Since Congress passed the National Women’s History Act in 1988, women have been celebrated for their achievements and milestones each March. Encouraging and commemorating the role of women is vital for shaping the next generation of female contributors and leaders. This couldn’t be more important than in the senior living sector. As leaders and caregivers caring for older adults, it is important to acknowledge the contributions made by women and to nurture, uphold, and support them so they can continue to do their best work and make an impact within communities.
A top concern in the senior living industry is recruitment and retention of staff. Creating an environment where women are supported and encouraged can attract employees to an organization and help grow talent within it. Continuity of staff and leadership is vital for business operations and the care of residents within a community.
Drawing inspiration from industry thought leaders, such as those featured in the Argentum Women in Leadership Speaker Series, becomes instrumental in this endeavor. Mentorship programs and book clubs are two potent tools for fostering growth, providing networking opportunities, and building camaraderie among women employees. Furthermore, embracing the simple yet profound practice of expressing gratitude through thank-you notes can reinforce a culture of appreciation and personal recognition. By implementing these strategies, senior living communities not only spotlight and advocate for the essential roles played by women but also set a precedent for a supportive workplace culture that values and nurtures every member’s contributions.
Strategy 1: Make use of a mentor
At its core, mentorship in the workplace is a collaborative relationship between an experienced employee, the mentor, and a less experienced one, the mentee. The primary purpose of mentorship is to help grow the mentee by guiding, advising, training, and developing their skills and professional knowledge. In Argentum’s recent Women in Leadership Speaker Series webinar, Doris Ellie Sullivan, president of Retirement Unlimited, shared that workplace mentorship is a beneficial way to share knowledge, gain insight, and learn information from disciplines outside of your core skill set.
Mentorship benefits both participants, plus the organization. Mentors can play an active role in sharing knowledge and best practices across the organization and can benefit by building deeper connections and learning about and engaging staff across generations. Mentees can feel more engaged thereby improving the retention of key contributors. Mentorship deepens the leadership bench strength, enables employees to take ownership of their development, and delivers cost-effective and scalable programs without constraining the Human Resources department.
Starting a mentorship can even be as simple as two people asking or offering to participate in a mentorship. When seeking a mentor to bounce ideas from and seek input on situations, Dana Mercaldi, Chief Marketing Officer of Mainstay Senior Living recommends finding a mentor whom you can trust and respect.
Serving as a mentor can be an enriching experience and a method to strengthen leadership skills. To ensure mentorship is productive and effective, a mentor can support their mentee by understanding their strengths, stories, and values, and then nurturing and building on them. Mentorship often tackles the realities of what is required to be a successful leader. By listening and offering constructive feedback and advice when they face a challenge or failure, the mentor can build confidence, inspire, and grow skills and leadership abilities.
Being prepared for mentor-mentee conversations is vital for a successful mentorship. Mentees should ask good questions, share struggles encountered, and request feedback with the intent of being open-minded and growth-oriented. Listening attentively, being mindful of a mentor’s time, and showing gratitude for their time and wisdom imparted are important aspects of nurturing a relationship.
Workplace mentorship is fundamentally a two-way opportunity for growth. Traci Taylor-Roberts, president of Sodalis Senior Living, values mentorships and says, “You can learn and grow from each other.”
Strategy 2: Start a professional book club
Lore Brownson, JD, BSN, CHC, Chief Clinical and Compliance Officer for New Perspective Senior Living, believes in investing in people through books and many agree. Not only is a professional book club a way to support women in the workplace, but it can also help staff learn new ideas, upskill their knowledge base, and demonstrate a knowledge or belief system that the organization believes in. It’s also a great way to bring employees closer together, create engagement, and foster teamwork and healthy relationships. Discussing books also allows people to share their personal stories and ideas that can benefit the organizational culture and help align your employees around a common business strategy. It’s also a great way for people to socialize on a common topic or value which can increase a sense of happiness and well-being.
Starting a book club does not have to be complicated. Identify a book club host who can lead a lively discussion that is cordial and not too rigid. Look to someone on the leadership team to host the initial discussion and model the desired behavior of a host. The host is responsible for bringing discussion questions to the table, frequently provided by the author and found in the back of the book or online.
Next, select a book. In honor of National Women’s History Month, a suggestion is to select a book that features women such as “When Women Lead” by Julia Boorstin. Boorstin reviews the leadership approach of over 60 women who defy leadership odds by running innovative and successful companies.
Another method is to select a book that aligns with the organization’s business goals or an initiative such as the human resource department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. For example, as DE&I initiatives grew in prevalence in senior living, one organization offered staff the option to participate in a book discussion on Layla Saad’s novel, “Me and White Supremacy” to learn about racial stereotypes and allyship to impact the staff, organization, and industry positively.
Brownson suggests books that feature culture and servant leadership and specifically cites books by author Stephen Covey. Malcolm Gladwell is another popular author for workplace book discussions and is recommended by Doris-Ellie Sullivan, president of Retirement Unlimited. She says, “We pick a leadership book every year. We do book reports and talk about it chapter by chapter.” Sullivan also recommends “Good to Great” by Jim Collins and “Hardwiring Excellence: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, Making a Difference” by Quint Studer. Over time, you may ask employees for book suggestions and vote on them via Slack or Google Forms.
Finally, once the host and book have been selected, schedule the book discussion and send a meeting invitation to the intended discussion group so books can be ordered, or for remote individuals, reimbursed.
Strategy 3: Write notes of encouragement and appreciation
Writing a note of encouragement or appreciation is a simple yet impactful way to celebrate and encourage female colleagues. Expressing gratitude to an employee in writing can increase their sense of responsibility, engagement, productivity, and loyalty.
To be effective, simply recognize a recent contribution to a project, express general appreciation such as an individual’s positive attitude or participation in brainstorming or share that you believe in and value them. Words of encouragement or even sharing a quote that resonates with the situation is touching for the recipient.
During National Women’s History Month, determine actions that can be incorporated into your personal and organization’s regular practice to celebrate and encourage women. Whether implementing mentorship, a book club, or notes of encouragement and appreciation – or all of the above, they can strengthen the organization through recognition and support of women in the workplace. It’s advantageous for the organization, but more importantly, as Brownson said, “It’s the right thing to do is to support individuals for success.”
For further insight from women in senior living, tune into Argentum’s Women in Leadership Speaker Series Webinars, which showcase female industry leaders who share their career progression, effective leadership practices, and the lessons they have learned along the way. Also, look for upcoming information about the Women in Leadership Mentor Match 2024 – 2025 program designed to encourage personal and career growth through a series of guided quality discussions with other senior living professional women.
Argentum’s Development Program Assistant Director Meredith Bonyun notes, “Mentorship is a gift that offers a transformative experience for participants personally and professionally. The Mentor Match Program provides women with a rich opportunity to make lifelong connections that will make a difference. We are proud of the program’s success to date – and the broadening of the mentor/mentee community is helping further Women in Leadership across the senior living industry.”
For more information about all of the Argentum Women in Leadership initiatives, visit the Argentum Women in Leadership website page. Additionally, join the Argentum Women in Leadership LinkedIn group to get updates all year long.
