Accelerate Your Performance

Can implementing health and wellness practices positively impact leadership and the performance of an organization overall? According to Krystal Lomanto, County Superintendent of San Bonito County Office of Education, developing and supporting the health and wellness of employees can not only impact leadership and the performance of an organization, but it is imperative to leaders in leading the o...

Each day we are faced with our own battles and wars that we must push through, whether that be in the workplace, at home, in our own minds, figuratively, or literally. As many people know, there is a current battle being waged in Ukraine, and while we frequently hear about it on the news and from those around us, life still must go on. But how does it continue for some of the individuals who are v...

Have you ever positioned yourself in a positive light while delivering difficult news or information at the expense of another colleague or department? Has a coworker ever done this to you? Placing blame in the workplace can subconsciously erode the organization’s culture. It can create lose-lose scenarios for all the individuals involved. However, when modeling positive and respectful communicati...

Learn how gratitude can transform the culture of your organization. Tune in as Dr. Janet Pilcher provides three concrete steps to integrate gratitude into your daily operations, creating a workplace where your team feels valued and deeply connected. Recommended Resources: Make Recognition a Habit , Building an Emotional Bank Account , Give the Simple Gifts

Have you ever worked with someone who did the minimum just to get by? Maybe you've even heard someone say "That's not my job." These are examples of people not owning the work. To be our best at work, we must be owners of our work. When we own our work, it builds confidence, and it positively impacts our colleagues as well. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares key characte...

How can we do better?   That is the question that drives a culture of continuous improvement. It involves listening to people and taking an authentic look at the data on how the organization is performing. It involves accountability in measuring the important things an organization values. That's how our guest in this episode puts it as he speaks about his journey to building a culture of con...

Do you ever feel reluctant to give the people you lead big challenges? How do you know when it's time to push an employee out of the nest to allow them to grow as a leader? When we step back, we can give our people a chance to problem solve, shine, and build a sense of ownership. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares powerful leadership lessons from a former park ranger. Listen as she ref...

Clarity in focus is critical for organizations to stay on track in challenging times. As you'll see, our guests today are shining examples of staying the course amid uncertainty and change. In this episode, Dr. Kelly Thompson and Jeff Petersen from Muskego-Norway Schools in Muskego, Wisconsin join us. Kelly serves as Superintendent in the district, and Jeff serves as Assistant Superintendent...

Belonging is essential to human beings. Psychologists rank our need to belong on par with our need for love. People need to feel like they belong at work. This is more important than ever in workplaces, especially following the disruptions many of us have experienced due to COVID. We don't see our co-workers as often, and sometimes we may feel excluded. Our colleagues may feel like that too a...

The work of continuous improvement is a journey. It requires commitment and hard work, the results of which can be so powerful, as the story of our guests in today's episode attests. In this episode, the Superintendent of the Estacada School District, Ryan Carpenter, joins us, along with Studer Education Leader Coach, Dr. Kathy Oropallo— or Kathy, as we like to call her.  Ryan and Kathy recen...

The landscape of the educational system is continuously changing-- and particularly so right now. Across the country, there is a struggle to fill the demand for teaching positions in high-need areas. As today's guest puts it, it's calling us to unthink and rethink teacher preparation programs. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Miller, Director of Partnership and Student Services for TeacherRead...

Expressing sincere appreciation to others for great work is a culture changer. It boosts morale and motivates others to continue their great work. It increases engagement. Rewarding and recognizing people takes little time, and the impact is significant. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks about the power of sincere appreciation and discusses how we can establish recognition systems in our or...

Achieving excellence in an organization is a journey that requires commitment, constant effort, and reflection on where you are and where you need to be. It requires total commitment to the work of continuous improvement. This topic will be front and center at the upcoming  2022 Carnegie Summit . As our guest in this episode puts it, the summit brings together "champions of improvement"...

The academic year is in full swing, and now is also the time leaders are beginning to plan and budget for 2022 and 2023. What actions can leaders take to set themselves up for a successful next school year? What areas are especially important to analyze before springing forward? In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher and our guest, Leader Coach, Amy Fowler, join us to answer these questions. Listen as...

It's been a time of monumental change that has presented many challenges at work for leaders.  With more on people's plates at work in these uncertain times, it's more important than ever that leaders recognize and appreciate members of their teams for their good work. Reward and recognition is timeless. It never gets old. It's fuel that helps keep people motivated and engaged...

When leaders are authentic, it helps build a culture that is inclusive. It helps foster an environment where employees will feel free to also be authentic. Our guest in today's episode is a shining example of this. In this episode, Dr. Heidi Eliopoulos, Superintendent of the School District of Altoona, joins us to discuss the importance of authenticity and the impact it's having in her d...

Is your communication clear and concise? In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher references an article written by Bill Murphy in Inc. Magazine, titled, " How Emotionally Intelligent People Use the Mark Twain Rule to Become Exceptionally Persuasive: Let me Get to Point " . As Janet reflects over the key points in the article, she offers us three things to consider as we craft messages that wil...

Spring is just around the corner, and now is a great time for leaders to recommit and recommunicate what matters most to finish strong this school year. Our guest today shares how you can harness your leader superpowers of culture and communication to create a great experience for students, families, and your team the rest of this school year. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Leader Coach Tim Wyros...

It can be a balancing act to achieve and sustain results over time while also remaining emotionally, mentally and physically healthy. That's especially true in challenging, uncertain times. Taking care of ourselves while working toward our goals will help keep us motivated in our work. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares 9 tips for creating a better heart and mind balance to help us thr...

An organization with a strong and healthy workplace culture is where you are likely to find employees who are engaged at work and find purpose in the work they do. But how do leaders shape a positive workplace culture in challenging, uncertain times? In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher and our guest, Dr. KK Owen, discuss simple actions leaders can take to help create healthier workplace cultures an...

Being proactive at work increases our sense of purpose in the work we do and helps build self-confidence. When we come to work focused on being positive and happy, we persevere to overcome any obstacles that come our way. It feels good to have a take-action attitude. It also has a positive impact on our relationships at work. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses the qualities of proactive...

In a time of change and uncertainty, it is more important than ever for leaders to communicate with authenticity and to live that out every day. In this episode, hear the second part of our two-part interview with Dr. Lisa Herring, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. In this conversation, Dr. Janet Pilcher asks Dr. Herring to share about the greatest challenges she has faced as a leader and...

We spend a lot of time at work for our jobs. It's worth spending our time there being happy. So what if we're not feeling happy in our jobs?  As our host, Dr. Janet Pilcher , explains in this episode, we can take action to manage our happiness at work, and we are in control of our happiness. Listen as Janet shares practical moves we can make to help us focus on being happier at work. Thi...

The past 22 months have brought ample challenges for leaders across the country. Schools leaders have all had to make difficult decisions. Staying connected to our purpose can help keep us fueled with passion during difficult times. Our guest today models this so well.  In this episode,  Dr. Lisa Herring , the Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, joins us for a candid conversation about overc...

Curiosity opens up our minds and connects us to one another. Curiosity in the workplace breeds creativity and ideas. It is essential and will help us reach new heights, no matter what our position. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher has a conversation with the new producer of the Accelerate Your Performance Podcast, Mary Stackhouse . Through the experiences Mary shares about her path from TV news...