The "Message from George" blog features association news and highlights from the field of aging services.
Blogger: George Linial, President & CEO
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Posted By George Linial,
Thursday, April 9, 2015
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Our nation is currently in the midst of Careers in Aging Week. In celebration of this annual event, Texas State University held a panel about job and career opportunities in aging services at which I was asked to speak. The good news is that the room was too small – there were about 50 students who showed up wondering about career opportunities in the aging services field. The students expressed genuine interest in the field and asked lots of questions about how to start working with seniors.
I hope many of these students, and other dedicated and inquisitive individuals like them, decide to work in our field. But their journey won’t stop there. Once they start working, these individuals will need guidance and nurturing along the way. We don’t develop leaders by accident – we have to be intentional. Providing educational opportunities, mentoring, stretching people’s comfort zones, giving staff a wide array of experiences, cross-training, in-service workshops, staff retreats, and setting high expectations are just some of the ways you are building your staff acumen.
LeadingAge Texas is currently offering opportunities for you to cultivate the potential of your community’s best and brightest:
- Leadership Institute: This program provides your rising stars and veteran staff with a tremendous opportunity for leadership development and professional growth. Ask any of the LeadingAge Alumni from the first six classes and they can tell you how it has improved their leadership skills, enlightened their perspective on the field, broadened their professional network, and sharpened their management skills. Everyone who has graduated from the program has enhanced their leadership abilites.
- Scholarships: Urge your staff to apply for a scholarship to attend the upcoming Annual Meeting & Trade Show! These scholarships are meant for individuals who ordinarily wouldn’t come to the conference or are first time attendees. Next month’s conference offers boundless opportunities for attendees to experience education, networking, and discovering new possibilities - be sure your staff doesn’t miss out!
Don’t miss out on these opportunities to nurture your staff!
Thank you for dedicating your career to aging services. Tell us how you’re celebrating Careers in Aging Week on our Facebook page!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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Posted By George Linial,
Thursday, January 29, 2015
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Having just attended our very successful Public Policy Workshop and Capitol Day (my seventh!), I am always so grateful of the level of volunteer service our members exhibit. LeadingAge Texas members visited with nearly 80 legislative offices at the Capitol this week. In a field that is so intertwined with government regulation and funding, this is a very important function that your colleagues undertook and we should all be thankful for their efforts.
I was also pleased that we had almost 30 nursing students attend our Public Policy Workshop on Sunday. In a field that so desperately needs qualified and dedicated people to serve, exposing students to the issues surrounding the field was a valuable teaching moment.
Chris Traylor, Deputy Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, told the group that developing relationships with legislative offices is critical now and sets the stage for future legislative sessions. Nearly 40 percent of legislators are in their first or second term - an astounding number of people who are not well educated on the issues facing senior living and long-term care. Most do not know how much our field relies on government for funding and regulation.
We can only achieve our goals if we stick together and come forward as one group – linked with a common vision of improving care and housing for elder Texans.
So I join the rest of the membership in applauding those who took time out of their busy schedules to come down to the Capitol, meet with legislators and their staff, and tell their story in order to humanize the policies that will be discussed in the coming weeks.
This, like all legislative sessions, will be challenging. Please refer to our legislative agenda to see all the things for which we are advocating. I urge all of you to become involved particularly, over the next few months:
Your colleagues will be grateful for your volunteerism!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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Posted By George Linial,
Thursday, January 8, 2015
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Each January people set goals for themselves - commonly known as resolutions. While many resolutions end up being dropped, folks often make progress on others. Although most resolutions focus on personal issues, let me suggest some potential professional and organizational options in addition to the personal resolutions for the coming year:
Volunteer
Volunteerism provides great opportunities for professional growth. Whether you connect with your church, a local service organization, your professional association or another group, volunteerism gives you a chance to practice your leadership skills and other management skills, all while contributing to your community or association.
Staff Development
We are in a field that relies heavily on staff, and if staff is our most necessary resource, then investing in staff makes good business sense! Most organizations spend less than 1% of their budget on staff education. Numerous organizations, including LeadingAge Texas, offer a variety of professional development opportunities along with scholarship options for those who have tight budgets.
Network
Plan to network more with your colleagues in Texas and nationally. As you know, most ideas for improving your organization and your work don’t just come spontaneously – they are a result of exchanges between you and your fellow professionals. Be on the lookout for more information about our upcoming spring network meetings and our annual conference, both great options to meet with your peers.
Collaborate
Look for opportunities to collaborate. This is a new age and partnering with others often leads to market advantage and cost savings.
Benchmark
Participate in surveys. Increasingly, aging services organizations are becoming more data-driven. Filling out surveys, while tedious, can give you great benchmarking data to improve your operations. This data is going to be used in the future for payment enhancements, so get used to benchmarking – it is here to stay!
Advocate
Increase your advocacy efforts. Advocacy matters much in our field - we are heavily regulated and rely on government for much of our funding. There are dramatic changes taking place in the aging services field and only by advocating for policies that are beneficial to us and our consumers, can we expect better results. Contact Alyse Meyer, our Director of Public Policy, for more information about how you can become involved in our advocacy efforts, including becoming a Key Contact for your community.
Register today for our upcoming Public Policy Workshop & Capitol Day on January 25-26!
Staff Recognition
Value your staff. We all know that an excellent staff makes all the difference in our field. So if staff is one of your organization’s greatest assets, then act accordingly.
Spend time and resources to develop their skills, acknowledge their talents through awards (plan to nominate them for the 2016 LeadingAge Texas Award Program) and
other recognitions. Most of all, simply find ways to show appreciation for the work they do.
Lead
Take steps to be a better leader. One of the best ways to develop leadership skills is
to volunteer (see #1) for leadership positions (your association provides great opportunities for that.) Chairing a committee or being a project lead gives you valuable leadership experience that will translate into other aspects of your career. Needless to say, being well-informed on the issues affecting your organization is necessary to lead in today’s times.
Register today for our upcoming annual Leadership Conference: "Energizing your Personal and Professional Presence” in February!
Be Informed
As has been stated often, we are in an age of dramatic and rapid change. We need to stay on top of issues and trends if we want to survive, let alone thrive in the future. Read the newsletter, attend educational programs, attend networking meetings, and call your colleagues to discuss how they are dealing with change.
Be Healthy
Maintaining your health and the health of your staff is important so you can be effective in your work. Find ways to get grounded and stay balanced with vacation, quiet time, outside interests, exercise, and a healthy diet.
This list is by no means complete. Help me add to it by leaving a comment below - I would be very interested in hearing some of your professional resolutions for 2015.
Wishing you a prosperous and healthy 2015!!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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Posted By George Linial,
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Updated: Thursday, December 4, 2014
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Dear LeadingAge Texas Members and Friends:
The Holidays are upon us and it's hard to believe we are approaching the end of another year. While this season brings many end-of-the-year business deadlines, it also provides the time for giving thanks for our residents, families, friends, employees, and customers. As I travel and see many of you, I am always impressed by the level of dedication that permeates throughout our member communities. With a lot of change happening in the field in terms of government regulation and payment structures, customer and employee expectations, and overall pace of change in our country and world, it is clear that what separates you from many others is that you are in it for the long haul. Not only have many of you dedicated a good portion of your lives to the field of aging services, but your organizations have been steadfast in their missions for several decades (if not longer!). Steadfast doesn’t mean staid however, as organizations constantly need to reinvent and reinvigorate themselves. I see many LeadingAge Texas communities doing just that – not only through bricks and mortar, but through continuous improvements in quality, customer service, governance, and training. It is gratifying to see that the association is strong and is helping members deal with the multiple challenges you face each and every day. Our advocacy program has made great strides in the interim, meeting with numerous legislators and staff all while working on the statewide transition to managed care. We are getting primed for the upcoming legislative session armed with issues and solutions for our members. Value First continues to provide cost savings to our members through group purchasing. More products and services were added this year and Texas leads the country in sales volume. Education programs remain strong. Our Leadership Institute is currently on its sixth class and is making a difference in training current and future leaders in our field. The Annual Meeting and Trade Show was very successful this year with a sold out exhibit hall and an increase in member attendance. Our leadership conference held annually in February also drew large crowds and great reviews. The Awards program continues to recognize great volunteers, staff, and programs throughout the state while our art show drew record participants and showed that art has no age boundaries. Network meetings provide a great opportunity to socialize and learn from colleagues in your geographic region and peer groups do the same for your given specialties. As you make your resolutions for the New Year, I hope that you staying connected with LeadingAge Texas and your fellow members. If your schedule doesn't allow you to attend a Network meeting in your area, please consider joining us in January for Capitol Day, in February for our annual Leadership Conference, and of course in May, at our 56th Annual Meeting & Trade Show in Austin. There are numerous other education programs, committee meetings, peer groups, and more that give you the opportunity to connect with your fellow members, learn, and improve your organizations. At LeadingAge Texas, we are dedicated to helping you succeed in your mission every day of the year. It is during the Holidays especially, that we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our diverse membership across Texas.
It is our privilege to serve you as a member of LeadingAge Texas. On behalf of our board and members, we hope that you have a wonderful Holiday Season!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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Posted By George Linial,
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Updated: Monday, October 6, 2014
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We are upgrading! In the spirit of always improving your LeadingAge Texas membership experience, we are upgrading our website and our membership database! Our new system will provide a much more interactive and dynamic experience through www.leadingagetexas.org. You will have the opportunity to update your own information, interact with your peers and staff, track your CEUs, and enjoy numerous other benefiats – all right through this website. We are using a much more robust and internet based software system that utilizes social media and other tools to make your interactions with us more vibrant and productive. Of course, as most of you know when undergoing a major software upgrade or change – patience is the word that comes to mind. We ask that you please utilize our new system, register online, update your membership information, look at the new features, explore other ways to use the software, and be patient as we move to the next level of customer satisfaction. Of course, staff will be available to answer questions along the way and you may be receiving some calls to prompt you to register and update your information all for good reason – we use this information to update our membership directory! We trust you will find the system customer friendly and much more useful as we move to the next generation of association software. Thank you for your patience!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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