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Employee Training and Retention: The Debate between Expense and Investment – Part I

Employee Training and Retention: The Debate between Expense and Investment – Part I

Posted on by MDSadmin

Most employers have some form of training implemented for their new employees and some even have programs designed for ongoing employee development. If asked, many employers, if not all, will say that training and employee development is important. But when truly evaluated, many employers do not provide adequate training or employee development to realize the advantages of proper training.

The disconnect lies in the fact that training and employee development comes at a price -financial resources, human resources and time. Employers view training as a cost or expense rather than an investment. They are hesitant, and some even resistant, to spend too many resources on an employee that may take that training elsewhere.

But, in fact, research has shown that proper training and employee development will increase employee productivity, job satisfaction and instill a higher commitment to the job among other things. This commitment to the job by the employee actually reduces employee turnover.

Investment – Not Expense

Therefore, employers need to view training and employee development as an investment in their employees which benefits both employee and employer rather than just an expense to reduce. Employers could also view this investment in training and employee development as an avenue to reduce employee turnover, in addition to, higher employee performance which benefits the organization as a whole.

Training and employee development takes many forms. There is no one training program that will fit every employee or organization. Each organization will need to determine its needs, the needs of its employees and how to address those needs in the most efficient and effective way. Some of the various components of employee training and development can include: new hire orientation, job specific training, mentoring/coaching, in-service training, continuing education, and seminars/conferences.

Orientation Alone is Not Enough

No one component itself will constitute a complete training and development program, but a combination of these components will address the various needs of both the employee and organization. For example, most organizations will have some sort of new hire orientation. And while this is a key component to any training and development program, it has its limitations as a stand-alone program.

A study published in 2008 states that while employee orientation is a necessary first step and that orientations “successfully conveyed the organization’s message on quality management initiatives and employees learned a great deal about quality management practices within the organization. The issue, however, is that transfer of learning did not take place at the desired levels after the employees returned back to their work stations.” (Akdere and Schmidt) The key to an effective program will be ongoing, continuous development using a combination of training and development components.

 

We featured this excerpt from a research paper that Kim Jimenez had written on employee training and how it relates to employee engagement/retention. The second part of this report will be in our next post.  Employee turnover is a real cash expense that effects your business in many ways.  MDS can help in employee orientation and training in order to help create and retain the best staff possible.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort-Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

 

Reference:
Akdere, Mesut and Steven W. Schmidt. “Employee Perceptions of Quality Management: Effects of Employee Orientation Training.” 2008. The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). Web. September 2014.

What Else is Aging at Your Community?

What Else is Aging at Your Community?

Posted on by MDSadmin

This is a continuation of the top priorities for success in 2015 and beyond. Previously, we talked about increasing resident age and acuity levels. In this edition, we will explore the impact of age on the physical plant. Because there were a lot of communities built in the 1980s and 1990s this has led to quite a bit of older inventory still in use today. Some owners have done a great job keeping up and some … not so much.

The old saying is true. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Curb appeal can be inviting or may discourage prospects from stopping. The first step the prospect and their families take into your community will be the lasting image in their minds.

Can’t Judge a Book By it’s Cover … but we sometimes do

Even though I have been around the Senior Living Industry long enough to know that a building or the grounds are not always an indicator of the community, great care, or special features I might find inside, it still has an impact. It’s almost like starting at a deficit on the expectation scale and then having to rely on the tour, staff, and other factors to bring the community back into positive experience territory.

While this is not a great way to evaluate a community, it is human nature. I have been in some of the nicest communities built and have had poor experiences and on the converse, I have been in some marginal looking buildings that had the best atmosphere and service I have experienced. The difference is, I was visiting the community because of my job. Had it been for my mom or dad, we might not have stopped.

So you can only imagine how a prospect and/or their family members must feel. Sometimes the deficit can be too large to overcome, and that’s if they choose to stop and look. Unfortunately, sometime they keep driving to the next one on the list and don’t stop to give you the opportunity to prove how awesome your community is.

Update Ideas

Not only is the styling important, the need to look as modern as your nearest competitor, but sometimes you will also find operational inefficiencies, decreased ability to address the rising resident acuity, along with a decreased pricing flexibility to remain competitive.

Some ideas include updating the units themselves along with interior hallways. Depending upon the age and the need, this can run from $30,000 to $40,000 per unit. If you have a mixed-use community, such as Independent Living and Assisted Living or Assisted Living and Memory Care, you will want to consider existing unit mix and consider altering the mix going forward. Don’t forget the common areas and pay particularly close attention to entry areas. This should be warm, inviting, and make residents and visitors feel instantly at home.

It’s important to not only keep up with interior renovations and updates, but exterior, as well. If possible, ensure you have adequate and modern signage along with a well-manicured and landscaped entry way. Make sure exterior features are updated and maintained. Again, I feel the need to stress the importance of curb appeal and an inviting entrance to your community.

Plan Ahead

It’s important to remember that even if you have a new or newer building, the aging process has already begun. You must begin immediately to plan for the future … eventually your building will be the more mature property on the block. You can do this through a couple of means. One is a typical Cap X allotment of $300 – $500 per unit per year or an extensive and more formal annual Cap X plan.

These are also great opportunities to incorporate into your strategic planning for 2015 and beyond. MDS has a plethora of experience when evaluating the needs of your community to continue to remain successful. We can help you develop optimal unit mixes based on the market in which you operate. We can also help with the financial evaluation of the proposed changes to community to ensure a minimum impact for current and future residents. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you and your professional team to create a model for your continued success.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort-Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

Be an Appreciative Rock Star!

Be an Appreciative Rock Star!

Posted on by MDSadmin

I love music. I can’t sing or play an instrument, but I do love music and music trivia. Recently I had the good fortune to see a great band, one that has been around for many years, at one of my most favorite venues in the entire world, the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, NH. It was a terrific show and fun was had by all, (including the guy sleeping in our car when we came out! For those who follow me on Facebook, you understand, and for those who don’t, that is an entirely different story.)

But, as we were leaving the concert we walked by the band’s bus. I was very surprised and saddened to see what happened next. Although there were only about ten fans around, two of the band members ducked their heads down attempting to hide from us. The sad thing was that, although most of us were old enough that we were past the “star-struck” stage and autographs don’t mean that much to us, there was a young man there who had been waiting patiently to meet the band and possibly get an autograph. It was troubling that they couldn’t have taken 10 minutes to sign a few autographs and mingle with their fans. It would have done wonders for their image. They seem to have forgotten how and why they had become so successful … fans liking them and their music.

With a Little Help From My Friends

It made me think of the senior living industry and other businesses I patronize. People like to be known and recognized. I go to a couple little local restaurants and diners where I know the owners. They never fail to stop by and say “hey” and make you feel welcome and appreciated for your patronage. I have befriended a manager at a national chain and he never fails to stop by my table and talk for a few minutes and even comps my meals most of the time. If I see these people on the street, in a different environment, they still speak and we treat each other as friends.

The same holds true for residents and their families in Senior Living communities. They think of you as the “Rock Star” of your community. They want to be known and feel like they

know important people. They want to feel that they are important and meaningful in the community in which they live, to feel like they count for something and are appreciated. Some residents don’t have a lot of outside interaction and the staff of the community may be all the outside interaction they get in a day’s time.

Rock On

I know there are days that we feel we just can’t speak with another person or we will explode. Can’t face a certain person because they always have a complaint or want to talk for 20 minutes. And there are those days we are so busy with other things that we just blow by our residents without giving them the time of day, but we have to remember why we do what we do.

It is important to remember they are the reason we are there (because they pay a monthly service fee). I think it is very important for staff members to be present, visible, engaging, and attentive. There are those who work in offices, behind closed doors, who have to put forth the extra effort to get out and be seen among the residents. It is important to remember that when we step out from behind the confines of our office that we try and clear our minds and anticipate running into residents who will want to engage with us (good or bad, long or short.)

Be an appreciative Rock Star, put on a smile and say “Hi!” to as many residents as possible every day. We never know, that might be the only smile they see that day.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort-Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

Conduct a S.W.O.T. Analysis Before You Need a S.W.A.T. Team!

Conduct a S.W.O.T. Analysis Before You Need a S.W.A.T. Team!

Posted on by MDSadmin

You have the ability to take your business wherever you can imagine. The first step in any journey is planning. The old mantra goes, plan your work and work your plan. Those are great keys to success. Develop a plan and then focus and stick to it. Not that it won’t need tweaking and adjusting along the way, but as long as you can stay focused and true to your mission and goals, you can accomplish anything in life and in business.

The first part of planning any journey is to decide where you’re at currently. I was raised back in the day of paper maps. Every summer my grandparents would take us on vacation and I would be the navigator. About a week before we left my grandfather would sit down with me and a map and we would not only map out our primary route but we would also have a secondary route as well. The very first step of this process every year would be pointing to the reference of Fort Worth, Texas on the map and he would say “this is where were starting from”.

Current Location                                                 

It’s the same way with business. You have to know where you’re at before you can develop a great plan leading to your desired goals. That is the beauty of the S.W.O.T. analysis or Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis. It’s a great process to perform in order to start the planning process and create your roadmap or strategic plan for success. This analysis works well for evaluation of products, departments, strategies, or an entire company.

The first part of the analysis, the S.W. (or strengths and weaknesses) portion, is an internal view of the product, department, or company. You are looking for and listing strengths and weaknesses of the target you’re evaluating. It can vary depending upon what you’re evaluating, but here are a few examples.

Strengths could include:

  • What does your organization do best?
  • What’s unique about you product, staff, company, or etc.
  • To what resources do you have access?

Weaknesses could include:

  • Employees not trained
  • Substandard customer service
  • Sales process too complicated

The second part of the analysis, or the O.T. are the opportunities and threats you see, which is a view of the external. These are the opportunities and threats created by or posed by outside forces to your product, department, company or whatever you are evaluating. Again, this will depend upon what you’re evaluating, but here are a few examples.

Opportunities could include:

  • New trends
  • New markets
  • Organic growth possibilities

Threats could include:

  • Existing competition
  • New competition
  • Competitors’ use of new technology

Planning Tool

While this was a very condensed overview of a S.W.O.T. analysis, you can see the value in performing one before beginning your strategic planning for 2015. It is also important to get buy-in for those who will be participating. It is advised to reach outside of your executive team and chose employees to participate from different departments and levels in the company. To ensure open and honest dialogue, employees will need to feel the environment is safe and they may speak freely.

Schedule a series of meetings over the course of a few weeks instead of one long session. This will help keep everyone focused on the task at hand and not worrying about day to day activities. Make sure there are no cell phones and only interruptions for true emergencies.

Keeping the sessions positive is a MUST. Even though you may uncover some things in which you were unaware or are troubling, look at this as an opportunity. Had you not conducted the S.W.O.T. analysis you might not have discovered challenges until it was too late. Draw on the message in my last blog about balance, when things seem out of control, there are still opportunities to be had.

I would enjoy working with you and your professional team to help you conduct both a S.W.O.T. analysis and a business wellness checkup, as well as moderating your strategic planning sessions. These two tools will be a great way to kick off and jump start your 2015 strategic planning process.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort-Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

What Does Your Customer Service Say about Your Community’s Culture?

What Does Your Customer Service Say about Your Community’s Culture?

Posted on by MDSadmin

Does your senior living community, including your staff, express a can-do spirit? Do they have a mindset that is resident focused? Are they able to see the positive and not growl about everything? Do they work on fixing what’s wrong instead of griping about it? How much thought do you really put into personnel placement and training? These are a few questions to examine with regards to how you express your company’s culture to your residents, those who work within your company, and those outside of your walls.

I recently read a blog on LinkedIn  which garnered a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons, but it had a good message. The blog described the advice a venture capitalist had for the young twenty something in whose startup he was investing $150 million. To paraphrase the conversation, the venture capitalist advised, “Don’t mess up the company culture, that’s what I’m investing in.”

Unintended Culture Shift

Unfortunately, it tends to happen in most industries. As companies grow and hire more and more people, they tend to drift away from the core values and culture that made them a success. It takes a lot of effort to stay the course to retain your company culture. You have to hire the right people, develop a successful orientation process as well as an ongoing training program, monitor your employees’ actions and outcomes, and adjust as the need arises.

And as the old saying goes, the commitment to a positive company culture starts at the very top. I don’t mean just knowing about it, reading about it, preaching about it, I mean really LIVING IT 31! (For those of you out of the loop on the newest lingo, 31 is the old 24/7, just 24+7. And if you’re wondering, no I‘m not that cool, I was recently schooled by my younger, hipper nephews).

Personnel Assignments

Did you ever stop to think about how that particular person got into that particular job? Sometimes it’s the person that has been around the longest or has the lowest in seniority. Maybe the employee asked for the job, or maybe they were the first applicant that could pass a background check. There are many examples of employees that just ended up in a job and no thought was given to whether they were a good fit and exemplified your community culture to its fullest.

It would be easy to write a novel on employee placement and training, which covers all the different positions in a senior living community. However, I would like to focus on those employees you have put in a position of initial contact with your potential residents and their families. I’m specifically talking about those employees who answer your phones or greet your prospective residents and their families at the front door as well as those who tour campuses with them. There is no more appropriate expression in this situation as “you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”

What’s The Goal?

It’s important to make sure we put the right employees in the jobs that best fit them. In addition, we must also train these employees and go over contingency plans for certain situations that are bound to present themselves. We need to go that extra mile to make sure they not only understand but are able to live and express that culture you in which you want your community to be known. From the local Mexican food restaurant that I frequent to Senior Living communities that I visit, it appears that some management isn’t doing a good enough job of choosing the right person for the position or communicating desired outcomes to employees.

It’s important to stress to these employees how much they’re being counted on to acquire new customers and keep current customers happy. It’s amazing how much damage one misplaced or ill-trained employee can do to an organization, and often no one even realizes it until it’s too late.

Give me a call and let’s get started analyzing your front line, first contact team, policies, and procedures and developing a suitable solutions for your community. Today it’s more important than ever to have a plan and a backup plan in place to facilitate prospect inquiries. This can range from information on a phone to those wanting to tour your community. Let’s make sure your team is asking the right questions and offering the appropriate information to each and every prospect. With the proper plan in place you will see your close rates increase and resident acquisition cost decrease.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort-Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

Well-deserved Pat on the Back!

Well-deserved Pat on the Back!

Posted on by MDSadmin

I did a piece last week suggesting that employers should be quick to thank their employees to help build goodwill and employee engagement. Most of the time, all the employees are looking for is acknowledgment of their efforts. I think this also translates well to our clients, prospects, peers, competition, and our industry as a whole.

This week I was rolling out some “Thank You” offers to both our new and loyal readers and it reminded me of what a great industry in which I have the pleasure of serving! Over the last 15 years I have been involved and most of the last 40 that MDS has been in business, there have been a great many changes both good and not as good. The one thing that has remained constant is the quality of people that the industry has attracted and recruited.

Special Industry

This industry as a whole is very quick to take the heat for accidents or individual bad actors because it involves the lives of others and of course this is nothing to take lightly. On the converse, it seems that the industry as a whole is very slow to receive the praise for all the resident days that are logged not only without incident, but with successful outcomes for the seniors served.

I have had this experience from both sides of the table. Of course I work with both Senior Living operators and Senior Consumers on a daily basis, but I have also had family members in every form of Senior Living from Independent Living to Skilled Nursing. I know firsthand that overall, seniors’ lives are enriched because of the services provided. If that’s hard to wrap your head around, then just think of the lives that would be impacted if every Senior Living community closed their doors tonight.

Special People

I really enjoy the camaraderie of my friends and associates in the industry. There are several groups of professionals that serve the Senior Living industry that I meet with regularly. While we are capitalist and do need to make a living, we always consider the other group members when it comes to cross-marketing. We are very attune to opportunities where our group members can benefit.   I think because they all have a giving spirit and that seems to be a common thread throughout those who work in the Senior Living field. That is not just reserved for those who work on the front lines in the communities at the operations level, but to the vendors that serve the operators as well.

The support that people and companies in this industry give to each other is also incredible. Operators are always eager to lend a helping hand to other operators. We all share and collaborate on ways to better serve the senior population. Even vendors who compete in the same product line talk freely and share ideas with other vendors who compete directly with them.

Character Shines Through

Probably one of the most awesome features is that we don’t feel the need to “trash” our competitors in an open forum to make them look bad and us better. I write a lot and while I do get some constructive feedback from time to time, I have never had any harsh criticism. The same goes for me, if I see something I don’t agree with, running someone down in an open forum is not the right thing to do. I have been appalled as of late while reading the Pulse postings on LinkedIn at the amount of negative responses.   I don’t mean just one or two, I am talking about an entire thread of negative comments to some person’s feelings or position. I guess I follow the old adage that if you don’t have something nice to say, you don’t say anything.

Again, I am not talking about a difference of opinion that can be discussed like professional adults, but just rude and non-productive comments that add no value to the conversation and they sure don’t make the commenter look good. In fact, if the person providing the negative comment only knew how shallow and uneducated it makes them appear they would think twice about being negative or so literal to the point you put someone else down.

So, all that to say….Thanks to those who make up the Senior Living industry. From the financiers who take a chance with their money, to the operators and their awesome staff who make it happen day in and day out, and to vendors that serve them all, a BIG THANK YOU, for a job well done and for making this a great industry of which to be a part! If you’re not fortunate enough to work in the Senior Living industry, but work with equally as great people as we do, consider yourself blessed.

 

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

 

MDS Would Like To Say Thanks To Loyal Readers With Complimentary Book Chapter and Special Offer

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As our way of saying thank you to our blog subscribers we are offering A COMPLIMENTARY CHAPTER from Jim Moore’s “Independent Living and CCRCs, Survival, Success & Profitable Strategies for Not-For-Profit Sponsors and For-Profit Owner/Operators”, a must-read sequel to his previous BEST SELLING book “Assisted Living Strategies for Changing Markets”.   Current subscribers, please email roybarker@m-d-s.com and he will gladly forward your complimentary chapter.  If you are not yet a subscriber, simply subscribe to our blog TODAY by placing your email address in the sign up box on the far left hand side of this page and your chapter will automatically be sent to you.

As an added BONUS for our loyal followers (both new and old) we are offering this wonderful work of writing at a PROMOTIONAL RATE! Remember to sign up for our blog (if you haven’t already) and just click the link below to receive your own copy for the special promotional rate of ONLY $40 (shipping and handling included).   This book retails for over $60 with shipping and handling.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG TODAY and take advantage of this special promotional price! (For a limited time while supplies last.)

Continue reading “MDS Would Like To Say Thanks To Loyal Readers With Complimentary Book Chapter and Special Offer” →

Don’t Learn the Hard Way: Doing Business in a Foreign Country

Don’t Learn the Hard Way: Doing Business in a Foreign Country

Posted on by MDSadmin

There are certainly many obstacles to doing business in a foreign country. Some of these obstacles include the language barrier, different customs, different laws, and overzealous contractors or agents operating thousands of miles away from you. I was reminded of the latter when I recently came across two similar stories in two different industries.

The first story I saw had to do with an oil company doing business in a foreign country. In this instance, the oil company got a contract with the help of a local agent. The agent became a partner with the company. The country held a national election, which resulted in a change of leadership. The new leadership was not happy with the contract. Allegations of bribery soon followed, which resulted in an investigation under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

While the story didn’t go so far as to say whether or not there was a finding by a legal authority of bribery, the damage to the company was already done. The company was not only distracted, but spent time and money during the investigation. In addition, the company suffered a huge loss of value, tangible assets, and trust the U.S. financial markets, the people and government of the foreign company.

I then read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a couple that was arrested and convicted of purchasing private information of Chinese citizens as part of a due diligence project for GlaxoSmithKline PLC. While it sounds like the pair was involved in something illegal, it’s a reminder that oversight and compliance are critical for doing business overseas. Choosing the wrong associate can have huge implications for you and your company.

These events highlight the importance of choosing your business partners carefully. It’s critical to select an experienced partner dedicated to keeping your company in compliance with foreign rules and regulations. If you have projects foreign or domestic, contact MDS to put its more than 40 years of experience to work for you.

Roy Barker is Director of Special Projects at Moore Diversified Services, a Fort Worth, Texas-based organization specializing in operations analysis, marketing development, and investment advisory services. Roy is an authority in the field of employee turnover analysis and retention strategies.

Where Has 2014 Gone?

Where Has 2014 Gone?

Posted on by MDSadmin

By Roy Barker

I woke up this morning like any normal morning. Stumbled to the coffee pot, ran out and got the paper (yes I still have one thrown), checked some emails as I looked out the window at another beautiful sunny 81 degree morning. For those of you that have not spent a lot of time in Texas, any August morning below 90 degrees is a winner!

So I’m looking at my schedule wondering how it got so messed up that I’m in Texas during this time of year and not enjoying the beautiful Massachusetts coast right now, but that’s another discussion. As I am contemplating this dilemma, I get a calendar tickler about setting some January 2015 communication goals. Really! 2015! Where has 2014 gone?   It was just last week I was relating how there is still time to make changes, which can have a positive effect by the end of 2014. Now I am writing to say, oh by the way, we also need to start thinking about 2015, if not NOW, at least very shortly.

So let’s talk a little about planning for 2015. Strategic Planning can eliminate stress and surprises by setting clearly defined goals for your company and/or community and communicating them to your employees. It can ignite creativity with your staff and stoke efforts for positive changes.

It’s beneficial to create a sound plan so you can allocate your resources, both financial and human, to accomplish your main goals. Strategic Planning can provide a guidepost to measure progress and indicate where changes need to be made. With everyone on the same organized page, you can expect to see goals accomplished, greater productivity, and a happier workforce.

Here are a couple things you will need to keep in mind while getting ready to start your Strategic Planning process.

  • You will need to perform a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats). There is a lot of documentation out there on this process. Remember the Strengths and Weakness are internal and the Opportunities and Threats are external. I think this is such a great opportunity for every company to really see who they are and where they are at today. You have to know where you are in order to find the most appropriate path to where you want to be.
  • Involve your team. This should be a combination of those from your management team, positive and creative individuals within your company, and leaders in the workforce. Start early enough to where you can poll all employees with a problem solution proposition. It’s important to find out what road blocks front line employees are encountering in providing excellent customer service. It’s important to get employee buy-in to changes that need to be made.
  • Strategic planning is not a onetime event. Have a few shorter meetings rather than trying to cram everything into a onetime event. This will help reduce interruptions and also give those involved time to really think about the items in play and how best to proceed.
  • Start early. Give yourself and your team time. I know there are some of you that already have this on the calendar for December 31st at 3pm. While I applaud you for your forward thinking, you may want to build in a little more of a time cushion. Give your team time to prepare, send out some general topics for them to start reflecting on.
  • No interruptions. This is another good reason why scheduling a few shorter sessions is better than one long one. Make sure phones are off and subordinates are aware that there are to be no interruptions except for true emergencies. I will go out on a limb here and say that NO, a change in tee time, while disturbing, should not be considered as a true emergency. To help combat normal business interruptions it is recommended holding these meetings at an off-site location
  • Don’t let this turn into a gripe session. This is most important for the functionality of the time committed but also the attitude the group takes on going forward. This is not the time to talk about the water cooler that is warm or replacing a worn out printer. Those are normal maintenance issues that already have a channel for resolution. While we have to talk about what we want to change and why, focus on positive. What can we accomplish? What are our solution options?
  • Cost of solutions/changes. We must take into account the cost of changes or solutions to issues. It is important to have someone with knowledge of your company’s actual budget on the strategic planning team. Are making the changes realistic? Can you find the money to do it? While you may have to push the budget envelop in order to get real changes made, it is always better to be able to plan within your budget parameters. This also gets back to starting early. If you do have some costly items to address, it gives you and your team time to incorporate them into the 2015 budget.
  • Work with a knowledgeable facilitator. It’s always good to have someone from the outside present in these meetings. It’s an even bigger benefit to have a facilitator that is familiar with the industry as well as strategic planning. A good facilitator will help keep the meetings moving and productive, keep the group on task, and provide insight into the process where necessary, and be the impartial voice of reason where cooler heads prevail if/when discussions get heated.
  • Make the process fun! I know this can be difficult, but it is important to get everyone to rally behind the fact change will be good. This should be a light air of collaboration. Even though there may be some hierarchical challenges in the room, it’s imperative to rid this process of intimidation if you want the best ideas and eventual buy-in.
  • Buy-in at the top. You can’t fake this. Well you can, but it’s very easy to spot someone going through the motions that is not completely sold on the process or its results. Give your staff credit, they are smart enough to know the difference and they don’t even have to be on the same campus as you. Believe me when I tell you, it will show through many, many miles away.

I know it may seem crazy to start thinking about 2015 while we’re still in the Dog Days of Summer, but it will be here before you know it. School will be starting soon and then we will be into the Holiday Season before we know it. Give some thought as to who in your organization would be a positive influence on this process. What are some things you would like to see changed? More importantly, what are some things your prospects, customers, clients, resident, vendors, staff, and partners want to see changed? If you don’t know what these are, now would be a great time to conduct surveys or focus groups to find out.

Don’t wait much longer to get the process of Strategic Planning for 2015 underway! Give me a call and let’s put MDS’ 40+ years of experience to work for you and your team mapping out a great plan for 2015!