LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUTSIDE SENIOR LIVING
and creatively to solve problems. Vi, for instance, has two distinct businesses—the hospitality, independent living side and the senior living care operations. The businesses have diff erent recruitment, acquisition, and employee development strategies, among other components, she said. “It’s important to be aware of the im- portance of change management and to be thoughtful in your execution,” Whitcomb said.
Whitcomb said the diversity of jobs and
responsibilities she had before in her previ- ous jobs helped prepare her for the myriad issues she faces in senior living. Similarly, Goldberg said the opportunity he had as CEO provided him with a trial by fi re that has blessed him with the confi dence and business knowledge to take on senior living’s unique characteristics. “I was so lucky to have that and to be
trusted and empowered at a young age in a complicated and sophisticated multi-layered business,” Goldberg said. Whitcomb said organizations too often
focus on why not to do something, often preventing themselves from taking neces- sary steps forward in progress as a result. Whitcomb said she learned in previous industries the importance of “challeng- ing the norm.” However, she prefers to make that challenge carefully. She said one of her favorite phrases is “Don’t boil the ocean”—in other words, rather than attempting massive, sweeping tasks, she favors an incremental, gradual approach to change. “Small experiments can work really
well,” Whitcomb said. “You can make a big impact if you spread smaller impacts over time.” During his career climb, Richardson said
he learned the importance of shining “a bright light” on ineffi ciencies and dysfunc- tion and rallying his team around fi xing the problem. “It’s about saying, ‘This is not us. Does
everyone agree that this is not the caliber that we want to be operating at? So, let’s figure out how to make things better,’” Richardson said. “We take these on one by one and over time you’ve got a much improved organization.”
Leadership during a crisis Whitcomb said her time at United particu- larly prepared her for how to lead during a crisis. At United, challenges ranged from fi nancial trouble to the terrorist attacks of September 11 during Whitcomb’s tenure. In the aftermath of 9/11, Whitcomb saw colleagues pull together and support each other while struggling with the emotions of the tragedy and the many people who suff ered great loss. “Your ability to stay calm, stay focused,
and stay committed to who you are while working to understand the situation and how to solve it is so important,” Whitcomb said. Whitcomb said Vi experienced a stiff test
in 2017 with Hurricane Irma. Vi had mul- tiple communities impacted by the storm, including a community in Naples, Fla. that suff ered severe damage. Vi evacuated 1,600 residents from aff ected communities, but Whitcomb said she was proud of Vi’s response companywide to the challenge. Team members collaborated to contribute to the recovery, and she was pleased with the respectful way the company treated employees and residents. Whitcomb said the challenges she faced
at United had a lasting infl uence “How you respond in a crisis with your
customers and your employees is a test of your culture,” Whitcomb said. “It’s about those moments when you have a crisis and see how people come together.”
The outsider’s perspective As senior living confronts a new set of industry-wide challenges, Dollenberg said looking to outside industries for talent and insight is a natural step to take. “I think this is an industry that's going
to need more people that come from the outside,” Dollenberg said. “With the war for talent today and the challenges we’re facing in staffi ng, I think there's going to be a real need for more people that come from outside the industry at all levels—from the frontline all the way up to executive teams.” For those transitioning to senior living
from outside industries, the pressure to adapt and excel can be challenging at the outset. Success and acceptance are not givens. “You can't go into any executive role and
expect to earn people's respect just by being in the role,” Whitcomb said. “You have to earn it. You have to prove yourself.” Still, a common refrain from those execu-
tives who came to senior living from outside fi elds is how rewarding they have found the industry. “There’s a social benefi t to it and I feel a
sense of purpose working in senior living,” Richardson said. “When I started at the company and started to learn more about it and met the people and residents involved, I fell in love with the business very quickly. It’s a people business, and it’s very personal. It’s not transactional—it’s about relationships. Getting involved in senior living has been a real gift for me.”
“There’s a social benefi t to it and I feel a sense of purpose working in senior living,” Richardson said. “When I started at the company and started to learn more about it and met the people and residents involved, I fell in love with the business very quickly. It’s a people business, and it’s very personal. It’s not transactional— it’s about relationships. Getting involved in senior living has been a real gift for me.”
12 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2019
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