Ryan On The Journey Standards 2.0 | Career

An Interview

Only some time ago, we all held the new standards in our hands for the first time. And many wonderful pictures have reached us of how this introduction was celebrated in the individual centres. (We have compiled some of them here – see below) Obviously, there are some new features and updates in the new version, and a lot of feedback from the team has also been incorporated – but why the standards are the heart of Journey, what the Ryan’s and Anthony’s intention is behind it and what it means for each individual, we asked Ryan in person.

“I am proud to work with this team, and we want to give everyone the best possible tools.”

Ryan

• Thank you for speaking with us today, Ryan. It’s evident to those working with you that you are always committed to ongoing improvements at Journey. In this context, can you discuss the recent revision of the Journey Standards? 

Absolutely. At Journey, we believe that continuous improvement is essential to providing the best possible outcomes for children and families. This means we’re always looking for ways to improve our practices and processes, and our support office is no exception. We recently reviewed our standards, which guide our Journey team members every day, and decided they needed an update.

• With this in mind, why was this update necessary now?

There were a few reasons. Firstly, we wanted to ensure that our standards aligned with the best practices in early childhood education. Secondly, we wanted to make sure that our standards were clear, concise, and easy to understand for everyone. For example, we received feedback from the team that some passages could be worded more clearly. This feedback is especially valuable to us, and we take it seriously. Finally, we wanted to ensure that our standards reflected our commitment to excellence and our drive to exceed expectations.

• What do the standards mean to you personally?

For me, the standards are at the heart of everything we do at Journey Early Learning, and they’re incredibly important to me personally. They represent our commitment to providing the highest quality care and education to every child in our care and reflect our values and beliefs.

The standards are more than just a set of rules or guidelines – they’re a way of life. We approach our work with passion, dedication, and a constant desire to improve. They’re a way of creating a culture of excellence and inspiring our whole team to be their best.

That’s why we’ve included those empty pages from the very beginning. Those personal thoughts bring the standards to life and help each team member understand how they can contribute to our shared mission. We know that every single one of us plays a crucial role in creating a positive and supportive learning environment for our children and team. The pages for individual notes are perhaps the most important ones, as they help us understand how our individual actions and attitudes can make a difference.

It’s evident that the standards are not just a static document – they’re a living, breathing guide that evolves over time as we learn and grow. It’s a way for us to continuously improve and refine our practices and stay true to our commitment to excellence.

Overall, the standards represent the heart and soul of Journey Early Learning, which I take incredibly seriously. We know that they’re not just words on a page. They’re a reflection of our values and beliefs and a way of creating a brighter future for all the children in our care and the entire team.

• What do you think is characteristic of the Journey team in terms of the way we work?

I would say we’re all going above and beyond what is required or expected of us. We are innovative, creative, and always looking for new ways to improve. I believe that we have all set high standards for ourselves and our work and hold ourselves accountable for meeting those standards. And it is really wonderful to see that we were able to build those valuable connections, be it with the families, the children, within the team itself and of course in the broader community. Through this constant exchange, we keep on learning and growing.

• Being seen and appreciated for one’s efforts in this way is a tremendously empowering feeling. Thank you for that. However, this may raise the question: when we’re already doing a great job, why would we want to get better?

I would say that it’s essential to foster a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone feels empowered to take ownership of their work and everyone is encouraged to take risks and try new things.

• So, do improvement and feedback go together for you?

I believe that feedback is crucial to continuous improvement, and we’re always looking for ways to gather feedback from families, staff, and the wider community. For example, we use our Resonate surveys to gather feedback.

While we received great feedback on our updated standards, we are not resting on our laurels. We are always looking for new ways to innovate and improve. As seen with the introduction of our Future Foodies program last year. Now the Future Foodies are included in the latest standards version. This program helps children develop healthy eating habits and a love of good food from an early age, which is essential to their physical and mental development.

Our approach to continuous improvement is deeply embedded in our Journey self-understanding. We identify issues, tackle them for the better, implement change, and regularly revisit them.

Regarding the update of our standards, we celebrated the event in each of our centres to recognize the hard work of our teams. Celebrating success is essential to creating a positive and supportive workplace culture. We want everyone to feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. Furthermore by taking the time to celebrate our achievements together, we can strengthen our bonds as Journey and create a positive, supportive, and inspiring workplace culture.

Overall, we are thrilled to see the impact that the updated standards will have on our children, families, and the Journey team.

• We are also very curious. Thank you very much for the interview, Ryan!