Is Your Bulb Burning Bright?

Have you been in the dark? When the power goes out, do you start searching for a flashlight? Feeling your way through the house, bumping into chairs; it isn’t a fun feeling. When your path isn’t well lit, you feel disoriented.

The same goes for your professional circuit of power. When a piece of that circuit is off, you don’t accomplish goals, serve residents, or build strong teams. And unfortunately, due to the residual effects of the pandemic, changing regulations, and workforce issues, many of us find ourselves with circuits that are about to burn out. In my just released book, Senior Living POWER: Energize and Serve with JOY, I walk readers through that vital circuitry.?

The goal of that basic circuit that you built in 9th-grade science class is the lightbulb that burns bright. And most of you are amazing at lighting the bulb that serves your residents. But that is only one bulb. When I work with senior living professionals, I always hear about the numerous bulbs they are burning. It isn’t just serving the residents. It is the budgets, census, and workforce. Oh, and let’s not forget all those personal light bulbs you burn: family, finances, home, pets, health. The bulbs are endless.?

So how do you ensure that the energy in your circuit powers all the bulbs? First, you need to put on your inspector’s hat. When I bought my first house, I was nervous as the home inspection started. The house was built in 1939 and older homes can present issues. All was going great until we headed to the basement. (The expensive stuff is in the basement.) As the inspector opened the circuit box, he shook his head. “You’re going to need to rewire this; it is out of code.” No new kitchen for me!

The inspection is that critical first step in energizing your organization, team or yourself. Where is your power going each day? Are there bulbs that can be put on dimmer switches? Is part of the circuit ready to burn out? Pay attention to how you allocate your time for at least a week. (If you want an exercise that can help you with this, please feel free to reach out to me.)

One of the biggest deterrents to powering all the bulbs is interruptions. Our days our filled with “pings” and “emergencies”. Understand that you often have more control over these interruptions than you think. Obviously, the safety of residents and staff is an interruption that must happen. But take some time to look at the other issues, people or processes that drain you when they interrupt your work.?Some of those energy drains can take the form of outdated or inefficient systems. Evaluate processes and ask team members about the efficiency of daily systems and procedures.?

And finally, look at your batteries! Senior living professionals should be evaluating their C batteries. The batteries that retain great people and increase engagement include: Communication, Conflict Resolution, Contributing, Civility, Community, Care and Celebrating. Many of these C batteries are easy to implement and don’t cost much. Putting a focus on the batteries that really power teams should be a critical part of your circuit.?

When looking at those C battery functions, evaluate the ones that are negatively charged. Is incivility on a team creating low productivity? Is critical information not reaching everyone because the communication battery is outdated? And are you celebrating all the events, goals and achievements that keep great people engaged and elevated? Test your batteries’ power levels soon!

Powering an organization, team or you, takes maintenance. The circuit needs to be inspected. Take time for that inspection and your bulbs will burn bright.?

By: Kathy Parry, CSP Energizing Teams

Corporate Energy Expert

Purchase Kathy's Book: https://www.kathyparry.com/kathys-books/?yuduBrowser=system