During the 2023 LeadingAge Leadership Summit, keynote speaker Michael Bush talked about how the rapidly shifting aging services environment requires smart, dynamic leadership styles to create effective, positive work environments. Immediately following the keynote, four LeadingAge members took the stage for a panel discussion on what it means to have trust, empowerment, empathy, and compassion at the organizational level.
Jenna Kellerman, LeadingAge director of workforce strategy and development, joined Robyn I. Stone, senior vice president of research and co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, in leading the panel and attendees through questions applying Bush’s research on leadership practices to the realities of working day-to-day in aging services.
Each panelist noted the importance of their manager really knowing them as an individual. Kenya Jeanlouis, director of clinical operations at Ingleside, said her supervisor is understanding about her need to recharge and ensures she gets time away from her demanding role after intense periods. This echoed Bush’s point that successful leaders respect the challenges of finding work-life balance and the propensity for burnout in demanding occupations—especially as overtime and open shifts continue to plague the aging services sector. LeadingAge resources on Leadership Rounding can help members build relationships of trust in their own organizations, as Jeanlouis experiences in hers.
The need for career advancement was another key takeaway from Bush’s keynote. Meghan Curtis, social worker and director of care management at Edenwald, told her story of advancement, which began when her supervisor suggested she grow into an administrator role. Curtis wasn’t interested in that path, but her supervisor was able to tap Curtis’ skills and interests by creating a director of care management role that benefited residents and best leveraged her strengths. It is important for all staff members to understand their next professional move or goal and for their leaders to know their individual strengths and interests to effectively support their goals.
Comfort Boateng, care partner trainer at Goodwin House, noted that every staff member in her organization has an individual development plan that is periodically reviewed to ensure each person has a clear pathway to advancement. Boateng shared that this plan helps her know that Goodwin House supports her career, values her expertise, and knows her as an individual–and is key in retaining her as a valued staff member. Members can use the Individual Development Plan template created by LeadingAge in their own organizations.
Throughout the panel discussion, the facilitators frequently turned to the “5th panelist,” which was the audience, in order to get the perspective of leaders attending the Leadership Summit. Audience members noted important practices such as ways to engage frontline staff in decision-making, completing goal-setting exercises, and simply meeting with staff over a cup of tea to talk casually and get to know one another.
As the discussion wrapped, panelists shared one final piece of advice with the audience: leaders need to get out of the office and spend time on the floor.
Shannon Cunningham, staffing coordinator at Linn Health & Rehabilitation, compared a previous role where she didn’t even know the names of the administrator or director of nursing to her current role, where the leaders are consistently on the floor, making rounds, authentically connecting with staff, noting that they have a strong practice of Leadership Rounding that is incredibly effective. Not only does Cunningham know the leaders at her organization, but the leaders know her.
Through this dynamic session with panelists and attendees, discussion leaders pointed to valuable LeadingAge resources on-the-spot that would support member efforts in addressing important workforce and leadership issues:
This discussion clearly illustrated the personal impact leaders can have when they slow down, get to know the individuals on their teams, and prioritize the health, wellbeing, and professional growth of caregivers.
LeadingAge extends a sincere thank you to the esteemed panelists who joined this discussion. It was an honor to learn from such talented caregiving professionals. Thank you to Shannon Cunningham, staffing coordinator at Linn Health & Rehabilitation; Meghan Curtis, social worker and director of care management at Edenwald; Kenya Jeanlouis, director of clinical operations at Ingleside; and Comfort Boateng, care partner trainer at Goodwin House.
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