Joanne Kaldy

A new year means a fresh start, and it’s an opportunity to leave bad habits in the dust and embrace positive new ways of working and living. To start, consider these changes:

• Turn the cameras on. Forget the excuses. Turn your camera on during Zoom calls to build rapport and understanding. Make it clear that it’s okay not to look perfect and that people won’t be judged for a messy room or a bad hair day.
• Take a break and time to chat. Yes, you need to focus on work during the course of the day, but it’s important to take a few minutes to stop and talk with your team. This will help increase loyalty and engagement, and it will enable you to promptly recognize any brewing problems or conflicts.
• Stop talking about getting back to normal. Some things will never go back to the way they were, and many people like the new ways of doing things. For instance, working from home has been productive and satisfying for many, and they will want to continue remote … [Read more...] about (1/27) 3 Bad Leadership Habits to Leave Behind This Year

The pandemic has changed much, including how leaders function and guide their teams. These tips can help you cement strong, productive relationships with your workers no matter where you are in your leadership journey:

• Clarify expectations one-on-one. Don’t assume that people know what is expected of them.
• Be authentic and communicative. Stay committed to your own personal growth but reach out and connect with others as well.
• Don’t let your ego rule you. Be respectful and trustworthy.
• Invest in and prioritize a talent management strategy.
• Value existing relationships while you’re building new ones.
• Be engaging, authentic, and respectful.
• Set expectations and hold people accountable.
• Stay approachable from a healthy distance.
• Study Tuckman’s team dynamics: forming, storming, norming, and performing.
• Create an inclusive environment.
• Use a mind map to … [Read more...] about (1/25) 16 Ways New Leaders Can Manage Shifting Workplace Relationships

According to data, a toxic organizational culture is the biggest contributor to attrition. To determine if you have a toxic culture (although if you do, you probably know it), look for the following signs:

• Trust is limited or nonexistent.
• Workplace morale is low
• Employees have a constant feel of failure and are hesitant to admit mistakes or talk about processes that aren’t working or could be improved.
• Bullying and gossip are tolerated and/or ignored.
• Absenteeism rates and turnover are high (don’t assume these are just ‘normal’ or related to the pandemic).
• There is little joy or enthusiasm in the workplace.
• There is confusion, and miscommunications and/or misunderstandings are common.

• Take responsibility and consider how leadership is contributing to or causing negativity.
… [Read more...] about (1/24) How to Know If You Have a Toxic Culture – and How to Fix It

Creating a positive environment for working parents can help you attract and retain good workers. These policy changes can help:

• Offering several weeks of paid time off for new parents.
• Establishing a part-time return-to-work policy for new moms and dads.
• Starting a dialogue around how parenthood impacts workers.
• Enabling scheduling flexibility to accommodate working parents and school schedules.
• Modeling putting families first (such as scheduling meetings to start after kids are off to school).
• Also attending to  workers who don’t have children (e.g., enable self-care such as an occasional long lunch hour to connect with friends or long weekends to visit family).
• Giving employees access to parent-focused Slack channels where they can seek advice, share thoughts and feeling, and just commiserate.

Fewer sick days don't necessarily mean greater productivity or healthier employees. According to one report, in fact, two-thirds of 5,000 workers surveyed said that feel pressure to work when they’re ill; and 39% reported that they are more likely than ever to work when they’re sick. About a quarter indicated that sick days are disappearing completely. Other data also suggests some problems with sick days. In a survey of 2,800 workers:

• A third said they always go to work when they’re sick.
• 54% said they still show up to work when they are ill because they have too much to do.
• 40% said they don’t wan to use their sick leave.

To say that COVID has pretty much changed everything is not an overstatement. Currently, the pandemic and the rise of the omicron variant are impacting what the experts predict for the long-term care industry moving forward. For the moment, this is what they see:

• While census is still not rebounding as much as expected, the skilled nursing acquisition (M&A) market continues to grow; and private equity will continue to dominate M&A in 2022.
• Don’t expect help from the feds. The government support the industry saw in 2021 has pretty much dried up. The only hope in 2022 is a possibility for Medicaid increases or short-term funding at the state level.
• The push toward getting and keeping patients out of nursing homes will continue. For instance, President Biden’s Build Back Better plan includes $150 billion for in-home care.
• There is no COVID-19 “finish line” that providers can aim for. Nursing home operators must continue to keep … [Read more...] about (1/19) The Trends That Will Shape Skilled Nursing in 2022

These days, you need every possible tool to boost recruitment and compete for good people. Testimonials can help:

• Testimonials come from a current or former employee and share positive, helpful comments about what it’s like to work for your organization. They don’t have to be long and detailed; short, punchy testimonials can be very effective.
• You can gather testimonials by asking workers for them (employee surveys are an easy way to get this information), using annual reviews to collect insights and soundbites, and seeking permission to use feedback from job candidates.
• Great testimonials tell stories, for instance, about times workers were excited to go to work or felt especially appreciated or supported.
• Use these on a variety of platforms – social media, website, recruitment ads, etc.

Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association, and the National Investment Center for Senior Housing & Care have joined forces to start a Senior Living DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) coalition to promote DEIB to businesses in the senior living industry. The coalition has devised a three-step process to educate industry professionals about key elements of DEIB, current data, and how to promote this in senior living:

• A third-party consulting firm is conducting detailed interviews with several industry thought leaders about the current state and their future visions for DEIB.
• The consulting firm will form a diverse industry workgroup to address challenges and opportunities around DEIB.
• The coalition and work group will collaborate with Ferguson Partners, a leader in industry intelligence, to develop and conduct a DEIB survey to gain organizational insights and perspectives from senior living operators and … [Read more...] about (1/17) New Senior Living Coalition Seeks To Be Catalyst for Diversity, Inclusion

The senior living industry has had little time to relax and reflect; and future planning is difficult when new crises and challenges seem to keep popping up. However, a panel of experts has a few words of advice for operators, administrators, clinical leaders, and their teams:

• Stay focused on the great things you do. Celebrate successes and milestones.
• Focus on improving the employee experience. Put effort (and money) into funding employee recognition, education, and tuition reimbursement. Roll out the red carpet to welcome employees.
• Step back and think about what you offer, what your strengths are, and what distinguishes you from the competition.
• Look at and respond to trends cycle by cycle and variant by variant. Be flexible and able to pivot quickly. Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your community, your state, and the world around you.
• Focus on finding and implementing the best technology for your … [Read more...] about (1/14) Senior Living Should Focus On Its Strengths for 2022 – Making a Difference Every Day: Panelists