THE BLOG
10 Must Do’s for 2018
A new year is a great time to set goals (both big picture future goals and SMART goals for the current year). Here are our top 10 must do’s for creating and sustaining a strong culture in 2018.
As you navigate these first few weeks of 2018 we recommend that you sit down with your team and consider what on this list you do really well and what you need to work as a team this year.
Stop Laughing and Get Back to Work
What do you do when you’ve always given your team members a turkey or a ham for the holidays, but they want a gift certificate?
Do you mumble under your breath, “You ungrateful little jerks”? Do you lament, “You’re lucky to be getting anything?”
OR…Do you give them a gift certificate plus the turkey and ham?
3 Ways to Reduce Labor Costs in 2018
If improving engagement, recruitment, retention AND getting your expenses under control are among your 2018 goals, well then, you are not alone!
In fact, we recently spoke to an organization that is struggling with all of these issues. Thinking about it was so overwhelming that they didn’t even want to begin to ponder what it was costing them.
Stuck In The Status Quo
A few years ago, a ridiculous but accurate commercial made the rounds on social media. This ingenious video depicted a hurried man and woman on an escalator rushing to get to their destinations on another floor. They are chugging along when suddenly, without warning, the escalator halts to a stop about half way up.
The Truth About Customer Service
People ask us all the time, “Do you offer customer service training?” I say, “Yes, why do you ask?”
The reality is their answer varies greatly depending on the specific pain a client is currently experiencing. In the last week I’ve had 5 separate people ask me about our “The Ultimate Customer Experience” workshop.
How to Deal with Growing Pains
A Nice Problem to Have!
When a successful marketing consulting firm experienced rapid, unexpected growth, it turned to Drive to help retain an intimate, “small-organization” culture despite its new size. Sage Age Strategies is a nationally recognized, award-winning strategic marketing organization specializing in operational, marketing and growth solutions individually developed to help senior living and senior care providers thrive in their select markets.
“Sympathizing with someone? That’s the easy part. But to really know how someone else feels, you have to walk in their shoes.”
For many years as the Administrator at Aviston Countryside Manor, I struggled with how to get my team to ‘get it’. I had a ‘me’ and ‘them’ attitude and our facility, (at that time that is exactly how we functioned) was a staff and resident’s kind of place.
Just over 10 years ago I began to hear about culture change.
It Pays to Address Conflict
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Conflict avoidance can lead to a dysfunctional work environment. When you accept a behavior or incident that you know is wrong,
Creating Culture Candor
“I feel like a mushroom. They keep me in the dark, so I keep them in the dark.”
A key member of a leadership team muttered these powerful words when we conducted an organizational assessment for his company. This is what happens when organizations fail to create a culture that embraces open communication.
Improve Your Team Member Engagement With One Simple Question
To better support team members try to lead with questions. Why? Because when you lead with questions you will:
- Increase Engagement. If you ask questions to your team members, it will build a sense of community. They will believe that their ideas are worthwhile and that you value their opinion making them an essential part of the team.