Lennie Boop, CDAL Senior Executive Director Brookdale Senior Living
Anne DeMinico, CDAL Executive Director Benchmark
Margie Longstreth, CDAL Executive Director Five Star Senior Living
Katherine Taylor, CDAL Executive Director Affi nity Living Group
Get Away from Your Desk The most consistent time management advice from the executive directors may at fi rst seem counter- intuitive—get away from your desk. They suggest
walking around the building or community as a way to stay in touch with staff , address issues on the spot, and reinforce relationships with residents. Lennie Boop, CDAL, senior executive director at Brook-
dale’s Grayson View community, is a big believer in getting out of the offi ce and “walks the building” daily. “That interaction with residents and staff is so important, even though it sets me back in my own work sometimes,” said Boop. “It helps me gain the trust and support of my staff , and that helps me run the building.” Katherine Taylor, CDAL, executive director at Affi ni-
ty Living Group's The Gardens of Rose Hill community, agrees. “I’m a walking and talking kind of manager. I think the people that I see that are successful all do it,” said Taylor. “[Walking around the community] helps me stay on top of things. It takes time, but it creates relationships.” Consciously or not, these executive directors practice a
management technique called “management by walking around,” which was popularized by management consul- tants and corporate leaders in the 1980s. The technique encourages random “wandering,” with expected benefi ts to morale, productivity, and quality, since problems can be identifi ed and discussed when and where they occur. Leaving your offi ce to connect with others in the com-
munity has business benefi ts but getting away from your desk or computer has psychological benefi ts, too.
Margie Longstreth, CDAL, executive director at Five
Star Premier Residences of Hollywood, a Five Star Se- nior Living community, relies on short breaks to help her manage her stress, and her time. “I fi nd that if I take a quick walk through the community, it helps me restore my energy and clears my head. It also keeps me ground- ed with the residents and gives me a ‘happy’ jolt. We’re all in this business for the residents, so I try to make sure I stay connected to why I’m doing this in the fi rst place,” said Longstreth. She fi nds these short, energizing breaks help her to be more productive when she gets back to her desk. Anne DeMinico, CDAL, executive director of Bench-
mark’s The Village at Willow Crossings community, has daily team meetings to stay connected with important top- ics, but also realizes that “stress management strategies are so important. Your whole day can be shot if you allow yourself to get [emotionally] caught up [in an issue].”
Keep Your Priorities Straight Another common theme among these executive directors includes an ability to stay organized and focused on the most important work when deciding
how to spend their time and energy. Whether they used binders, Post-it® notes, planners,
or notebooks, these executive directors fi nd physical tools most helpful in keeping them organized. With a solid or- ganizational system in place, they fi nd it easier to focus on their priorities. DeMinico sets priorities through a strategic planning
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