Question

Part B: In her early attempts at building community, Vitale Aussem tried to involve residents in her decision making by asking for input on a problem she was facing. She would gather their thoughts, make the decision, and report back to them. While this may be a good first step, Vitale Aussem realized that it wasn’t enough. Input is not the same as influence. Having influence is having the power to make your own decisions. Vitale Aussem admits to having been so stuck in her service provider mentality that she had to fight the urge to own every problem. One day, however, the need to change became crystal clear. Here’s the scenario…. Imagine what you would do.

As director of a senior living residence you begin hearing a lot of complaints about the fairly large population of dogs living at the residence. When one of the residents come to you to complain about her neighbor’s barking dog, you tell the resident that you will handle the problem. You invite the offending dog’s owner to come to your office to talk about the issue. The dog owner walks in, head hanging, and says she feels like she has been called to the principal’s office. You suddenly realize that in your community (as in most communities), your residents have been relegated to a subservient/submissive position relative to the often much younger director who runs the community.

1. How would you handle a complaint voiced by one or more of your residents? How could you promote the residents taking ownership of the problem and have influence over actions to be taken?

Answer 1

#. To make them independent and be responsible I will ask them to sort the problem them selves . If any help required will be available anytime but try to sort problems yourselves.

#. Ways to encourage residents taking ownership of the problem :-

Share Your Vision.

Involve Employees in Goal Setting and Planning Activities.

Explain the Why. Don’t just tell someone what to do without making absolutely certain they also understand why that task needs to be completed and why you’ve selected that individual for the job.

Let Them Choose the How. Whenever possible, let your employees decide how to achieve the task you’ve assigned. Agree upon what constitutes a successful outcome.

Delegate Authority, Not Just Work.

Trust Them Before You Have To. Eventually, you’ll have to trust them, but sometimes it’s worth the risk to trust them before that point to make a decision or step into a role that pushed them to the limit.

Encourage Them to Solve Their Own Problems. Listen to their problems but don’t bark out the answer. Instead, ask probing questions that will lead them to determine the right answer. When they get it, compliment them and tell them they they don’t need to ask you about similar situations; that you have faith in them to figure it out. Don’t abandon them, but prove that you trust their judgment.

Hold Them Accountable.

Provide Constructive Feedback. Regardless of the results, let them know how they’re doing, and give them the coaching they need to improve.