Where there’s a nursing home there is drama, and where there is drama, there is a nursing home. If you don’t have drama, count your blessings.
The bottom line is, those people who cause all the drama are the source of a long-term care community’s greatest success or biggest weakness.
It is our people, the folks in the trenches, who will make it better or make it worse—more so than technology. You know them. The ones who do the “dirty” work … the nursing, laundry, cooking, activities, housekeeping, social service and maintenance.
I believe that as your people go, you go, the company goes, the residents go, the families go … it all goes better or worse.
Technology is awesome, but people are more awesome.
Technology can save you money, but people can lose you more than you can save. Technology can increase resident satisfaction, but people can increase it more. Technology can cause you headaches, but people can cause you more. Technology can cost you lots of money, but your people should cost you more.
There it was: “Your people should cost you more.” Are you investing all you can in your people? I am not talking about just money.
The point is people come first. Let’s invest in them. Let’s set values and RECOGNIZE, give direction and APPRECIATE, have expectations and LAUGH, hold them accountable and HAVE FUN. Help them grow and then CELEBRATE our success with our people!
Where is that booth at a tradeshow? We need a “how-to-invest-in-people” booth! If you want a return on your investment, find ways to invest, invest, invest in your people and supplement that investment with technology.
Besides, when was the last time you invited your software and sequel server to an employee party? And do they ever invite you to theirs?
Todd Ramlo, of Morton, IL, also has been an account executive for a healthcare software company.
From the August 01, 2008 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
