual accountability and sheds light on how leaders can in...

What does reward and recognition look like in practice? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher for an insightful conversation with Dr. Jennifer Lowery from the Tea Area School District where we dig into this core principle of Reward and Recognition from Dr. Pilcher’s new book, “Hardwiring Excellence in Education.” Hear how Dr. Lowery has integrated this principle into her organization’s culture by using employee...

What role does intentionality in connections play in shaping a strong organizational culture? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Mr. Al Betry of CESA 9 to discuss the strategies he uses to drive improvement, achieve remarkable outcomes, and create a culture where people want to come to work. We’ll explore the profound significance of exceptional service as a cornerstone principle and how it...

As we begin to focus on the principle of rewarding and recognizing others, please join us for a special episode where Dr. Janet Pilcher shares four valuable life lessons from one of her most influential mentors and friends, Ms. Georgia Blackmon. Although Ms. Blackmon recently passed away, her legacy as a visionary, community leader, political activist, and strong advocate for both children and the...

Would you like to strengthen communication within your organization? Listen along as Dr. Ryan Carpenter of the Estacada School District discusses how he establishes effective two-way communication through his implementation of daily huddles and scorecards. He explains how scorecards drive success and enhance communication while huddles allow teams to build culture, chemistry, and ensure alignment...

In this Accelerate Your Performance podcast episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Dr. Ryan Carpenter, Superintendent of the Estacada School District, to discuss his efforts at enhancing communication at all levels in his district. Effective communication is a key part of an improvement mindset that extends to the workplace and the community, and Dr. Carpenter has excelled at this. Listen as Dr. Carpe...

In this Accelerate Your Performance podcast episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Dr. Angela Bush, principal of Erwin Middle School in Birmingham, Alabama, to discuss how she has moved her school from low-performing to now the top-ranked school in the Jefferson County School District for attendance. They were also ranked #5 out of fifteen middle schools in the county in 2022 by US News. Listen now to...

In this Accelerate Your Performance podcast episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Nannette Johnston, former Studer Education Leader Coach and 2014 Superintendent of the Year, awarded by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators. She joins us to discuss what it takes to succeed in the continually changing K12 education landscape and also share her experience serving one of our partners, Rob Cl...

What does it take to facilitate meetings people look forward to coming to? In this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses her approach to designing better meeting agendas and strategies that have helped her become a better coach and facilitator. Listen now to learn more about these tips for agendas, including how incorporating questions rather than topics c...

In this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses how professional development for leaders can impact employee retention and workplace environments. She explains the importance of helping leaders learn how to build inspiring workplace environments that build strength in teachers and staff and that develop their skills. This supports a positive learning environ...

Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses how leaders can foster a workplace environment where employees feel engaged and connected to their work in this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast. Today's focus is employee engagement, a key leadership principle she discusses in her new book, Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework . Listen now as she gives examples of tac...

Dr. Janet Pilcher interviews Superintendent Dr. Christi Barrett, of Hemet Unified School District in Hemet, California, on this Accelerate Your Performance podcast episode. During their conversation, they discuss Christi's commitment to leadership development, student safety, community opportunities, and improvement work. Listen now to hear Janet and Christi discuss the tactics, such as daily...

Featured in this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast is Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann of the Northfield Public School System in Northfield, Minnesota to discuss leadership development. Dr. Janet Pilcher also highlights him in chapter 4 of her book, Hardwiring Excellence in Education as an example of a high-performing executive. In this interview, Dr. Hillmann explains how he clea...

Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Amy Mikesell, principal of Estacada High School, and Kate Dean, instructional coach, as guests on this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast. Amy and Kate share their continuous improvement journey and the strategies, such as PDSA, rounding, and Plus/Delta, that have helped them achieve great progress in helping students own their learning. Listen to them dis...

Recently, Dr. Janet Pilcher participated in a podcast hosted by Dr. Brendan Kelly, University of West Georgia President, called Off the Cuff. Dr. Kelly is featured in the second chapter of Janet's newly released book Hardwiring Excellence in Education . In today's episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, we share the recording of their conversation. Listen now to discover how...

In this Accelerate Your Performance podcast episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher welcomes Dale Shaver, Director of the Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use in Wisconsin. He is a model leader in how he uses measures that matter to achieve successful outcomes. Listen now to learn how Dale and his team use this principle to gather data, define problems, align teams, and build strong relationships w...