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Good morning.  As we enter January 2025, it's time to reflect on the lessons learned in 2024 and set the stage for an even stronger year ahead.  Senior Living and Skilled Nursing leaders are no strangers to the constant evolution of healthcare.  Looking back at the past year's challenges, triumphs, and opportunities can provide invaluable insights to drive excellence in the months to come.

Here are six forward-looking questions to help you reflect on 2024 and set a strategic course for 2025.

Find some time this month to get offsite with your leadership team, take a step back, and answer them together.

Elevate your Strategy

1. The Power of Fresh Eyes

Question: If a new leader stepped into your role tomorrow, what’s the first change they would make—and why hasn’t it been made yet?

Insight: Sometimes, familiarity can cloud judgment. This question invites you to step outside your perspective and identify areas where you’ve become complacent or resistant to change. What would fresh eyes see as low-hanging fruit or long-overdue reform? Use this insight to challenge the status quo and embrace improvement opportunities.

2. Anticipating the Unexpected

Question: What was the most surprising challenge we faced in 2024? What do we anticipate could be the most surprising challenge of 2025, and how can we position ourselves to overcome it?

Insight: The most disruptive challenges are often the ones we don’t see coming. Reflect on the unexpected hurdles of 2024—whether external, like supply chain disruptions, or internal, like an unplanned leadership transition. Then, think ahead. What potential blind spots could derail your plans in 2025? Preparing for the unexpected is a hallmark of resilient leadership.

3. A Vision for Success

Question: Imagine it’s December 2025, and you’re celebrating an extraordinary year. What key achievements made it great?

Insight: This exercise isn’t just about dreaming big—it’s about reverse-engineering success. What measurable wins, cultural shifts, or operational advancements would define a banner year for your organization? By envisioning your ideal future, you can identify the steps needed to make it a reality.

4. Uncovering Constraints

Question: What are the top three constraints holding our community or facility back? Do we have plans to address them—and are we confident in them?

Insight: Constraints can take many forms, such as staffing shortages, financial pressures, or operational inefficiencies. Pinpointing them is the first step, but true leadership lies in crafting robust plans to tackle them. Are you confident those plans will succeed? If not, what needs to change? This question forces an honest assessment of your priorities and problem-solving strategies.

5. The Case for Bold Moves

Question: What’s one bold initiative we’ve hesitated to pursue—and what would it take to make it a reality in 2025?

Insight: Bold action often drives the most significant progress, yet fear of failure or resource constraints can cause hesitation. Whether it’s a complete overhaul of staff onboarding, a substantial investment in technology, or a new partnership, identify the one idea you’ve been circling and outline the steps to bring it to life.

6. Earning Trust Daily

Question: If surveyed today, what would staff and residents say about our leadership—and how do we want that answer to change by the end of 2025?

Insight: Leadership isn’t just about metrics; it’s about trust, connection, and impact. What impression are you leaving on those you serve and lead? You can create a culture prioritizing empathy, communication, and shared purpose by identifying the gap between current perceptions and your ideal.

By asking these challenging, future-focused questions, you can better understand your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Use these insights to shape your strategy, inspire your team, and ensure 2025 is a year of bold decisions and measurable impact.

Here’s to leading with clarity, courage, and conviction. Let’s make this year unforgettable!

Partners We Love

Designed specifically for senior care billers.

About Prime Care Technologies

Prime Care Technologies provides integrated data and technologies to make real-time, performance-impacting decisions—an Atlanta-based company and industry-leading data warehouse. Empowering senior care operators to achieve care goals.

Check out their solutions HERE.

Whenever you're ready, there are a few ways I can help you.

1. Leverage our partnership with CEUSrEZ and purchase NAB-approved, online, self-paced, continuing education courses at a 20% discount here.
2. Check out our free AI Chatbot trained on thousands of pages of regs and industry best practices.  It’s like having a surveyor on your team.  Try it out here.
3. Sign up for Assisto and keep track of the regulatory environment in your state.  Know what deficiencies surveyors cite in real-time and ensure you're not at risk for the same tag.  Sign up here.

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Thanks for reading.  Have a wonderful day.

Kevin Goedeke, Publisher and Founder