As part of our Service from the Heart initiatives here at Grace Court, the staff and I took a long hard look at how we were approaching those residents that may not be our biggest fans. It is not easy to face the fact that not everyone either likes you or thinks you do a good job. It can be hurtful and that hurt sometimes makes us avoid the person or the situations that may arise surrounding that person. We decided that those people that we may not have the most fuzzy relationship with we would engage in "heart to heart " conversations. The staff would meet first to discuss how you would approach the situation and those with good relationships with the resident would offer insight that may help break the ice. If a staff member felt the least bit uncomfortable or unsure we would start the visit off with a hand written note thanking them for their suggestions or something positive they may have done and asking if the staff person could meet with them in their apartment at their convenience sometime in the future.
From personal experience I want to say that facing your detractors is not easy.
Having said that , we did it and it has made a difference. I won't say that we have turned all the situations around or even made friends from detractors, but we do have a large pitcher of lemonade now made from those lemon life moments.
Lesson learned : Not everyone will like you or think you are doing a good job but, you can make them feel that you care about them as a person and this helps.
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Paula,
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! I'm impressed. What an excellent exercise. And yes - you are right. It's not easy to face that you're not everyone's cup of tea - this I know from experience as well. However, what you and your team have demonstrated is that we ALL have a CHOICE in how we treat others regardless of how they feel about us personally. An excellent lesson for all of us!
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