Managing Staff In Early Years Settings (a Practice Guide Handbook)

Managing Staff in Early Years Settings This book draws on a wide range of management theory and shows its relevance and relationship to early years settings. Case studies are used to provide the starting-point for reflection, and throughout the chapters you are asked to consider the examples, stand back, interpret and audit your own actions in order to develop your management skills. This book will assist managers and prospective managers by providing them with the tools to facilitate staff training sessions or to conduct personal enquiry into the working of their own organisation. Chapters cover leadership and management; teams and team building; staff motivation; managing change; selecting suitable staff and effective interviewing; staff assessment; projecting and maintaining a positive image for your school or nursery; and managing conflict and stress. Adrian Smith is senior lecturer in the Management Department at Edge Hill University College, Ormskirk and Ann Langston is Early Years Adviser in a local authority. Managing Staff in Early Years Settings Adrian Smith and Ann Langston London and New York First published 1999 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 © 1999 Adrian Smith and Ann Langston All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Smith, Adrian. Managing staff in early years settings/Adrian Smith and Ann Langston. p. cm. 1. Child care workers—Training of. 2. Child care services— Administration. 3. Early childhood education—Administration. I. Langston, Ann. II. Title. HQ778.5.S63 1999 362.7 068–dc21 98–40346 CIP ISBN 0-203-44889-8 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-75713-0 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-17153-9 (Print Edition) Contents List of figures v List of tables vii Introduction 1 1 Leadership and management 6 2 Working with others 22 3 Teams and team building 35 4 Maintaining staff motivation 49 5 Managing the challenge of change 67 6 Communicating the vision 81 7 Selecting suitable staff 96 8 Effective interviewing for selection<