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LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Over the years of working with senior care providers, I have learned a tremendous amount
from many wonderful executive directors. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years ago, I was
visiting an upscale CCRC. The executive director was a distinguished gentleman named Ron, who
had previously been a general in the Air Force. Ron was giving me and some others a tour of his
beautiful community. As we were walking down a long corridor, we came to an intersection. Ron said,
“Excuse me,”walked about 30 feet down the hallway on our left, picked up a gum wrapper and stuck it
in his pocket. He walked back to join us and, without missing a beat, muttered, “I learned when I ran a
base, if you don’t do it your men won’t do it.” Great life lesson there.
In my many years of working with providers, I have observed
that there are several crucial steps that an executive director can
take to enhance the likelihood of success at their community. These
top five tips focus on practical rather than legal advice for executive
directors. Of course, the two are inextricably interrelated. While
even the best run RCFEs occasionally run into problems, there is
no question that communities with a strong, effective executive
director typically have fewer legal and regulatory problems.
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR STAFF
Southwest Airlines is the only airline in the U.S. to consistently turn a profit. The company’s mantra is that
employees come first—even before customers. Southwest’s philosophy is if employees are happy, customers
will be happy. This approach has direct applicability to assisted living communities. There are many ways in
which an executive director can maintain high morale (in addition to getting out of the office and picking up
gum wrappers). I recently visited a community in which the executive director holds regular office hours solely
for front line staff. Any non-manager staff member can come in and discuss whatever he or she wishes with the
executive director. This sends a message to staff that they are important—that the closed door meeting is not
just for reprimands.
In many cases, a simple compliment or thank you from the executive director is all that is needed to improve
morale. I recall attending an early ALFA (now Argentum) conference in which the keynote speaker claimed that
the number one thing that employees desire is a thank you from the boss, yet a majority of employees claimed
that they rarely if ever received a thank you.
for Executive
Directors
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By Joel Goldman, Hanson Bridgett LLP
C A L I F O N I A A S S I S T E D L I V I N G A S S O C I A T I O N
