Episode 156: Your Director Could Be the Reason Your Childcare Center Isn't Growing

What if the person running your childcare center is actually becoming the biggest bottleneck to its growth? In this episode of The Childcare Bridge, Michael takes on one of the most difficult leadership challenges childcare owners face: dealing with a director who is underperforming, creating friction, or simply becoming difficult to manage. But instead of jumping straight to "fire them," Michael takes a different approach. He breaks down how childcare owners can use enrollment numbers, tour conversion rates, staff retention, parent feedback, and operational data to separate facts from feelings and identify what is really happening inside the center. He also challenges owners to look in the mirror first. Are expectations clear? Is the director being properly coached? Does the team have the resources and support needed to succeed? Or has the center accidentally created a culture where accountability is missing? Michael explains how to diagnose the root cause, have a productive "clear the air" conversation, establish measurable expectations, and when necessary, use a structured performance improvement plan to determine whether the director can turn things around.