This week lesson on conflict has really been surreal for me. A few month ago my company decided to close operations at my childcare center and combine with another center that was close to us. They had placed a new director there and wanted me to mentor her and help her get the center at the same quality level as my center was. Unfortunately the director did not welcome my help and would undermind things that I had put in place. Staff that were use to working in a atmosphere of quality childcare were now in a place that was not being operated with quality in mind. The tension between the director and myself came to the point that I decided to just step away from the center to let her have full control. I informed my supervisor about the uncomfortable situation. Although I am no longer at the center, I still feel a commitment to the families and staff and feel that I have abandon them.
The strategies that I was trying to use in this situation is to not provoke the new director anymore with a conflict and that is why I decided that mentoring her was not in my best interest or hers. We have incompatible goals - mine is quality childcare and her goal is being financially stable with the company. My motto has always been that if you provide quality childcare, you will make the money. I tried to reassure the director that I did not want her job but wanted to help her be successful. I feel that I communicated my intent effectively but apparently not and so that is why I decided to walk away from a potential conflict that probably would have escalated. By learning this week about non-violent communication has helped me know that I did the right thing by walking away. Please pray that I will overcome this bitterness that I have towards her.
Wow Barbara...same situation happen to me years ago. I also was a director of a center. Our center was running great - 150+ kids, great staff that it took me 2 years to build up. My husbands job relocated and we decided to go too. I told my corporate center about a week after I found out and within days they had moved me out of my office within the center, transitioned a new director in for me to train. It was a hard situation. I too did not get a long well with the center but didn't want to abandon my staff and families. I put up with the directors craziness for as long as I could. I too tried not provoking and just about tip toeing around her and everything she said. I avoided conflict on so many levels for the sake of the staff I was leaving behind that I became not myself. This lasted almost 2 months until I asked to be transferred out of my center for the remaining 2 weeks I had.I pray that you overcome this bitterness. It took me a while but I'm finally at peace with the situation.
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