Page 5 - Newsletter May 20172

Healthy Relationships enhance great

Customer Service

By: Bev Wood, Director of Client Care

QUOTE OF I am a strong advocate that we give to others from the well we have been
THE DAY drinking from. What does that mean? If we have felt loved or know how to
“Truly powerful people are cultivate love we then have an overflow that can extend love. If we feel re-
not concerned about their jected or hurt, while our heart is healing we might leak bitterness or anger.

power, but being in A great Proverb
a position of being able to “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
empower.”
- Nadja Swarovski I believe relationships are at the core of everything we do, and healthy relation-
ships will create exceptional customer service.

Every one of us is building more than one relationship every day. It might be with a spouse, child, sibling, boss, co-worker, client,
school teacher, or neighbor. A company consists of many relationships, and embodies the dynamics of the people within that organi-
zation. Combine the collective health of each employee, and it reveals the wellness of an organization.
Iowa Home Care has a Wellness Program & gym to help focus on weight and exercise for our bodies. That indicates the importance
Iowa Home Care places upon health. I would like to suggest, as the Director of Client Care, that our relationships are just as vital to
our health as exercise is. Taking time for ourself and building vibrant relationships are key to our success throughout our day & entire
life.

Most of us have heard the expression, don’t bring your personal issues into your work. The reality is we are human, and our personal
relationships impact our professional ones, and our professional ones impact our personal ones. But, there is even another dynamic in
home care. We are in the homes of many clients daily. We are in a home setting, yet we are to remain professional, and not to cross
professional boundaries by sharing too much information. We are there to serve our clients in their homes, not to burden them with
additional stress by sharing struggles in our own lives. That is easier said than done when you are in a
home setting, and a client might kindly ask, “how are you?” I think we can agree that is not an easy task. I
have found a good way for me to answer that is, “Thank you for being so kind to ask. Life certainly has it
ups/downs, but I am doing fine. I am here to serve you today.” That allows me to acknowledge they were
kind enough to ask, not lie if I had a challenging day, and redirect it back to our client. If that challenge isn’t
hard enough we also run the risk of carrying the stress from one client into the next clients home. There-
fore, how we deal with relationships and stress is a daily encounter for each home care worker. It is vital we
take time to replenish ourselves.
The four building blocks I have identified throughout my life critical in all relationships are:
Love, Trust, Honor and Respect. Our clients and coworkers will trust easier if we remain honest. Honesty with kindness will
often yield respect. We show honor to one another as we place value on who they are. We give respect by listening when others speak.
We can’t love others if we haven’t first received love ourselves. Respect is earned by being consistent. It can not be demanded.
I believe love, trust, honor and respect are foundational blocks for all relationships to thrive. I believe they are critical building blocks
and that as we continually cultivate them can sustain us throughout the most hectic days. But only if we intentionally acknowledge
them and display them in our realms of influence. A tree is a good analogy. A tree that has luscious green leaves or plump fruit is a
She can be reached at:
tree that has a strong root system, receiving plenty of water, sunshine, and pruned when necessary. A tree that is firmly planted is not
easily moved. When we tend to the roots in our own lives we can reflect the warmth of the beautiful sunshine to others.

Let’s take time to cultivate Love in our own hearts!