Gentog Childcare Director, Joan San Nicolas, Part 1

GenTog is an intergenerational day care that stands for Generations Together, with kids on one side, and grandparents on the other. They bring them together during the day to do crafts or music together. In this interview, I speak with Joan San Nicolas, "Miss Joanie", the Childcare Director.

What does managing an intergenerational day care have to do with recruiting? Well, it's setting up expectations differently. It's normalizing relationships and activities from day one. It's not selling one brand of expectations when something else is actually happening.

It's so simple, and yet so many companies miss the mark here. They don't recruit, onboard and train with next year in mind. I get that sometimes we don't feel like we have that luxury. But businesses do. That's what strategy is about.

And what stood out to me was Joan's up-front nature about learning that line as she grew into a management role. She did that side by side with the people who were her co-workers. She states it almost casually. I love that. Really though, that's a hard lesson for many people to learn. And most people don't want to admit that learning curve.

If you listen carefully, she touches on some very simple concepts. And yet, those concepts are just about setting expectations and treating each other as a human being, respectful and with care. She’s not giving trendy advice. There are no buzz words. She’s just setting expectations clearly, communicating regularly, and pitching in as needed.