How Shall I Remember Ruth

Participation in numerous musical events through the years has been a source of real delight and inspiration for me; however, I do know that there are most likely many more musical opportunities that are now behind me rather than in front in me. Recently, I got to thinking about the last time my dear friend Ruth sang in public.

Ruth was in her nineties living at a skilled nursing facility (community). The facility (community) happened to be having their annual talent show. The Life Enrichment Team had encouraged Ruth to enter the talent show - despite Ruth’s reluctance. I remember her second guessing whether she should have signed up or not - but then her time on the program was announced.

This very small, frail gingerly lady went to the piano and slowly and softly sang and played the song: “I Love You Lord.” IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!

After the talent show, Ruth and I shared a piano bench. I would play a song and we would sing it together - then it was her turn to pick a song for us to sing. “Could we sing I Love You Lord?” So we sang “I Love You Lord” together. Then we’d sing another song and then it was her turn again. “Have we sung I Love You Lord?” So we sang it again. This went on and on and on as Ruth repeatedly requested that we sing together “I Love You Lord.”

I remember the last time I saw Ruth - walking past Ruth’s room - looking in too just say hi - and seeing this very precious, small, frail wonderful woman curled up in her bed - sound asleep - probably singing “I Love You Lord” as she slept. Because of her acceptance of the message of Easter, soon she was home with Jesus. I’m nearly certain what her first words might have been when she first met our Lord face to face.

WHAT A GREAT FINISH!!!

During this season of resolutions, have you considered what you would like your finish line to look like?

Happy New Year from Lessons Learned Solutions.

How Shall I Remember Ina? A Christmas Story

The leadership team was singing carols all throughout the campus. The next stop was the dining facility for folks who needed lots of assistance with daily living. Many of them suffered from varying degrees of memory loss.

Sitting in the back of the room was Ina, the wife of a Pastor who had died quite a few years earlier.

She was a terrific Pastor’s wife. She came along side her husband every way she could. It was obvious she had sought to live out her faith on a 24/7 basis.

Each time I would see Ina, she would ask my name. I would tell her - only to again have her ask my name a few moments later.

It was no different just prior to the caroling. We had our usual conversation which again resulted in repeating my name to her several times. It was really challenging to have any type of “regular” conversation with Ina.

And then we started to sing the carols. As we sang, it was evident to everyone in the room that Ina knew the words to every single carol being sung. The singing of one particular carol really stands out in my mind. As we sang, Ina put her head back, her face lit up into a beautiful glow and she sang with all the gusto she could possibly muster.

We sang the first verse and I signaled to the one leading carols to sing all the verses. Once again, Ina knew every word. For a moment, one could clearly picture the Ina that walked along side her husband as a wonderful and committed Pastor’s wife. I can still close my eyes – just like it was yesterday – and see her singing. Her singing that day of the third verse of “Away in a Manger” will always be part of my unforgettable stories and memories.

“Be near me Lord Jesus

I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever

And love me I pray.

Bless all the dear children

In thy tender care.

And take us to heaven

To live with Thee there.”

It was not many months after Ina’s wonderful singing that evening that this beautiful child of God experienced first-hand the meaning of “Away in a Manger.”

Merry Christmas from Lessons Learned Solutions

Behind Every Number is a Story - A KPI Turns Conflict into Peace

“Nursing costs are way too high. Something must be done. Staffing is out of control.”

“My staffing is fine. I’m not over spending. I’m tired of being constantly asked to cut staffing.”

These polar opposite conversations occurred in separate meetings with the Executive Director and with the Director of Nursing within a twenty four hour time frame.

The Executive Director of the Hospital gave clear orders to me as the (brand new) budget manager to follow up with the Director of Nursing and get this issue resolved.

Looking at budget to actual line items, nursing salary expenses were over budget.

“Before you talk to me about staffing costs over budget, would you be willing to listen to how we staff the floors?”

For the next few minutes, I learned from an incredible Director of Nursing how nursing staffing was tied to census and how actual scheduling was determined on a daily and weekly basis.

“What if we monitor on a timely basis nursing staffing hours per patient day?”

After doing this calculation, I realized the Director of Nursing was actually ahead of her budget.

It wasn’t long before it was decided that actual to budget results would be monitored on a timely basis using an agreed upon hours per patient day key performance indicator. When the Executive Director would call with a concern about nursing being over budget, the hours per patient day key performance indicator was readily available. Usually staffing costs were no longer viewed as an issue. If staffing was above the agreed upon KPI, it was quickly dealt with and corrected.

• The interpretation and utilization of the same set of facts can either contribute to a peaceful working environment or to an environment loaded down with unnecessary conflict.
• Significant conflict is inevitable in the absence of agreed upon measures of operational performance.
• Financial statements should confirm what is already known rather than provoking tensions and conflicts due to totally unexpected and unplanned for surprises.
• It is essential to take the time to learn the story behind the number.

Do you have agreed upon key performance indicators that are built into your organizational DNA?

Are there conflicts and tensions that could be reduced and/or eliminated through the timely tracking of a handful of key performance indicators?

How Shall I Remember Henry

One of the great joys of work related travel to Washington D.C. was to take time whenever possible to visit The Mall. I would experience every kind of emotion imaginable when seeing the various Memorials whether gazing up at Abraham Lincoln or weeping at The Viet Nam Wall.

One day on a walk to The Mall, I came upon a quiet little memorial, not publicized so much in the tourist paraphernalia. The Memorial honors Japanese American veterans who had served and fought in the 100th Infantry Battalion in Europe during World War II including an honor wall which lists the names of Japanese Americans killed in action during the war. Immediately I knew I needed to have a visit with Henry – one of our residents.

Henry not only knew about this infantry battalion, he had served with this battalion during the latter half of World War II. He immediately wanted to show me some pictures. The pictures were not at all what I expected.

His family, along with over 120,000 Japanese Americans, lost their freedoms and were confined to ten major internment camps located in the Western United States at the very same time Henry was fighting for his country in Europe. It literally broke my heart to see those pictures and hear the experiences of his family living at one of those camps. Some Japanese Americans remained in relocation centers until March of 1946.

There were lots of reasons to be afraid in America during World War II - especially after Pearl Harbor. Fear was running wild with rumors of potential direct Japanese attacks on the West Coast in abundance. However; when healthy fear becomes irrational and reckless, innocent people get hurt.

Today, fear can often be running wild in life within family, health, job relationships or whatever a person may be facing.

Healthy fear (i.e. wearing a seat belt) respects the danger but unbridled, irrational fear should never be condoned, applauded or encouraged.

I had wonderful times with my friend Henry. He was not a bitter or fearful man. He held no grudges. He did not live with resentment. He lived and demonstrated a life of gratitude and gratefulness to have served his country and to have the privilege of living In the United States of America.

As you take a moment to reflect upon Henry’s story, are there areas within your own personal or professional life where you may need to deal with fear running wild?

Good Job

Everything changed the moment Doug walked into the adult day care center where my wife volunteered. He had worked in management until his late fifties, when he suffered a stroke. Now he could no longer work.

Within two weeks of Doug’s arrival, the entire working environment (although it had always been a good place to work) had changed dramatically for the better. Clients and team members could not wait for Doug’s arrival each day.

Intrigued by the good reports, I paid a visit. Within a minute of my wife’s introducing me to Doug, Doug pointed at her and said, “Good job.” This didn’t only happen to her! It seemed like everyone’s encounter with Doug included these two wonderful words of encouragement – “Good job.”

A member of the team asked Doug: “Have you always been this encouraging to people?”

He responded immediately. “What happened heath wise to me shouldn’t change who I am.”

The highlight for me was the day my wife invited me to hear Elvis Presley sing at the adult day care center. Right after Elvis finished his first song, Doug walked up to him (in front of everyone) and said, “Good job.”

Doug’s interactions with Elvis made the popular singer so excited he stayed longer than originally planned. I heard Elvis songs that day he had seldom performed in public; but with such encouragement and support from Doug, the Elvis impersonator kept right on singing.

The adult day care center soon wove the phrase “Good job” into its DNA. Team members, clients, family members, and other visitors frequently used the phrase – all inspired by Doug’s example.

What an unbelievable difference a person can make through the generous use of two encouraging words. Even today, I can picture Doug standing in front of me to say those two unforgettable words – “Good job.”

Are there team members and other folks around you that could use a pat on the back or some encouragement? In particular, the front lines of those serving others often go day after day unnoticed and without recognition or encouragement. Just a couple of words spoken from the heart may just brighten someone else’s day and improve the overall environment more than one could ever imagine.

I Can Only Hear You

I had not played in a band since my sophomore year of high school. It was with “fear and trepidation” and with a lot of encouragement from a good friend of mine who was playing in the band that I decided to show up for practice.

The conductor of the College of Lake County Concert Band welcomed me. I felt part of the band from the first moment I arrived. I was laser focused on trying to hit the right notes. Everything seemed to be going well.

At the end of that first practice, the conductor asked to see me. I was thinking that this was terrific – just one night back and he wants to speak with me individually. But the first words out of his mouth caught me totally off guard.

“Ric – you’re playing too loud. I can only hear you. Please listen to your fellow trumpet and cornet players and to those around you and to the rest of the band.”

This experience immediately reminded me of how easy it is for leaders to dominate a community or whatever environment they happen to be in with their views, their ideas and their thoughts. Even though the leader may have the best of intentions, the actual result often is that other voices have no chance of being heard.

But a wise leader knows the value of listening to others – especially those who are being served or those who are serving on the “front lines.

A wise leader models listening to others rather than endlessly “pontificating” one’s own views and opinions in whatever setting they happen to be.

A wise leader knows that it takes a team representing a variety of disciplines and skill sets to serve an elder in a way that honors and respects them and that much can be learned by listening to other members of the team.

I rapidly learned that practices were focused on band members working together and listening and complementing each other. There would be times for a section of the band or a particular instrument to come to the forefront but always in a way that complemented the rest of the band. And he never had to tell me again that I was playing too loud.

Is it time to turn down the volume and focus on actively listening to what is happening all around you?

Lessons Learned from a CFO’s First Day

His name was James P Drevets and he was the first Chief Financial Officer of Covenant Retirement Communities and my predecessor, mentor, colleague, and trusted friend.

I was the first employee of a central office established by Covenant leadership to serve a loose confederation of retirement communities around the country. I had been splitting my time at Swedish Covenant Hospital serving as the hospital’s budget manager and running point on accounting and other services provided by the hospital’s finance department for the retirement communities.

At that point in time, there were no formal national policies and procedures. There was no national system for processing financial statements or evaluating results. There was no cash management system. There were no computers. There was no overall budget preparation process and review. The list could go on and on but you get the picture.

I’ll never forget the day I heard that a Chief Financial Officer had been hired. He had been working in the steel industry and was coming from a company that was going through bankruptcy. I had no idea how much he knew about senior living and my overall knowledge of this sector (although rapidly growing) still had a long ways to go. How do you prepare for the new CFO’s first day when there was so much to do and so many items needing attention even after months of central office forward movement that felt like “baby steps?” I was convinced there would be numerous finance-related questions that I simply would not be able to answer.

I’ll never forget the first time we met. Jim had two questions for me.

“What is the mission statement of Covenant Retirement Communities?”

The opening question caught me totally off guard. We were in crisis mode seeking to pay bills and to figure out where we had been, where we were at and where we were headed. We were seeking to put reasonable structures, systems, policies, practices, and procedures in place. The idea of a mission statement – to be perfectly honest – had never entered my mind. We had no mission statement.

I didn’t do any better with question number two.

“How many residents do we serve?” I had no idea.

A mission statement known and lived out and focused on not only knowing the number of residents served but making a real 24/7 difference in the lives of people was soon integrally woven into the DNA of Covenant Retirement Communities.

Is your mission statement alive and breathing and actively making a difference in the lives of elders served each and every day?

How Shall I Remember Harry

All of a sudden, I heard my son spontaneously singing Happy Birthday to a resident who was attending a reception with high school students (including my son) who had just presented a musical program at this wonderful senior living community.

His name was Harry and someone had informed my son that Harry had a birthday that very day.  So my son spontaneously sang Happy Birthday to Harry.  At that very moment, Harry became one of my son’s adopted Grandparents.

Harry was a senior adult orphan.  His wife had passed away a few years earlier.  If he had family, nobody knew who they were and thought perhaps there may be a shirt tail relative or two living in a distant state.  But for all practical purposes, residents and team members (and now my son) were Harry’s family.

As with every elder amongst us, there is a special story.  And Harry’s story was very, very special.

He was one of a handful of G I s who were featured on the cover of Look magazine when U.S. forces invaded North Africa during World War II.    He was on the staff of General Dwight David Eisenhower and knew the General personally and was in regular contact with him.

At that time, I happened to be reading a biography about Ike but if I really wanted to know about Eisenhower all I needed to do was ask Harry.

One day, Harry walked into my office.  “We have a problem” - he emphatically said as he started the conversation.  His opening statement really stunned and surprised me.  I thought I had a great relationship with Harry and I certainly was not aware of any issues and concerns. 

“What is the problem Harry?”  “I want to adopt your son.” Replied Harry.

It was a couple of years later from our meeting in my office and Harry had put together his Life Bio.  On one particular page, he described the day his life totally changed around because of his adopted son.

We are often looking for big and bold ways to make a difference in the lives of others.  For Harry and my son, it all began with the unplanned spontaneous singing of Happy Birthday. 

Let’s keep our eyes open for those moments each day when the seemingly small events of life crescendo up into a magnificent symphony that is greater than anything we could have ever imagine or dream.

Leadership 101 - What’s Wrong with this Picture?

The candles keep coming back. Our friend took an even deeper breath and once again attempted to blow out the candles on his birthday cake. But to no avail. Within moments, all candles were burning brightly in front of him. Yet another effort produced the same result.

How many times must the same path be traveled until it is recognized that perhaps things just aren’t working as illustrated by the following examples?

* Vendor contracts that are not reviewed timely and thoroughly prior to the time of renewal frequently result in higher than expected costs.

* A lack of attention to receivable management resulting in regular and significant write offs.

* The generation of monthly financial reports well after month-end that provide “autopsy” information after the “cow is out of the barn.”

* A mindset that wonders whether a non-profit can make a profit.

* A lack of focus on determining and tracking key performance indicators on a timely basis.

* A heavy reliance upon contributions and investment income to shore up losses from operations.

* A heavy reliance upon a steady and consistent housing market to generate sales of re-occupancy entrance fees for the payment of high percentage refunds offered by many Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

Operational issues illustrated by the above examples can often keep resurfacing resulting in a crisis mode mind set and manner of operations. But rather than continuing to “hit one’s head against the wall” and expecting a different result – there are times to step back and to seek to look at an issue with fresh eyes and a different perspective.

My wife had provided the candles for the birthday cake. She strongly stated that she unintentionally selected a group of trick candles that could not be blown out. If our friend would have continued to take deep breaths while attempting to blow out the candles, he would have had no hope of being successful and his efforts would have been futile.

Perhaps you are facing a recurring and repetitive issue where it is time to step back and determine whether a change in mindset and behavior should occur. Perhaps it could be as simple as using real candles!!!

How Shall I Remember Ruth

Participation in numerous musical events through the years has been a source of real delight and inspiration for me; however, I do know that there are most likely many more musical opportunities that are now behind me rather than in front in me. Recently, I got to thinking about the last time my dear friend Ruth sang in public.

Ruth was in her nineties living at a skilled nursing facility (community). The facility (community) happened to be having their annual talent show. The Life Enrichment Team had encouraged Ruth to enter the talent show - despite Ruth’s reluctance. I remember her second guessing whether she should have signed up or not - but then her time on the program was announced.

This very small, frail gingerly lady went to the piano and slowly and softly sang and played the song: “I Love You Lord.” IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!

After the talent show, Ruth and I shared a piano bench. I would play a song and we would sing it together - then it was her turn to pick a song for us to sing. “Could we sing I Love You Lord?” So we sang “I Love You Lord” together. Then we’d sing another song and then it was her turn again. “Have we sung I Love You Lord?” So we sang it again. This went on and on and on as Ruth repeatedly requested that we sing together “I Love You Lord.”

I remember the last time I saw Ruth - walking past Ruth’s room - looking in too just say hi - and seeing this very precious, small, frail wonderful woman curled up in her bed - sound asleep - probably singing “I Love You Lord” as she slept. Because of her acceptance of the message of Easter, soon she was home with Jesus. I’m nearly certain what her first words might have been when she first met our Lord face to face.

WHAT A GREAT FINISH!!!