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Good afternoon. Welcome back to Part 4 of our 5 Part series, revealing the key to having a successful career as a senior living leader while not burning yourself out with 45-65 hour weeks in the process.
Before we jump in, don't forget to register for the Base 10 webinar by checking out their section below or clicking on their logo toward the top of the newsletter.
Today, we dive into Part 4- Understanding and utilizing the 80/20 Principle.
If you missed the previous editions, check them out using the link below.
Elevate your operation in less time.
Part 4- Understanding at Utilizing the 80/20 Principle
The Pareto Principle, better known as the 80/20 rule, signifies that the inputs and outputs of your efforts are not equal. More specifically, 80% of outcomes come from a mere 20% of actions, or 20% of your activities can decrease 80% of your time and stress. You can apply this rule to numerous areas of your day-to-day as an NHA or senior living leader, but here are the most important facts to remember.
Fact- 80% of your allotted time will be spent dealing with 20% of your residents and family members.
Fact- 80% of your allotted time will be spent dealing with 20% of your employees.
Fact- 80% of your success will result from 20% of your work.
Most NHA's and senior living leaders spend the majority (80%) of their time focusing on the wrong people. They gravitate toward what is comfortable and what is easy. After focusing on the wrong areas, leaders still have to deal with the other 20%, which is why it takes 10-12 hour days to manage the business.
Now that you know these facts, here is how you manage them proactively.
Step 1
Identify and make a plan to manage the 20% of residents and family members that take up 80% of your time. As you're reading this, there are inevitably a handful of residents that come straight to your mind. Utilizing a person-centered approach, identify what makes them tick. Implement a plan with your team to meet and monitor their needs and proactively communicate efforts and results to the residents and their families.
The key is not to get overwhelmed with focusing on everybody. Identify and focus on the 20%.
Here is a very simplified but great example. I once had a resident who could not hear without his custom hearing aids. When they weren't in, he became understandably withdrawn and quiet. Without fail, the few days when the team forgot to help him put them on were always the days that his daughter would come to visit, and inevitably I would get a visit from her. We sat down with the care team and devised a plan to ensure that the resident had his hearing aids in each morning. The team then took it a step further and began proactively reaching out to his daughter on the days she didn't visit with a text, email, or quick call to let her know that all was well with the hearing aids and her father. The results and corresponding feedback were astounding. The daughter was touched and shocked by the personal attention that she and her father were receiving, and the care team was thrilled and motivated by the compliments they received in return. All in all, it took minimal time and effort to carry out and, combined with other similar initiatives, saved the team and myself hours (80%) on the backend by not having to follow up on complaints and concerns.
Customer service is hard, but it becomes much more manageable when focusing on a subset (20%) of your residents. Once you and your team see the results, let the momentum take you to the next level.
Step 2
Identify the 20% of your team who drive 80% of the positive results. It's easy to take this group of employees for granted but make a plan today to celebrate and thank them: a sincere compliment, a thank you card, or a meal delivered to their home. There is no gesture too big or too small. Carry around a penny in your left pocket for each one of these employees. Find something positive each day to compliment them on, and move a penny from your left to your right pocket as you do. Keep them happy and stay out of their way. Support them, but realize they do not need your undivided attention.
Step 3
Here is the step you've likely been avoiding. Who are the lowest-performing 20%? These team members should be taking 80% of their time.
You need to identify them and, along with your leadership team, create individualized plans to get them up to speed.
Each individual's plan should follow the outline in the 4 Disciplines of Execution. If you're unfamiliar with the process, check out this edition of NHA Stand-Up, where we lay out how to use the disciplines in an effective morning meeting.
Once you begin looking for it, you will see our role's 80/20 rule played out daily. Look for, identify, and use it to achieve more with less.
Webinar opportunity
Be sure to register for the upcoming webinar from our partners at Base 10. Your clinical team won't want to miss learning about the role nurses, and precision medicine can play in managing cardiovascular disease in the skilled nursing and senior living setting. I'm impressed with the common sense services Base 10 brings to our industry. Utilizing a resident's specific genes to determine the most appropriate medication regimen means better resident outcomes, reduced med pass times and decreased pharmacy spending.- The trifecta.
Grab your coffee and make it a great day. We appreciate you and your dedication to your team and residents. -Thank you!
