By Steve Moran

A few days ago, James Lee, CEO & co-founder of Bella Groves, posted a story on LinkedIn about an eighty-something resident in his community who was really struggling with life. James and his team have been working with him to create a better experience.

Part of this process included outings beyond the community walls — including James taking him out to lunch.

What Happened at Lunch

From the LinkedIn post:

“I had a chance to sit with him at lunch at a local restaurant. He loved it. The majority of the time, he told me new stories and didn’t stick to his familiar refrain of frustrations with his ‘situation.'”

“As we came back to Bella Groves, we had a very deep and personal conversation. He has an estranged relationship with an adult child, and I asked if he wanted to talk about that.”

“He did.”

“We had a very REAL conversation, and by his demeanor I could gather he doesn’t have a chance to talk about it very often.”

“I was deeply moved and affected. Not as a caregiver. As a son. As a father. As a fellow human being.”

The Revolutionary Simplicity

I read and reread his post and realized that if:

  • C-suite leaders, once a month, took a resident out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner — it would have a profound impact on both the leader and the organization.
  • Executive directors, once a month, took a resident out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner — it would have a profound impact on the leader and the community.
  • Leaders, once a month, took a family member out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner — it would have a profound impact on that leader and the organization.

It’s a simple, brilliant, transformative idea.

The Uncomfortable Twist

I would add one more caveat: When you do this, pick the resident or resident family you like the least, not your favorite.

Doing this one thing will be much more impactful.

Your Turn

So here’s the challenge: Who will you take to lunch this month?

Not your favorite resident. Not the easy conversation. The difficult one. The person who frustrates you. The family member who always complains.

That’s where the real transformation begins — for them and for you.