Accelerate Your Performance

Purposefully pausing and reflecting paves the way for improvements and adjustments to be made in the upcoming school year. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Kathy Oropallo, a Leader Coach at Studer Education, to hear how she coaches her partners to evaluate the effectiveness of past strategies, celebrate wins, and address challenges. Kathy explains how tools like leader rounding and plu...

The end of the school year is packed with obligations and events, but making time to pause, reflect, and plan for the upcoming school year is essential for continued growth. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she advises leaders to pause and reflect on organizational results and the alignment and consistency of leadership practices. Listen as Janet presents questions to guide leaders through this reflectio...

Can effective leadership create ripple effects that extend beyond school walls? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she connects with Lisa Nellessen Savage of the Pensacola News Journal to highlight the impact of CivicCon on the Pensacola community, and continue listening as she interviews Dr. Angela Bush of Jefferson County Schools , a recent CivicCon presenter, to hear how she spearheaded school improveme...

What strategies can leaders use to navigate resistance to change and encourage employee buy-in? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she engages in a conversation with Mrs. Aubree Short, Principal of Los Tules Middle School in Tulare, California, to hear how surveys and rounding have proven to be pivotal tools in her journey toward school improvement. Aubree explains how post-COVID data revealed a need for i...

Inviting input from high performers early and often in the change process is one of the major keys to managing resistance in organizations. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she welcomes Dr. Charlotte Boling, a Leader Coach at Studer Education, to share how she coaches her partners to proactively prepare employees for success throughout the change process.  Listen as Charlotte elaborates on the necessity...

How can leaders support high performers through organizational change? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher to hear actionable strategies for managing resistance to change among top performers. Listen now to hear how leaders can effectively guide employees through each phase of change, ensure a smoother transition process, and maintain high performance through organizational shifts. This episode addresses quest...

What is rounding like in action? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Deanna Ashby, Senior Director of Coaching at Studer Education, to hear about how rounding has positively impacted three of her partner districts in Kentucky. DeDe shares insights into how Graves County , Oldham County , and Meade County Schools have each customized rounding to build meaningful connections, share feedback...

How do we build great workplace cultures to keep exceptional employees on our team? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education ,, as she explains how rounding is key to building environments where employees feel motivated and deeply connected to their work. Janet emphasizes how rounding helps leaders address any challenges that get in the way of employees being able to do...

How can school districts prioritize amplifying student voice? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she explores the impact of student feedback with Dr. Candace Pelt-Perez , Superintendent of Central Linn School District , and Celeste Van Cleave, District Business Manager. Together, they discuss the integration of student surveys into short-term improvement cycl...

It’s one thing to create a strategic plan, but it’s another altogether to execute it with precision. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she speaks with Superintendent Brian Sica of Banks School District to hear how he initiated the strategic planning process and began regularly implementing short cycles of improvement during his first year as superintendent....

How do leading organizations stay ahead of the curve? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she delves into the intricacies of strategic planning with Dr. Casey Blochowiak, a Coach Senior Director at Studer Education. As a companion to last week’s high-level overview of strategic planning, this week’s episode dives into crucial aspects like how to form a strong...

Balancing the emotional and rational aspects of leadership is complex, but with strategic planning, organizations can build alignment to drive success. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education, as she outlines the steps involved in creating a strategic plan and identifies questions that leaders can answer to create organizational alignment.  This episode answers questio...

Service excellence is a cornerstone of thriving organizations. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she revisits past episodes with Donna Kirby, Vice President of Experience at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos , to hear how she’s created a culture of service excellence within her team. Hear how Donna transforms customers into loyal fans and learn the three tactics she employs to apply consistent and exceptional ser...

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...