Leadership Innovation: Going from Crisis to Creative Success
Leadership in senior living during a crisis such as the COVID pandemic has taken on new meaning. The insights and stories of visionary leaders can empower others to new heights.
There are many great, inspirational leaders in our industry. They share many common traits, including:
They’re extremely knowledgeable about caring for seniors, including how to maximize their wellbeing and quality of life.
They’re passionate about service. Their tireless dedication to their residents, their employees, their vendors and partners, their towns and cities, and others is enduring.
They understand sound financial management, and they know every dollar sign and decimal point in their budgets, statements, and projections.
They are excellent listeners who know their residents, families, staff, and others. When they ask someone, “How are you?”, they truly want to hear the answer.
They build and maintain great cultures that promote transparency, teamwork, authenticity, and engagement.
They make good decisions, but they never rest on their laurels. They follow their instincts and are guided by strong values and ethics. Supporting their teams is second nature, and they are able to make quick decisions under pressure and on the fly. Yet, they always aim higher and seek opportunities to do better.
Their profession is more than a job. They wake up and go to work with purpose, passion, and mission every day.
Kristin Kutac Ward, CEO of Solutions Advisors Group & Solvere Living
“The great leaders I’ve met in senior living have been truly inspiring. I’ve learned much from them,” says Greg Hunteman, AIA, President of Pi Architects. “During the COVID-19 crisis, senior living leaders have demonstrated courage, innovation, flexibility, and resilience. They jumped into action at the start and haven’t rested since.”
Kristin Kutac Ward, CEO of Solutions Advisors Group and Solvere Living, is one such leader—with more than 25 years of management experience in senior living. She tapped into consumers’ feelings, needs, and concerns early on. For instance, she says, “Generally, people aren’t turning away from senior living but they are asking more questions. We have been engaging with them, listening to their concerns, and highlighting the positive components of senior living, especially during these challenging times. We have implemented several tactics from a social standpoint to get in front of their objections. These include wellness efforts and other initiatives that demonstrate what we do to support and engage residents.”
Flexibility and resilience are key, Kristin suggests, and it is important to be prepared to pivot and adjust as necessary. For instance, to keep everyone safe and address concerns about virus spread, she says, “We use comfortable spaces outside to meet with families and conduct tours. At the same time, we have conducted some initial sales meetings outside.”
“Speed, resiliency, and stamina are all fundamental components of managing change, as well as being cognizant of the impact it has on teams and morale. It can be invigorating and exhausting at the same time.” - Kristin Kutac Ward
An intent listener, Kristin says, “We have heard and seen that people want more access to outdoor spaces, and we’ve suggested adding more amenities such as porches and balconies to communities to our development partners.” She says, “Innovations such as landscape art will be critical moving forward, as well as the creative use of niche spaces. We want to inspire people to be as independent as possible. We want to consider safety and risk mitigation, but we also need to enable the best possible quality of life.” For instance, adding screens, higher railings, and plants can help balance safety and utility of balconies and enable residents to safely enjoy these as a way to socialize and connect.
Kristin marvels at the innovation she sees in others. For example, she says, “We have one community where a son came to see his dad on his birthday. He couldn’t visit him, so he rigged up a pulley mechanism to send a pizza and birthday cake up to his father on the third floor on the balcony.”
Of course, programming and amenities – even during a national pandemic – aren’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. “In a perfect world, you would offer everything,” says Kristin. However, in the real world, “It’s critical to know your potential residents and adapt spaces to their needs. The designation of spaces is market specific.” For instance, she referred to a community in Texas that features a working farm with horses and other animals. While this is very popular in that market, it’s not appropriate or feasible for urban areas and residents. However, she stresses, “Even in urban markets, outdoor spaces are important, and you have to make the best use of the precious space you have.”
“Bringing the outdoors indoors is one popular option….To have a greenhouse for gardening indoors is huge.”
Bringing the outdoors indoors is one popular option, and Kristin says, “To have a greenhouse for gardening indoors is huge. This is one of the most highly utilized amenities I’ve seen.”
Greg offers, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Kristin and her team on a new community we are developing based on whole person wellness principles. Her visionary leadership is helping these concepts to become reality.”
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