The Boulevard Senior Living – St. Charles Strives to Empower Their Team Members

As leaders, we hold the power to inspire, uplift, and bring out the best in our team members. By fostering an environment of empowerment, we can unlock their potential, drive organizational success, and ultimately enhance the lives of the older adults we serve. As the Executive Director of The Boulevard Senior Living – St. Charles, I want to explore what empowerment means to me, its impact on the workload, and the strategies I use to empower my team members, as well as the current threats to the senior living industry and how empowerment can be a catalyst for overcoming these challenges.

Empowerment as a leader, to me, means my team members feel comfortable enough in their tasks to control their behavior in the workplace. I also spend a large time encouraging the staff to reach beyond their typical “job duties.” We talk a lot about initiative and critical thinking, which are qualities we look for when promoting from within. With empowered employees, my workload becomes less. I have employees who demonstrate initiative and are solution minded, come to me with a concern, solutions, and many times they have already corrected the situation. It is a beautiful thing!

Having a genuine interest in your employees and nudging them towards their personal goals is very rewarding. One example is our newly promoted server to driver. When I first met Jordan, he was working in the culinary department. He mentioned an interest in going to Rankin to study HVAC. When the driver position became available, a plant operations position, we encouraged him to apply. He is thriving as the driver, but also gets to learn about the very important preventative maintenance around the community.

I feel the greatest threat to senior living is the staffing crisis. We discuss with staff how to “make senior living fun.” How do we get the younger generations to consider aging services as a career choice. Many of the staff have younger children or ideas on how to spice things up in our community. One way in which Arrow does a great job is through social media.

Learning to delegate has been a struggle for me as a leader; however, by empowering employees it builds confidence. One example is when I was out on bereavement after my dad passed away and there was a State reportable issue at the community. I could not physically be there but was pleasantly surprised how the staff handled the situation in my absence.

In conclusion, as a leader, empowering your team members is not just a noble goal; it is a strategic imperative. By fostering an environment of trust, autonomy, and continuous growth, you unlock the full potential of your team, reduce your own workload, and enhance the well-being of the aging adults you serve. Empowerment becomes a powerful tool to navigate the challenges faced by the senior living industry, fostering resilience, innovation, and sustainable solutions. So, let’s embrace the transformative power of empowerment and lead our teams toward a brighter future.