SPOTLIGHT: THE HEART OF SENIOR LIVING
Using Storytelling Can Help A Caring Culture Resonate
By Sara Wildberger T
ell me a story. It’s one of our earliest requests, and it never gets old. Storytelling is also a natural ad-
dition to senior living, where book clubs, writing groups, memoirists, and sharing tales with friends abound. Memory care of- ten uses storytelling activities as well, either with words or visually. Stories can even cause the brain to release
oxytocin, the chemical that motivates empa- thy, trust, and caring, according to neurosci- ence research by Paul Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies. And stories are no less effective in a busi-
ness setting, Zak says, in Harvard Business Review: “They provide guidance for daily decision-making as well as the motivation that comes with the conviction that the or- ganization’s work must go on.” This and similar research led a team from
Watermark Retirement Communities built off this research to make storytelling an inte- gral part of its hiring and retention. Water- mark calls it its Ripples associate engagement program, which launched this year.
The Ripples story Tammy Farris, MBA, is director of strategic innovation at Watermark, based in Tucson, Ariz. She tells the story of how the company developed the Ripples program: Watermark was growing fast. And everyone wanted its unique culture to grow along with it. To do this, the company looked first at
using a top-down training model similar to those used in high-end hospitality com- panies. But within about six months, “it morphed into something much different,” Farris says. The company wanted associates to em-
brace the idea that their actions extend well beyond themselves; their actions ripple.
“Why don’t we build a framework that al- lows them to express and create meaningful action?” the team asked. That framework was story. Rewarding
and celebrating good stories would be the catalyst to creating more meaningful interactions, which would then turn into stories—a renewable cycle of engagement.
Culture from the first contact Watermark changed its approaches to re- cruiting, interviewing, and onboarding to support the Ripples goal of creating culture one story at a time. “We want to attract nat- ural ripple makers and storytellers from the beginning,” Farris says. Recruitment ads tout “waking up each day
wanting to make a difference” and “making every interaction matter.” Interviewers might ask a jobseeker to describe how they made a difference in someone’s life.
38 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 Before onboarding, new associates are
introduced to a cultural commitment policy where creating a positive impact is a basic expectation. There are reminders throughout that
ripples don’t have to be big gestures or on- going initiatives to matter. Really listening to residents with full attention, getting a chilly family visitor a blanket, or playing a shared favorite song qualify. “It’s not about creating a program or event,” Farris says. “It’s about one-on-one connection: One associate looking straight into the eyes of one resident, thinking of something that would really delight that resident, and then making it happen.”
Stories every day Once associates are on staff, the culture of storytelling continues. Associates can start a meeting with a story, post one to a slideshow
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