The host staff at the Fountains at Bronson Place recently participated in an embracing diversity exercise as a means to empower them to foster a service mentality that caters to the many diverse needs of our community.
As part of a staff meeting, I asked the hosts to participate in a diversity exercise with an open mind and an understanding that what we were about to do would relate back to our roles as care providers to the senior community. Through the exercise, each participant was given a new persona on a slip of paper that they were to draw from a hat. They were then asked to introduce themselves in the character of that persona to the entire group. Some of the persona examples we used were:
"Hello, my name is __________, and I can't walk without the aid of a walker."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I am bound to this wheelchair."
"Hello, my name is __________, and all of my family has passed away."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I can't prepare my own meals."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I have diabetes."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I need help to get myself dressed in the morning."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I don't remember how I got here."
"Hello, my name is __________, and I need help going to the bathroom."
"Hello, my name is __________, and it has been 10 years since I've driven a car."
Following the introductions, I asked the participants to imagine how different their life would be if the persona they drew from the hat were actually true. I asked them to imagine if any of these statements may be true of any of the population we work with and serve each day in our jobs, knowing that many of these characteristics are true for many in our resident population. I then asked them to consider how we as service staff can provide great service to someone whom may have such different life experiences and needs from thost that we currently know/have.
Needless to say, the discussion that followed provided a new foundation for our approach to superior service at the Fountains at Bronson Place. As a final call to duty, I empowered the host staff to help foster a respect for understanding the diversity of needs among our residents by passing it forward to the front of the house service staff whom they manage each day.
todd shayler l assistant director of dining services l fountains at bronson place