Is the culture in your organization deliberate or accidental? Is it great or something else?
As I was putting together the Sunday Afternoon, More Right Than I Knew article about Keystone Place at Legacy Ridge my wife made the point that, while it was great that Keystone Place had a system in place to deal with off-hour inquiries, the thing that was really important was that they had a culture of caring, a culture of excellence. Her point was that, when the woman and her brother showed up desperate and frazzled, looking for help figuring out what to do with Mom, the front desk person could have just blown them off telling them to come back tomorrow and no one would have known.
The sales person who was in the middle of Sunday supper could have easily figured out how to put off this other family until the next day and no one would have known. Instead, they stepped up to their community’s culture and did the right thing for a family in need of their help.
5 Observations on Senior Living Culture
1. It’s All Local – The culture of a senior living community is always what it is exclusively local because of the culture the executive director creates at that community. This is good and bad news because an executive director working for a mediocre company can run a spectacular building. Conversely, even if a company is deliberate and purposeful about creating a culture of excellence, a bad executive director can make hash of that goal (though that executive director won’t likely be around for very long).
2. Good Culture Can Be Accidental or Intentional . . . sort of – Here is what I mean by this. I have crossed paths with a fair number of small regional operators where the owner felt deeply indebted to their employees, residents and families. These are the people who are smart, intuitive business people with caring hearts. These are people who didn’t really set out to create a culture that is excellent and caring, it is simply how they view life. These are the very best people and the best organizations to work for. This sort of accidental great culture is a very special gift.
3. Terrible Culture is Always Deliberate – Some time ago I went to visit the CEO of a small senior living company with the hope of selling him a Vigil Call System for a new building he was developing. As we chatted about his operation I told him how the Vigil System uses pagers to annunciate calls in order to reduce or eliminate noise clutter. He exploded, telling me he would never use pagers because his employees would either steal them or deliberately break them. I got out of their as quickly as I could. I did not want him as a customer It was clear he had created a terribly toxic culture where his employees were out to get him whenever they could. I didn’t actually get to visit any of his communities but I can only imagine this toxic culture was reflected in those communities.
4. Random Culture – Most companies and senior living communities develop on their own culture in a totally random fashion. This means that no two buildings in an organization have them same culture, even though they are working off the same set of policies and procedures. The Executive Director may spend lots of time in the facility, on the floor, with residents or with families or they may not spend very much time in the building at all. It is whatever they want. Department heads learn that they are on their own to create their own culture. Some may be pretty good and others may create petty little fiefdoms. You know that culture is random when you look at staff turnover and it is well . . . . average.
5. Great Culture Is Possible for Every Organization – This will be part 3.
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Steve,
Well done! your comments relative to culture could not be more on point. My partner, Wendy and I are very fortunate that we have built an entire company around a culture focused on care, purpose and engagement.
I would add one more point. Culture is established by each individual contributor. We stress on a daily basis the importance of doing it right, bringing your own contribution and reconizing that you are part of a unique enviroment. This approach has created an interesting dynamic in which associates that lacked this commitment reconized they didn’t belong in a dynamic culture.
Keep up the great work. If your are ever in Boston, give us a call. Be Well.
Jim
CEO
The Northbridge Companies
When ever i visit a senior living Community and observe a Receptionist who present herself /himself as unhelpful,impolite or not dressed professional.I would not recommend such a Community to anyone.
Good point, if the person on the front line is unprofessional, allowed to act and appear as such, what can you hope to expect from others involved in direct care out of the general public’s eye? It would make me wonder. I don’t eant to wonder about that, I want to know.
Steve,
You have provided an excellent observations and topics for discussion. On behalf of all residents I thank you.
Charles D Paulk
Steve,
what a great article, and spot-on….Families who tour will pick up on the culture right away – good or bad. I struggle with the disconnect that is sometimes found at the corporate level vs. the community level, feeling that we in the community have our residents’ and families’ best interest at heart.
I know that I found my calling when I began working in senior living.
-carrie homstad
Hi Carrie
Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I agree with you about struggling over the disconnect. It just makes no sense at all.
Steve
Thanks Charles. It is a labor of love.
Steve
Matt you are absolutely right. I want to know too.
Steve
Angelia: It ought to be that way for everyone who visits. Honestly I have been to some great looking expensive communities that I would never recommend for that very reason.
More people need to behave this way and it will change.
Steve
Jim:
I am so encouraged by your comments. I think too often the for profit companies send the message that only the not-for-profit providers have the luxury of being resident first. I think we ought to talk about what you are doing.
Steve
From LinkedIn Groups
Thanks Steve, the concepts here carry over in many areas and should be given attention. Helps remind us to reflect on the scope and purpose of our work.
By Alesia Brown
From LinkedIn Groups
The observations are astute. I enjoyed this blog today.
By Jeffery Christensen
From LinkedIn Groups
On Steve’s point number two, the small provider’s culture may not be as accidental as it first appears. It strikes me, as one who knows a number of small providers, that the provider is being modest if he has created the impression that good culture is accidental. Crazy like a fox, the small provider often has experienced terrible environments, perhaps had family members live there, and realizes that being locally owned and operated is the only solution. If the home is 10 states away from corporate, even a great executive director’s hands are tied, while the local operator must look the family in the eye and make things right. Sure, it is in the small provider’s blood to run things well, but it takes vision to figure out how to get it done, and you have to revisit the vision often.
By Scott Schultz
From LinkedIn Groups
Please continue to write about your experiences and observations.
By Marian Housel-Watt
From LinkedIn Groups
Your article was interesting. I was happy to see that the culture of my small home fits into your great culture of caring and excellence. I plan to expand. I was glad to see what you had to say about good and bad cultures. I hope to carry on my culture of caring and excellence.
By Marian Housel-Watt
From LinkedIn Groups
Steve, Enjoyed this a lot! Thanks!
By Nancy Gordon
From LinkedIn Groups
Caring for three relatives in different states, I have seen a wide variety of care facilities in the last 8 years and you are so spot-on with your observations. As a consumer, when I see/hear clearly unhappy or disgruntled employees, I know I don’t want anyone I love staying there! According to an article by Eleanor Feldman Barbera, PhD, author of The Savvy Resident’s Guide, “I was dismayed by a study that suggested that the persistence of turnover over the years might be because nursing homes could save money by treating their staff like a never-ending supply of fast food workers and avoiding investment in training and retention practices.” Wise communities know investing in their employees helps the bottom line.
By Cynthia L. Bengtson Budzyn
From LinkedIn Groups
Thanks for the article !!
By Susan Farr
From LinkedIn Groups
There is no question that the Administrator of a particular Assisted Living Facility is the key. Seems to me that the ideal admin. is a cross between a good business person and one who sets the tone for a warm, welcoming, clean, happy environment. These two attributes are difficult to find in an individual, typically there is one or the other. ALF’s are still businesses which sell intangibles such as love and caring. She or he has to exemplify to the residents and family members while making the best business decisions for the corporations. Not always easy to carry out.
By Maury J. Brook
From LinkedIn Groups
Steve- Thank you for another great insight! Adult children and spouses are often making one of the most difficult decisions of their lives-especially choosing Alzheimer’s or dementia care. They rely not only on our professional guidance-but our ability to understand their individual situation with empathy and understanding. No matter how many communities they tour-they will come back to a community that demonstrates an engaged caring environment. They can “feel” it.- I am one of your biggest fans!
By Kathleen T. Malloy
From LinkedIn Groups
Profit seems to be the number one goal. Residents happiness would drive up profits but few communities feel this way.
By Peggy O’Malley
Hi Steve,
Great article. We work directly with senior only communities and provide exclusive training and education for top real estate professional who want to build a senior niche in their business. I have toured over 125 communities this past year….Most of the assisted living and retirement communities offer the same services (amenities may be different)…but, it is the CULTURE that makes the good ones stand out from the bad!! You can feel “IT” upon entering a community. No amount of remodeling, newness or fancy programs can compete with a community that truly cares about it’s residents, the resident’s families and it’s staff.
Thanks again for the great article!!
You are so spot on Juli Anne! “It” is who we are reflected in what we do. The rest is window dressing. Anyone can pay for that stuff.
Steve,
Excellent points on all accounts! I was a social worker and administrator in long term care facilities for over 24 years before starting my companies. I left the last facility because of the toxic culture and started my own company to provide organizations training and tools to improve their employee engagement, retention, and their culture. There is a direct correlation between unhealthy work culture and patient care/outcomes.
The other reason I left was to work with families on planning ahead before the medical crisis occurs so when there is a crisis, they can make informed decisions and be less overwhelmed.
I tour facilities with my clients and when I see culture issues (unfriendly staff, unclean facility, etc) I meet privately with the administrator to see if they would be interested in training, etc.
As a care management company, I am an excellent referral source and it behooves these facilities to improve their culture.
As the CEO of Costco once said….”culture is everything”….it truly can make or break the organization.
Thank you for your articles Steve!! Well done as always!!!
Annalee Kruger
Kruger Business Solutions and Care Right Inc (Brookfield, WI)
You make some good observations about culture – thank you. Most in the aging field are working hard to stop using the f-word (facility). The words we use are indicators and drivers of our cultures. As we evolve organizational cultures in the aging field, we must identify words that need to go and replace them with words that represent the organizational culture well.