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188 In Pursuit of the Sunbeam: A Practical Guide to Transformation from Institution to Household
“Invite your architects to reside for at least twenty- four hours in your current facility. The experience will sharpen their vision.”
“You must not overly involve the daily operating staff to the point of
taking your eyes off the ball. We are building the future, but not at the expense of today.”
You should look for a design team who:
• is responsive to your needs.
• listens carefully.
• understands your organization or at least asks the right questions.
• makes you feel comfortable and with whom you have a chemistry.
Invite Your Architect to Stay the Night
Invite your architects to reside for at least twenty-four hours in your current facility. If you have semi-private rooms, pair them with roommates they are meeting for the first time. Set extra trays for them in the dining room so they can eat with all the residents. If possible, fit them into the schedule to receive a bath in your tub or shower room. The experience will sharpen their vision.
Identify and Be Clear About Goals for Change
Without a clear reason for change, design decisions will seem arbitrary to organizational stakeholders. If everyone shares a similar vision for improvements, it is easier to determine what changes should have priority over others. Use the Essential Elements (Chapter Four) and Anatomy of a Household and Household Design Principles (earlier in this chapter) to help establish goals and guide change. Engaging users in the very beginning of a design project will spur all stakeholders to take ownership and may also reveal problems that need addressing. This is a great way to get everyone on board and may uncover areas of reluctance to change.
However, you must not overly involve the daily operating staff to the point of taking your eyes off the ball. We are building the future, but not at the expense of today. The staff must know what is going on and help design the new household, but their primary responsibility is to continue providing high quality service amidst the whirlwind of development. Not only do you want to avoid quality of service issues during development, you also want to avoid census decline. Otherwise, your financial feasibility also will decline and jeopardize completing the project. Developing new buildings is vastly different than maintaining daily operations. Both must simultaneously be done well. Finding balance is not easy, but essential.