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146 In Pursuit of the Sunbeam: A Practical Guide to Transformation from Institution to Household
“Operative values
are based on values
of the organization, and through careful extrapolation, actually define the behaviors needed and expected.”
boundaries previously established at the onset. As the household team matures, they can evolve to fully participate in budget preparation and management.
A Household Coordinator recalls the evolution of the household budget: “The first year I was given a budget for “mad money” and provided the amount of hours we were to schedule during a pay period. In the second year, we were involved in staffing hours and learned how to manage the labor budget payroll to payroll. By the third year, we helped develop the revenue and expense budget for the house and negotiated it with management.”
Culture Develops Through Behaviors and Competencies
An integrated and household based human resources system is necessary to strengthen the organizational culture and sustain the deep and systemic change.
Basic values and competencies are utilized throughout the organization in all of its decisions; and throughout the work life of the employee – from the inquiry about a job to exiting at a later date. Operative values are based on values of the organization, and through careful extrapolation, actually define the behaviors needed and expected.
Start by figuring out what’s needed in the household to create the opportunities for all aspects of daily life – good clinical care, emotionally satisfying and physically nurturing foods and mealtimes, pleasurable activities and pursuits, meaningful and enjoyable relationships – in other words, good living every day.
Then begin to identify the knowledge and skills that are needed to put all of that together, and from that, the actual behaviors and attitudes that staff need to exhibit. These groupings of knowledge, skills, behaviors and attitudes are called “competencies.” And so ask, “What are the competencies needed to maintain a functioning, healthy household where good life can happen?”
Once this is thought through (in highly involved teams of staff and residents), define each competency minutely by what can be measured and seen. Everyone in the organization comes to know these competencies. Individuals and teams work to grow in these competencies.
We use the term “integrated human resource system” to clarify that competencies will be defined and articulated and then utilized in all