Together With

Good morning.  It has been a rough four weeks, the worst I have seen since the beginning of the pandemic.  Staff to resident ratios are half of what they should be, on a good day.  Resident and family expectations are unwavering.  Financial expectations are front and center.  I'm exhausted.  My team is exhausted.  I'm pissed.  I'm scared.  I'm frustrated.  I feel helpless.

Taking care of your emotions

I want you all to know that you're not alone.  I also want you to know that your leadership, your showing up, is making a difference in the lives of others.  You are holding tremendous weight and responsibility on your shoulders that sometimes feels unbearable.  I see you.  Thank you.  

These resources have helped me and, subsequently, my team deal with the emotions and immense pressure upon us.  If approached with the right mindset and tools, a silver lining to this incredibly severe storm you're weathering is that it will catapult your leadership and emotional intelligence forward at an incredible rate.  Don't waste the opportunity.

Upward Compassion by Robert Glazer is a good reminder that everyone from the C-suite to the housekeeper feels the pressure.  A good reminder that compassion and empathy should be cast in all directions and not just downward.  

Tim Ferriss interviewed Brene Brown on his podcast in early 2021.  Brene Brown is a five-time best-selling author and professor at the University of Houston.  She has dedicated her career to understanding human emotions, what they are, what they mean, and how to deal with them.  This specific discussion digs into the concept of the emotional body armor that we wear and when to know if we've outgrown it.

The Happiness Lab episode where host Dr. Laurie Santos and psychologist Susan David remind us that negative emotions should not be ignored but instead called out, labeled, and engaged if we expect to change how we feel and find happiness.

The theme and takeaway from reading and listening to these folks (who are much smarter than I am) are that it's critical to pause and think about what you're feeling.  Negative emotions should not be ignored and suppressed, and if I am aware enough to label and identify them, I am taking the first step.  I hope you find these resources as helpful and thought-provoking as I have.

Take a step toward efficiency

Together with Accushield

Each week I try to accomplish a single task at home or at work that will provide exponential efficiency in the future.  Last week, I bought and labeled three mail bins in my home office and labeled them new mail, bills that need to be paid, and paid bills.  I was wasting time every month digging through bills and trying to remember which ones I had already paid.  It took 5 minutes and will save me 30 minutes each month moving forward—exponential efficiency.

A few months ago, we became exponentially more efficient in our communities by installing the Accushield sign-in kiosks.  A decision that took minimal time and effort and continues to save my team members several hours each day.  Not to mention, I no longer am dedicating staffing to screening residents and visitors and have reallocated those resources to resident care—exponential efficiency.

Reach them at sales@accushield.com and learn more about their product here.

Grab your coffee and make it a great day.  We appreciate you and your dedication to your team and residents. -Thank you!