Senior living has a serious inferiority complex. It is no wonder. We know most people don’t want we are selling.
By Steve Moran
About three weeks ago, I posted an article, Senior Living Companies that Change the World, in which I made some observations about the many lists published by Forbes magazine. In particular, their “Top 50 Companies that want to change the world” list grabbed my attention because I know there are many senior living organizations that are doing well by doing good in many different ways.
It occurred to me that there is no reason why a list like this couldn’t be produced by SHF.
I wrote that article because I wanted to get an idea of how many organizations are focused on changing the world outside their organizations — those that go above and beyond doing just what they need to do to serve residents, families, and team members.
In response to my appeal that you — readers and providers — tell me what you are doing to make “the world a better place,” we received a number of nominations, 41 to date.
This response was especially inspiring given the tragedy that unfolded last week in Las Vegas. As heartbreaking and soul shattering that act of evil was, the response to it was certainly heartening. It gives me hope that there still is good in this world.
A Little Slow On The Uptake
Senior living has a serious inferiority complex. It is no wonder. We know most people don’t want we are selling. It is also true that we have been slow to adopt technology and . . . well I could go on with a long list of other things we are not so good at, or behind the times on.
Except that I am confident that if you went looking for the negative you would find plenty at Starbucks, Facebook, Google and Apple. They just don’t have the inferiority complex we do.
It is true that we, like all industries, can look outside our family and learn things. But we must not forget that we are doing great things, we have some really smart and innovative people and we have some people and organizations that are moving the needle for the better.
Perhaps the thing we are least good at is telling our story and maybe that is true, in part, because of our inferiority complex.
We Will Tell Some Great Stories
It is in this context that the entire SHF team has decided to make this formal list happen. We are currently in the process of creating official criteria and a more formal nomination process, along with a panel of advisors who will help us make what are sure to be some difficult decisions.
In the meantime, during the next month or so, we will publish a selection of the nominees, along with some detail about what they are doing to change the world.
If you would like to nominate your organization or another organization there is still time to do so by going to the original article we published and fill in the form at the end of the article.
