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CHAPTER 11
FUTURE PULL Understanding the Culture in Culture Change by LaVrene Norton
sign, and development—and for all daily functions. Residents and staff together as team members rely on each for support and monitor one another’s progress and conflicts. With resources (rather than directions) received from above, team members shape their own environment. As they see the results of the work they themselves create from concept to completion, their satisfaction and commitment to the vision grow. Re- lationships develop across the organization, attitudes change, and new habits replace the old ways.
It all begins with a vibrant, small group that works toward a common purpose and shares leadership. Acti- vate this initial team at the beginning. Invite your exist- ing power base (executive team or department heads) to participate in a shared leadership style with a broad range of informal leaders—professionals, frontline staff, residents, family—as members. While working through their own growth and learning, this team will guide the early processes. They will replicate their new team style by commissioning action teams to tackle the various steps identified during the organizational as- sessment that led to the vision.
To avoid sending mixed messages, we at Action Pact call them “selfled” rather than “self-directed” teams, as they are more commonly known in the broader trans- formational literature. The purpose of transformation in long-term care is to enable residents to direct their own lives, ideally within households or at least neigh- borhoods. We aim for “ ” in all things. The team does not direct the residents’ lives but leads itself, growing in its capacity to accomplish its mission of providing resident-directed care. Consider designing a strategic change event to introduce the fledgling vision and engage the hearts and minds of stakeholders (staff, residents, families, volunteers, and board). Strategic change events are appropriate for different purposes. When held early in the transformation, the event can intrigue everyone and stimulate new ways of thinking that contribute to shaping the future. This culture ex- perience will result in a deep shift in direction, helping the entire organization turn on a dime. No matter the timing, structure the event to encourage the commu- nity to dramatically and swiftly shift the energy from resigned acceptance of the institutional model to en- thusiastic synchrony in creating a real home for resi- dents. The nuts and bolts of a strategic change event
are presented in the section that follows as well as in Box 12.2.
Box 12.2 Nuts and Bolts of a Strategic Change Event
• Use a self-led team to plan this event.
• Invite everyone to the event. If this event is occurring during the assessment phase or shortly after, invite all internal stakeholders (board, staff, residents, their fami- lies, volunteers). If held later in the process, include all of the former but also add state regulators, state legislators, ombudsmen, news reporters, TV stations, elder care or- ganizations including your competition, older adults in the community, residents and their families, neighbors to your property, affiliated churches and organizations, and interested community members.
• Inspire people (perhaps with an outside speaker) by talk- ing about the homelessness of institutional life and our need as human beings for the sanctuary of home.
• Provide financial resources to the team to encourage creativity.
• Share the story of your organization’s journey thus far, including the architectural plans and images of other households.
• Engage everyone in talking about the future and sharing ideas and personal visions. Take note of all contributions and ideas.
RENEW: HIGH INVOLVEMENT
Put everybody in the company to work to ac- complish the transformation. The transforma- tion is everybody’s job. (Deming, 1986, p. 24)
So now you agree with the vision and understand the need to create and follow a new path, a new struc- ture to get there. The question now is, “What do I need in order to accomplish this?” The answer: “I need to re- new my original personal commitment to the mission of caring for older adults (or the population we serve) in a way that will keep me on the path to the vision.”
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