Happy Holidays...

OR, Why I'm thankful.

In leiu of mailing holiday cards, I offer this blog post.

Looking back on this past year, there has been much good, and there is much for which to be thankful:

* Best friends: My beloved is my partner, my confidante, my advisor. He is the one of those who makes me want to be more. And what Thankful List would be complete without mentioning my little goofball and squirrel-chaser, Ginger.

* My residents: I work in senior living. It is daily that my residents remind me to work hard, to laugh, to celebrate, and to cherish.

* Colleagues: The power and impact of great individuals is magnified exponentially when they work together as a team. Sandra is the gold standard – she does everything, and she does all of it well. Tigist, Jacklyn, and MJ lead as great quarterbacks do – in the midst of the action, while seeing the whole field. Milia gives, always – she rarely tires, and she always puts others first. Kim mentors with such a breadth of experience, energy and humor, and she speaks with clarity.

* Sun!: I've lived in lands with little of it, and now I'm so pleased to feel its warm rays again.

* Good films: Some films shatter our perceptions (Inception), others inspire (The Way Back), others cross all borders (Cave of the Yellow Dog, The Great Match), others bring tears of laughter (Elf, Fawlty Towers) and tears of humanity (Up).

* Instant coffee: Most mornings, when I scoop the tablespoon into my cup, I'm reminded of my dear Grandma and Grandpa, who always had a jar of instant decaf near the kitchen table. It's a small sort of libation in their memory.

* Legacy: My parents have many legacies. I am grateful to have received their work ethic, their moral standards, their always-able-to-push-further endurance, and their never-ending love.

So it is in these thoughts of thankfulness that I wish you Happy Holidays!

Manifesto: the practicalities of leadership

As with a certain CEO's “Black Box” ideas, I've coalesced some of my favorite ingredients to lead a senior living community, some of which are translate-able to other industries. Many thanks to some awesome directors exhibiting these ingredients daily, for being an example to us all. Key points:

• Client identification: There is a four-fold client base: residents, their families and loved ones, staff, and community partners.
• Making time: One must always make time for any resident or family – never walking past without a greeting and a moment of sincerity and meaning.
• Response: As I've addressed in a recent article, responses must be quick – whether email, phone, in-person, text
• Compassion: In serving seniors, their families, staff and community partners, the work can never be “a job.” We must always remember the journey and perspective of the resident and their loved ones.
• Expertise: Particularly when working with residents with dementia or mental health needs, the team must be coached on best practices, diagnoses and disease processes. Through knowledge, the team is better able to serve residents and families, and the team feels better about their contributions.
• Community partners & competitors: We must build relationships. Community partners give a wider sense of client needs, industry trends, and applicable solutions. Competitors – whether direct or indirect – can be (direct or indirect) partners. There have been many occasions in which I have initiated professional relationships with key potential competitors, developing a network of support and expertise.
• Invoices: Invoices must be verified for accuracy and receipt of service, and paid quickly – never past due.
• Right fit: It is important for all aspects of HR to have the right person in the right position – this must be considered in hiring, coaching, and promotions.
• Budget: Whether labor, census, revenue, expenses – budgets must be monitored in real-time and action must be taken thusly to expand or trim based on current conditions.
• Open door: Key directors must be accessible and visible for residents, families, staff and community partners. Their doors must be open – whether literally, or figuratively.
• Accountability: I'm a staunch proponent of team accountability – out of respect for each employee and the entire team, it is critical to be aware of abilities, successes, tasks completed / not.. The goal is to collaborate - celebrating achievement and coaching for improvement.
• Regulations: It goes without saying that key leaders – whether GM, nursing, or marketing – must be knowledgeable about state regulations. 

All this boiled down: relationships, expertise, accountability.

homage to CogDog's travel

A brief reference to Alan Levine's article, Mysterious Sherman Lake, intersecting a couple of my favorite things: travel and maps.

Alan, thanks for being such an inspiration - you're forever creating and thinking, collaborating and acknowledging.

Buyer's remorse

Or, continued customer service - which do you choose?


So often it seems that organizations spend so much effort to woo a potential client and much less energy to continue courting that same client. Much has been said about the benefits of retaining a loyal customer base: continued sales from that customer base, with increased sales through evangelism and the referral network of happy clients.


So, here are several effective ways to lessen the opportunities for buyer's remorse:


* Be accessible: You absolutely must – especially in this age – be present for your client. If they call, answer; if they email, respond; if they text, get your thumbs moving. And do it quickly – it is insufficient to respond late.


* Surprise and delight: Continue to woo your clients. Know them. Do something special for them, as is appropriate for your business model – whether it's something specifically personal to that individual client, or whether it's a large-scale surprise for your mass client base.


* Know your place: Know and remember how you fit into your clients' lives – are you an integral part of their day-to-day; are you synced to their happiness; are you a scheduled task; or are you one item on a very long to do list?


* Remain consistent: You and your product or service must remain, as you presented during the courtship of your client. Of course you grow and innovate, but there should not be anything that feels like a bait-and-switch.


* Be vigilant: Always, always expect that your competitor is preparing to woo your client away from you.

Generating the seed of Respect

So last week, I witnessed a conversation that has had me in contemplation: why and how does someone gain respect of their peers or network?  The moment of truth in this conversation (for me) was that she said to her colleague, "I feel you don't respect me." 

As we've discussed on other occasions, I feel we must each take the responsibility to make things better.  The onus is on each of us. 

So, some recommendations for generating respect:

* Don't expect.  Earn.  I guess this is the big question: is respect given or earned?  From my perspective, we are so much more likely to be given respect if we work to deserve it.

* Give.  There is reciprocity in the universe.  In the conversation I'd witnessed, it was clear she'd expected to be respected due to her degree, but the irony was that it appeared a one-sided expectation - expecting respect only for herself. for her degree, but no offer of respect for her colleague for her degree, experience, etc.  In fact, she appeared to have negligible knowledge of her colleague.

* Cultivate yourself.  Self-study is often beneficial.  Is there a hindrance to others giving you respect?  Remove it.  If you are (or appear to be) immature, lacking in confidence, inexperienced, non-proficient, lax; your likelihood for gaining respect will be less.

* Listen.  What are you being told - directly or indirectly?  For example, if your peer asks for explanation of your decision, is it a challenge to your professionalism, or is it evidence that you've not clearly communicated?


In short, Be respectable.

Steven Seagal is not down for the count

Okay, I love Chuck Norris (who doesn't?) - from his battle with Bruce Lee, to Walker Texas Ranger Sundays with my Grandpa, to the famous Google search. And, relatedly, I enjoy giggling about Steven Seagal. Delighted are the tv-movie Sunday afternoons of Glimmer Man or Under Siege. In fact, I recall a film review for Glimmer Man noting that the only thing Buddhist about Seagal's character was his “Buddha-esque figure.”

But then I heard about Seagal's mentorship of MMA fighter (and middleweight champion), Anderson Silva, resulting in a powerhouse front kick knock-out.



And so I'm humbled. I had dismissed Seagal, yet he honed and then shared a skill that rocked the MMA world.

So, what more do others have to offer? Are there other Steven Seagals that we've deemed inconsequential, dried up, without impact, or done?

You're not the boss of me

... I am.

With the holiday season, I've been thinking about effectiveness at work (of course). You know, for my careers, the measure of success is tied directly to the needs of my clients. Their satisfaction, their delight, their peace of mind. So for me, days off, holidays, and work days are all relative to the needs of my clients.

* Balance: Gosh, I do struggle with work-life balance. In this realm, I take inspiration from those folks who keep work natural - they are available and effective, maintaining a "global" perspective on tasks, goals and clients. The client matters most.

* To do (or honey-do) list: It is not enough to cross tasks off your list. In a new economy, in which we have more to accomplish than is possible, we must stay laser-focused on what matters. The list will be there, always. Choose what you accomplish. See Seth Godin on busy-ness.

* Onus on you: Seth Godin and Chris Brogan (two of my favorites) coincide here, Godin on managing your own self, and Brogan on managing distractions.

* Technology & access: Everything changes. Abide, but do not remain stagnant. You absolutely must predict the future, see the trends, and adapt - for your own success, and for the wow-ing of your clients. See Seth Godin on being difficult to replace.

* ROWE: We'd talked previously about the concept of the Results Only Work Environment.

Update, Dec 28, 10:30 pm:

Just caught Mitch Joel's post on The Myth of Work Life Balance: "There is no such thing as work/life balance. By even saying there is such balance, you're making an internal agreement that work is not a part of a healthy life, and I just don't buy it. "