Vitalia Rockside Strives to Empower Their Team Members

As leaders, we hold the power to inspire, uplift, and bring out the best in our team members. By fostering an environment of empowerment, we can unlock their potential, drive organizational success, and ultimately enhance the lives of the older adults we serve. As the Executive Director of Vitalia Rockside, I want to explore what empowerment means to me, its impact on the workload, and the strategies I use to empower my team members, as well as the current threats to the senior living industry and how empowerment can be a catalyst for overcoming these challenges.

Empowerment, to me, means giving my team the power, guidance, and confidence they need to be successful in their career or personal lives. When my team has the confidence and empowerment to do their jobs successfully, the community runs extremely well. This can be seen through customer service, staff retention, and overall moral of the entire community.

Guidance, coaching, and allowing the employees to learn and grow are the best tools for their success. Employees want to learn and continue to develop in their careers and not stay in the same position. It is our job as leaders to give our employees opportunities to continue to learn, and it’s our responsibility to guide them as needed.

I believe the biggest threat to the senior living industry, now, does not come from within, but has more to with the economy, inflation, retirement, and an unsure financial future. I believe older adults still need all the same things they did pre-COVID, such as socialization, education, entertainment, and an overall better quality of life.