One of the first lessons you learn as a leader in business is determining whether an investment is worthwhile. If you intend to spend time, energy, and finances on something, it should have a high return and low risk. Most importantly, it should align with your mission and values. Both are vital to providing quality long-term care, where culture, capabilities, and cost are all factors you must consider as you figure out what services to outsource and which ones you already have the resources to provide. Look at what you’re doing, if it works, and why.
Outsourcing your food service management is a big decision, but one that’s necessary to keep up with the changing lifestyle of today’s seniors. The upcoming generation of older adults is more culinary savvy than in the past, so good food and an equally pleasant dining atmosphere rank higher on their priority list than the generations before them. But just like you’re looking to align your community’s culture with this new generation of potential residents, you also need to ensure the companies you’re outsourcing align with yours. So why is alignment so beneficial when selecting a dining services partner?
What Are the Benefits of Alignment?
When outsourcing, the first thing you often have to consider is budget. But what happens when the cost of hiring someone to help with your dining program is more than financial? Finding someone that aligns with your company culture helps to alleviate the stress of wasting the time and money that comes with switching vendors multiple times until you find the right fit. On top of that, here are three more benefits alignment brings.
It helps hone your organizational strategy.
An organizational strategy is a structured reasoning system that guides your community’s objectives, providing a solid decision-making framework. Like any policy or procedure, you and your leadership team should regularly review the organizational strategy. Ask yourself if it aligns with your current goals and accurately reflects your mission statement. Performing this analysis allows you to see whether your current dining services partner is still a good fit, or if you’re looking to outsource for the first time, how well a new partner aligns with your community.
It helps you achieve your goals.
When searching for a dining services management partner, you want one that brings a new flair to your culinary options and enhances the ones you already offer – which is where the benefits of alignment come in. If you’re on the same page with the new partner about your mission and culture, it’s much easier to accomplish your goals, like boosting nutritional intake, encouraging residents to become more involved, and providing better quality meals.
It helps you retain staff.
Employees are more likely to work at a job longer if they feel a sense of belonging and know their work is valued. Alignment helps with this because it places employee involvement and satisfaction in the hands of all departments, not just HR. Bringing in a dining services partner that aligns with your community’s values makes their jobs easier and not more complicated or frustrating.
How Can I Tell Whether a Dining Services Partner Aligns with My Community Culture?
It’s obvious the benefits of alignment are great, but determining whether a dining services partner aligns with your community culture can be a separate challenge of its own. How do you know when a dining services partner is right for you? What signs do you need to look for when searching for a partner?
At Culinary Services Group, we want to make that search as easy as possible. We follow the five dimensions of culture fit, which are metrics that determine success and compatibility between businesses. Our Guiding Principles are based on these, so you know exactly what you’re getting on a daily basis with us as a dining services partner. Here’s a breakdown of how we approach collaborations and company culture.
- Trust is essential to a strong business relationship and develops through a commitment to providing quality service. For us, earning your trust involves mutual respect between your staff and ours. We also believe in recognizing and honestly communicating all the strengths that everyone brings to the table.
- Communication helps to facilitate a more transparent, honest, and open workplace. Not only does this help employees feel valued, but it also allows for a free discussion of what’s working and what’s not – promoting a constant analysis of culture fit.
- Focus helps us stay on task, remembering the common goal of prioritizing residents’ nutritional health and overall well-being. With knowledge, collaboration, and determination, your residents will love the new changes at mealtime. An example of how we facilitate this is by distributing information, both helpful criticism and positive stories, among staff.
- Innovation makes partnering with an organization that aligns with your mission and values exciting. With all the fresh ideas flowing into your community from our resident dietitians, regulatory experts, and creative chefs, we embrace the bigger picture behind what we do and look ahead to creating a better future for your long-term care residents. These new ideas also fuel happier, healthier residents, which is our goal.
- Team Orientation, however, is what brings together our views on alignment. Our version of teamwork involves supporting, affirming, and respecting everyone on the team in all aspects of their work. Since everyone on the team contributes to the mission’s success, team orientation is central to our mission.
Does your senior living community prioritize any of these values? If so, contact us to learn how we can help you offer person-centered dining that supports your mission and maintains the amazing culture your residents and staff know and love.
