Or, are you focusing on the wrong priority?
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Good afternoon. Earlier this week, we shared Parts 1 and 2 of the system I use to realize true work-life balance as a senior living and SNF leader. More simplistically, follow this plan to succeed as a leader without having to work over 40 hours each week to do it consistently.
Today, we dive into Part 3- Prioritizing What Matters Most.
If you missed the previous editions, check them out using the link below.
Elevate your operation in less time.
Part 3- Prioritizing What Matters Most
At this point, you have removed the unnecessary clutter in your days and implemented guidelines to manage your calendar and how you're spending your time.
The next step requires us to pause and look strategically at the priorities you're driving within your community and your role.
Leaders are pulled in many directions with different and frequently competing priorities.
A mistake I see leaders often make is prioritizing the wrong initiatives and not understanding how their boss or corporate office is measuring their performance.
Here are some common mistakes and ways you can avoid them.
Mistake- Focusing on what you cannot control.
It's easy to get sucked into the mindset of focusing on the external forces weighing our shoulders. Heck, every time you open McKnight's or Senior Housing News, all you read are articles about poor reimbursement, low occupancy, a terrible labor market, and tightening regulations. Really inspiring stuff.
The fix- If you want to stand out and not burn yourself out in the process, you must hone in on what you can control and stop wasting time complaining about everything else.
Does the labor market suck? Absolutely.
Does complaining about it fix the problem? Nope.
Take some time to reflect on hurdles you're up against now that feel out of your control. Think hard about the aspects you can control, put a plan in place, and stay focused. Check out this previous newsletter for a great example of how instead of focusing on a poor labor market, you can focus on and execute the aspects of your hiring and vacancy rates that you can control.
Mistake- Going against the grain all the time
It's the age-old and all-common "corporate vs. community" mindset. You say things like "they just don't understand what we're going through" or "we're different than other communities." Sound familiar?
The truth is that they get to call the shots until you find yourself as the one signing the paychecks. Yes, we're responsible for the community, and yes, if you're an NHA, it's your license on the wall, but you signed up to do a job, and the owner or management company defines that job.
The fix- If the values of the management company don't align with yours, then you have a decision to make. Get on board or move on. But, as long as you're cashing that paycheck, you have an obligation to run the program as defined by the owner or manager. When you find yourself going "against the grain," check yourself and get with the program.
Always remember, following the organizational processes is what defines success vs. failure in the eyes of your boss and the owner/manager, so it has to be priority number one.
Print out this picture and keep it somewhere where you will see it daily as a reminder of how to find success in less time. Focus on the foundation of the pyramid first, and only when running the enterprise program effectively can you move to the next priority on your pyramid.
Tech we love
Compassion, One Bit at a Time with Prime Care Technologies
Prime Care Technologies is constantly innovating to respond to changes faced by post-acute care operators. We strive to meet your unique needs with customized integrated technologies and IT services, including:
- primeVIEW - senior living analytics dashboard
- primeCLAIMS - claims manager customized for post-acute
- Managed Care MASTER - patient case and payer contract manager
- primeCLOUD - managed IT services, including cyber security
- primeFORCE - UKG technical services, workforce data archiving, and benefits technology
We listen to current demands on your time, and our technologies constantly evolve to help you work smarter every day. With each solution added to your tech stack, we empower you to deliver compassion, one bit at a time.
Catch us at these upcoming events, including McKnight's Product Theater on June 27.
About Prime Care Technologies
For nearly two decades, innovative senior care operators have relied on Prime Care Technologies for the integrated data and technologies they need to make real-time, performance-impacting decisions, within facilities and across communities. Our Atlanta-based operation empowers more than 7,500 facilities to leverage best-in-class technologies. The interoperability we drive across 70+ apps and 3,500+ payers within the senior care market makes Prime Care Technologies the industry-leading data warehouse. The same highly secure IT services we offer clients to support and integrate their most valuable healthcare data are available to all markets as part of our primeCLOUD managed IT services suite.
Grab your coffee and make it a great day. We appreciate you and your dedication to your team and residents. -Thank you!
