Mentalist Yan Markson at Schlegel Villages Operational Planning Retreat
At first consideration, one might wonder what a mentalist who trades in illusion could offer an audience of more than 500 leadership team members gathered at the Schlegel Villages Operational Planning Retreat to discuss the art of building strong teams in the service of our elders.
Yet with a blend of humour, magic and science, Yan Markson illustrated two of the key themes at the heart of any growth journey: perception and mindset.
“I’ve spent my life with one foot in two very different worlds,” he began. “In business and in magic, I learned that perception changes everything.”
Through storytelling intertwined with a series of confounding sleight-of-hand tricks, he reminded us that what we believe shapes what we see, and what we see shapes how we act. “Those assumptions build a narrative,” he said. “Those narratives change how we behave, and our behaviour changes reality.”
That truth echoed Nancy Fox’s message from the day before: that the beliefs we hold about ourselves, our work, and our teams can either lift us up or limit our potential. Yan demonstrated this in real time through illusions with some of the audience members, showing how easily the brain fills in gaps when faced with uncertainty. “Our minds don’t like to not know,” he said, “so they make things up and we act on those stories.”
Beyond the illusions, his message resonated with the audience. He spoke about the impact teams can have when they make care visible within the neighbourhoods and help residents and loved ones see the “why” behind what team members do. “When care is explained, not just delivered, residents and loved ones start to notice the difference,” he said. “Their mind is primed to look for progress.”
He offered a simple example: sending a quick photo or video of a resident laughing with friends. “That does a hundred times better job than just saying she had a good day,” he said. “It lets people feel the care that’s behind it.”
He also reminded everyone that understanding purpose transforms routine into meaning.
“Yesterday’s theme was why,” he reminded the crowd. “Today’s theme is how, but the thing is, when you’re working on the how, you have to do it through the lens of the why.”
The distinction between the two is simple, but profound. The what creates compliance, he said, a checklist of things to do, but the why fuels commitment, creating a shared purpose that empowers people to solve problems and innovate. During a conference focused on developing self-directed, cross-functional teams empowered to make decisions at the neighbourhood level, this point echoed throughout the session.
Perhaps most powerfully, Yan challenged the audience to remember that teamwork thrives on connection. “The opposite of teamwork isn’t conflict,” he said. “It’s isolation.” When we take time to understand each other’s perspectives, he noted, performance improves across every aspect of Village Life.
“Your residents live in experiences,” he said. “They don’t care if it’s nursing or dining or recreation. They care when they feel human.”
As the session closed, his final reflection drew the morning’s lessons together: mindset is a choice. “It’s the first and most important action you can take,” he said. “When your mindset changes, your behaviour changes and when your behaviour changes, your reality completely changes.”
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