How many times have you found yourself in a pinch with staffing? If the answer is “Too many!” then it’s time to create solutions at your studio by cross-training your team members or hiring new ones for very specific roles.
It’s never convenient to be stuck in an unexpected situation or faced with making a quick decision to solve a long-term problem. Help yourself react more calmly, with more confidence with these proactive ideas:
Situation: Subs are needed often for hard-to-teach classes.
Solution: Pre-build sub plans that are needed for these classes and require other staff members to review them for familiarity. Ask teachers to prepare notes, music, lessons, and/or video demonstrations in advance so it is easy for any staff member or sub to take over at a moment’s notice.
Situation: Someone on your team is going on maternity leave, or has to take an unplanned family or medical leave.
Solution: Implement cross-training efforts as soon as possible, with the intent of having one or more current staff members step in for increased responsibility (and reward). If that isn’t an option, start interviewing ambassador-level parents who are familiar with your needs and willing to be trained for a temporary staff role to fill the gap.
Situation: Media interview opportunities and community events are plentiful, but you are stretched too thin to participate in them all.
Solution: Establish a community coordinator role for a current staff member or new hire, or consider hiring a public relations firm to represent your studio. Cross-train your team members on the studio’s values and key messages so they are always prepared with a culture-driven sound bite!
Cross-training and hiring are ongoing solutions to the staffing situations that plague every studio from time to time! Don’t let the unexpected catch you off guard: be ready to react with a proven plan of action.