Good Morning and Happy Friday.  Each day I start by asking myself, "What one to three things can I do today that will have the biggest impact?"  I then prioritize the first hours of my day to those specific tasks.  9.99 times out of 10, at least one of those things involves intentionally thanking someone for making a difference in my professional or personal life.  Here is your challenge for today.  I am pretty confident it will make a noticeable impact on your professional and personal life.

1.)   Chances are the first person you see today is someone rather vital to you.  It could be a spouse, parent, child, or co-worker.  Find a good reason to thank them for the great things they bring to your life and do just that.  Look them in the eyes and say it.

2.)  Visit with each of your last three move-ins or admissions for 5 minutes to learn about their first impressions.  Dig into what's important to them, how they define a good day, what makes them tick?

3.)  Call each of their first contacts to introduce yourself, sprinkle in what you learned about their loved one during the conversation.  Find out from them what's important, how do they define a good day?  Share these details with the teams who are caring for the residents.

4.) Set the time on your calendar to repeat #2 and #3 next week with the same residents.  Incorporate the person-centered details you now know about them into the visit and conversation.  Do they like Starbucks?- Bring them one.  

Let us know how it goes for you!

Elevate Your Career

Here at NHA Stand-Up, we provide our readers with honest feedback and guidance on the topics that matter most to you as an Administrator.  Lately, an issue we have heard a lot about is compensation, more specifically, your compensation.

If you've asked yourself, "Am I getting paid what I should?" lately, you're not alone.  The truth is, the level of responsibility and time commitment of an NHA has changed drastically over the past 24 months.  Here are a few tips and resources to leverage if you decide that it's time to ask for a raise.

First, reflect honestly on your performance over the past 6-12 months.  Are you giving it your all and crushing it?  If you have any doubt, now may not be the time to ask.  If you're thinking, "hell yeah," move to step two.

The second step is to research.  Call the headhunter who's blowing up your phone and ask what they see as the going range for NHA's in your market.  Better yet, ask if they would be willing to share the average salary of the last 4-5 Administrators they've placed in your state in exchange for a conversation about utilizing their services.  Talk to peers, association leaders, and any recruiters you know from the past.  Whatever you have to do, see how you compare to the market.

Identify your top three accomplishments in the past year.  Avoid the urge to list more than three.  These accomplishments should add value to the organization, whether through developing a best practice or exceeding expectations.

Next, you need to practice what you're going to say.  I know it seems silly, but it's necessary to have you feeling confident going into the conversation.  Take notes, and practice what your response will be to follow-up questions or answers.  These could include.

"I need to think about it."

"It's just not in the budget."

"Let's revisit at the end of the year."

"No."

Don't just practice in the mirror.  Have a conversation with someone you trust and role-play the situation.

Now it's time to schedule the meeting.  Avoid having the conversation over the phone, and don't bombard your boss.  Schedule it ahead of time, so they also feel prepared. 

Never give an ultimatum or let your emotions elevate.  Start the conversation with some appropriate small talk, present your research, your accomplishments, and confidently make your ask.  Then, shut up and take a deep breath!  Feel confident to let the room be silent for a bit and allow them to respond.

Make it a great day!  If you enjoy our newsletter, please share it with some colleagues and friends.