Getting Off This Crazy Ride in One Piece!
I had a conversation last year with the Executive Director of a Senior Living Continuum about his loss of four R.N.’s all at once. He told me that the hospitals were paying substantially more to nurses than was affordable for most long-term care facilities. As we conversed further, he began pondering two very insightful questions that I thought were essential to keeping or losing staff: What would happen if we developed better relationships with each of our staff members? And would staff give more thought to leaving if we fostered a relationship-focused environment?
The research tells us that, "Low job satisfaction and high staff turnover prevail throughout the nursing home industry, driving costs up and quality down… Turnover rates for clinical care in nursing homes range from 55-75% with CNAs (Certified Nurse Assistants) having turnover rates which in some cases are nearly 100%…"¹ The financial impact of replacing one employee is up to 150% of their annual salary or wage. Research also points to respectful treatment of all employees and trust between employees and senior management as two of the most important contributors to job satisfaction.²
During many of my in-facility trainings, I have heard from staff that leadership doesn’t know them as individuals, doesn’t care for them nor do they comprehend the stress and anxiety of the work. When their health and personal lives are affected, many staff feel that leadership is disinterested about the impact on their well-being. I have seen this frustration and resentment grow like a virus inside of facilities, impairing the quality and productivity of staff’s work and ultimately, the care that residents receive. At its best, people will quietly leave and find other work. With an unemployment rate of 3.7% coupled with an increase in the minimum wage, there are plenty of jobs available that require less physical and emotional exertion than is demanded in long term care. At it’s worse, the result of an angry and neglected staff is compromised care, a lack of teamwork and a hostile work environment.
Staff who work in relationship-centered organizations tell me that when they leave the facility for better pay, they return because the feeling of being valued and appreciated is more important to them than making a few more dollars.
It can be a struggle to figure out how to shift an organization to a more relationship-centered focus. The idea of "relationships" in the workplace can be fraught with many challenges. Lines may become blurred as leaders engage more with team members. Without transparency and authenticity around roles and responsibilities, behavior and associated actions that require discussion or disciplinary action can become more difficult. It may be uncomfortable to engage staff on a personal level. Many times, leaders are taught to have an arms-length relationship with employees. The discomfort of connecting more personally can put a quick end to any sort of good intention.
Developing relationships takes time. In our fast-paced, immediate gratification world, it is counter-intuitive to wait, to build positive rapport and considerate interactions, but these are components of lasting and meaningful relationships. Our desire to have quick results can hamper our ability to form authentic connections.
Meaningful associations require clear communication, consistent commitment, the patience to actively listen over a-period-of-time and an empathetic framework that cultivates trust and respect.
So, if you have considered the pitfalls and have decided that you are ready to foster a relationship-focused environment, here are some strategies to consider:
- Start slow. It will take time to foster relationship building and trust.
- Be uncomfortable. Practice putting yourself in situations that bring on discomfort so that you can be uncomfortable more comfortably.
- Be interested. Staff have much to say and your curiosity about their lives and their work will earn respect.
- Take action. Demonstrate that you hear what staff are telling you and find collaborative ways to answer concerns and problem solve.
- Be sincere. Let staff know that their ideas and concerns are appreciated and why a problem, event or circumstance may or may not be resolved in a way that is meaningful to them.
- Set boundaries. Discuss the opportunities and the obstacles openly and honestly.
- Notice the little things; commend and appreciate all the effort that staff put into their daily work.
If you choose to initiate this approach, you will find yourself on a path that ultimately may change the very nature of your organizational culture. It will attract and retain the very best team that admires your ingenuity, authenticity and creativity.
¹Healthstream. "The Turnover Challenge in Skilled Nursing Facilities." http://www.healthstream.com, Healthstream, 11 Sept. 2017, www.healthstream.com.
² Society for Human Resource Management. "2017 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: The Doors of Opportunity Are Open." www.shrm.org, Society or Human Resource Management, 24 Apr. 2017, http://www.shrm.org.