When more than 500 people connected to Schlegel Villages gather for the annual operational planning retreat, some of the most important contributions come from each of the Villages’ Success Award Winners.
These amazing direct support team members are recognized at the Village level for their commitment to the five key values that define the Schlegel Villages Connect the Dots customer service credo: Know Me; Earn Trust; Be Present; Follow Through; and Walk in My Shoes. The dedication of these team members and the passion they bring to the Villages every day makes them ideal experts to contribute to the upcoming operational goals of each Village.
On the second day of the three-day conference, the success award winners were invited to share their views on the future of the organization with the senior leadership team from the central support office during a special luncheon. Vice-Presidents of Finance, People, Support Office Services, Operations and Sales and Marketing were joined by the Chief Operating Officer and the President and CEO to learn from those who have the most direct impact at the neighbourhood level on the lives of Village residents.
During the lunch, the leadership team heard of journeys that brought some team members from around the world to Canada and, eventually, to a respective Village where they pour their compassion into service for others.
“I did not expect to have this kind of award,” said PSW Melvin Alejo. “It was just magical, having lunch with Jamie (Schlegel), with his fellow leaders and it’s overwhelming in a positive way. I’m just a normal worker, but the company acknowledges you for what you have been doing, and it’s just magical.”
Melvin had just marked his one-year anniversary as a PSW at The Village of Riverside Glen, and he says he chose to work as a caring professional to honour the love he has for his father back in The Philippines. “My residents are like my dad,” Melvin says. “It’s close to my heart.”
Across the Villages, countless team members who care for each resident at the neighbourhood level share a similar sentiment to Melvin, which is why their insights are so important. They often come to their role for reasons far greater than a job; for many it is something they feel deeply compelled to do.
“Recognizing the impact of having the Success Award Winners here with us,” was one of Aspen Lake General Manager Melody Jackson’s major takeaways after the event. “One of ours left in tears, so moved by the experience, and that was incredible.”
In his final remarks, Chief Operating Officer Paul Brown summed up the overall theme, which asked attendees to consider impact in each neighbourhood as part of the “Schlegel Way” of resident support.
“If we are sincere about resident empowerment, about resident choice, about residents having control over their lives and the ability to make as many decisions as they possibly can, then they are helping us navigate Village Life,” Paul said. “We can do that if we have a cross-functional, self-directed team that stays flexible and adaptable in figuring out how to support those residents who are navigating the decision that they are making in their lives.”
The heart of those teams are found in the Village’s Success Award Winners.
