Let’s be real: we’re all wondering what is the best way to educate our kids. The traditional classroom leaves lots of gaps in kids’ skills, and parents, teachers and employers all know it.
The best teachers are working hard for students in the existing framework, changing what they can and making an impact every single day. Making more with less, getting community support, and finding creative ways to encourage learning are just some of the skills teachers use to support their students.
Ready to make significant steps forward in your business? Take some lessons from teachers.
5 Business Lessons You Can Learn from Teachers
1. Celebrate Your Victories
Teachers do a great job of inspiring students by celebrating milestones with class parties, ceremonies and even recruiting parents as cheerleaders. Celebrations support learning and connect students to what’s happening in the world.
What would it be like to celebrate your small victories this week?
Whether it’s getting those invoices out, clearing your inbox or finishing a lagging project, celebrating small victories will have a big impact on your momentum.
2. Go All In
From teacher sweaters to seasonal accessories (snowman broach, anyone?), teachers use every available opportunity to squeeze some learning in.
image via @sciencefriday
Can you squeeze in more ways to serve your clients?
Sharing an article, writing a blog post, or recommending a service or product are all ways to stay connected with your clients. Strengthen your client relationships by showing that you are invested in the work you do.
3. Be Enduringly Compassionate
The job of a teacher is not defined by a single moment, but a culmination of work that moves learners forward.
Teachers know that their job is to teach, pick up and try it again from a different angle, for every student, even the stinkers.
Especially the stinkers.
Where could you show some compassion in your business?
Often, we are our own worst bosses, with never-ending to-do lists, impatience with sales and marketing and not-so positive feedback. It’s hard to stay energized and motivated without some compassion and care where it’s most needed.
4. Tell Your Story
My teacher pals are wickedly funny. They have seen the most awkward, funny and endearing moments, and have learned how to tell those stories.
What story do you tell about your business?
Learn how to tell it well. Good stories can reinforce your credibility, make you relatable and memorable…the best kind of marketing.
5. Rally the Troops
Teachers are exceptional at rallying the troops. They shuttle a battalion of kids from class to class, monitor the late night escapades of tween dances and are busy organizing the next graduation trip. Teachers keep things together and moving forward.
What support do you need for your business?
Check the areas that seem a bit frayed, or that you want to completely ignore. Support can come in the way of a little more attention in that area, pivoting approaches, changing goals and even pulling in specific helpers.
In your business, you are working hard to get and keep your customers, balancing operations with marketing, all the while pushing forward towards your next set of goals. Just like teachers are engaging students, balancing classroom management with standardized testing, and staying in line with mandated curriculum.
What business lessons do you think can be learned from teachers?
