Accelerate Your Performance

It's a new year. Let's make a conscious choice to have a positive mindset in 2022. People who have positive attitudes are healthier, happier, and more productive.  They are more likely to develop deeper relationships, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals. Strengthening our mindset starts with being positive even in the most difficult of times. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher c...

Time is the most valuable thing we have. It is precious. How we spend it is important. We can't get it back. Because of that, it is also the best gift we can give -- to those we work with, to our loved ones, and to our friends. In the spirit of the season of giving, let's consider how we can be more intentional about spending quality time with others. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher c...

As educators, our role is to help students learn. However, we often end up learning a lot from our students. The last 22 months have challenged us to connect with and engage with our students more intentionally, as both educators and students have all felt more stress. In this episode, Student Orchestra Director Christina Clark Frierdich joins us to share about overcoming challenges, finding creat...

For many of us, the holiday season represents time with family and friends, great food, and football. Coming off the heels of the biggest week of college football rivalries, Dr. Janet Pilcher turns her attention to her team, Florida State University and their long-standing rival, the Florida Gators. She looks to an article written about FSU quarterback, Jordan Travis, who has endured hateful comme...

Student voice and perspectives isn't just a 'nice-to-have'; it's a must-have. Students have experienced a lot of change and stress over the last 21 months. As school districts plan for the future, it is essential we hear from students and include them more intentionally and deeply. As our guest, Leader Coach Gayle Juneau-Butler explains, using student focus groups for strategic...

We've all done it at one time or another-- felt sorry for ourselves about a situation at work that feels out of our control. Maybe it's a  challenging project we've been assigned, or perhaps it has seemed like other divisions are given more resources or attention. Perhaps it's feeling sorry for ourselves because it seems that other voices at work are heard more often, and it fe...

As the season of gratitude is quickly upon us, we are focused on sharing stories of purpose with our listeners. This week, Coach Support Analyst, Whitney Patterson shares how she was called upon to discover a purpose outside of work in an unexpected way. Dr. Janet Pilcher and Whitney discuss what she's learned from the experience and what others can do to find a little spark in their lives. T...

Start your week by preparing your heart and mind for the upcoming holiday season. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, it's important to focus on our connections with people and stretch ourselves to practice loving kindness. Today, Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on her recent experiences and leads listeners through a loving kindness mediation to break the barriers we feel inwardly and outwardly. Thi...

To become a first-choice University requires winning the hearts and the minds of young people. While this is no easy feat, Universities are filled with untapped talent and resources. That's what our guest, Dr. Tressa Kelly, the First Lady of the University of West Georgia , realized quickly after getting on campus. As a result, an incredible project was born to benefit future students and bui...

Is it burnout? Exhaustion? Disengagement? It's a feeling people can't quite put their finger on or understand exactly why. Lately, it seems difficult to feel motivated or joyful. If you've recognized similar feelings in yourself, you're not alone. Organizational Psychologist, WorkLife podcast host, and NYT author, Adam Grant recently published an article that describes the unse...

How can improvement help us solve complex challenges in schools? Executive education leaders from across the country came together last week to answer this very question. After an energizing What's Right in Education conference, Dr. Janet Pilcher and Dr. Pat Greco came together to reflect on the impact of bold leaders in education. Despite a stressful year, people in districts are overcoming...

Being bold doesn't necessarily mean big, it means to consistently do the things that make the most difference. Bold leaders understand the strategic direction, big aims, and what the institution is striving to become. Bold leaders continuously strive to be at their best and help those around them be their best as well. As Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on What's Right in Education, she remin...

Can you imagine combining the first day back to school during a pandemic with a raging wildfire threatening students, employees, and the entire community? This is exactly what Estacada School District experienced in September of 2020. As district leaders switched to a crisis response model, people found new and innovative ways to stay connected, make decisions quickly, and cascade information to c...

What about the students? What are the effects of 20 months of disruption on them? Young people are feeling more stressed than ever before. Their lives are difficult to understand for adults. We often think about how students are feeling from our adult lens, yet they don't have the adult experiences we've gained. How do we really know how our students are feeling?  This episode addresses...

Embedding the context of local culture into classrooms results in a more successful, memorable experience for students. It's likely that your community has a rich culture and history, much like Lac du Flambeau in Northern Wisconsin. Today, we revisit an interview with Lac du Flambeau School District Superintendent Dr. Larry Ouimette . During this conversation, we discuss how the local Native...

Why are teachers choosing to leave the profession at even higher rates than before? Teachers have a great passion for helping students learn, yet the stress has increased and teachers aren't feeling heard. Today, Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses why there is a disconnect between school leaders and teachers, and what administrators can do to get teachers to stay. This episode addresses questions, s...

Changing the culture of an organization doesn't happen overnight. However, when leaders focus on the fundamentals to build trust a positive culture can emerge. Today's episode revisits an interview with Dr. Pat Greco , who shares how the School District of Menomonee Falls stayed 8 months ahead of other districts. Leaders communicated the measures that matter and decision rules to all tea...

Being a leader of an organization is never easy. Not to mention leading an organization that is experiencing constant change in relatively unpredictable times. Today, Janet shares three important suggestions to apply 100% of the time to best manage change. This episode addresses questions, such as: What usually goes wrong when leaders are managing change and what should be done differently? How ca...

Our school systems, leaders and educators have role-modeled tremendous resiliency since March of 2020. Despite the challenges the pandemic has brought, there have also been bright spots and bold leaders encouraging their teams to thrive. Today, we revisit a conversation with Tea Area Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Lowery , to highlight the difference their district makes by leaning on its values and...

Bold leadership isn't about a position. Bold leaders use their hearts and minds to make a difference in the lives of others. Our profession calls on you to help young people realize their hopes and dreams - that is where educators find purpose. Bold leaders focus on the right small things that make a difference for employees, students and their communities. In this episode, hear how our host,...

Have you ever felt like you're running around your organization putting out fires? Today, Superintendent Ryan Carpenter , Estacada School District shares the communication tactics his team has in place that help him feel less like a firefighter. You'll also hear how these decisions were deeply rooted in data and continue to be analyzed on a consistent basis. As a result, people in Estaca...

We all know that a leader's behavior has a significant influence on the employees of an organization. Great leaders are reflective, have self-awareness and are connected to the people they serve. On the other hand, bad leaders often cause employees to seek out another work environment. How can we become the type of leader that contributes to building an inspiring workplace? To answer this, Dr...

Hiring a High School Principal is a can't-miss situation. Due to decreases in qualified applicants for these positions, one school district found a unique way to find the best candidate. Joining Janet today is Sand Creek Zone District 49 , Superintendent Sean Dorsey , who shares how to hire boldly and authentically engage staff and students through challenging times. This episode answers ques...

The northern gulf coast is home to millions of residents who are no strangers to natural disasters. Today, Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on our education partners who have suffered tremendous damage due to Hurricane Ida. The storm has brought major loss to the students, employees, and community members of Fletcher Technical Community College and Nunez Community College in southeastern Louisiana.  Sho...

Ensuring learning progress despite disruptions to learning has been no easy feat since the pandemic began. However, at Erwin Middle School leaders worked together to decrease student absences by over 40% and decrease the number of F's and incomplete assignments by 51%. Today, Principal Dr. Angela Bush joins Janet to share how her team continues to close the academic achievement gap and move s...