Aligned values and knowledge sharing key to peopleCare leadership training

The success of any organization depends on the strength of its team members at every level. When knowledge is shared and employees feel empowered to make decisions, everyone benefits. This approach is foundational to peopleCare’s culture, and our commitment to develop leaders across the organization.

In recent years, ongoing uncertainty and the need for increased safety measures had led many peopleCare employees to “rely heavily on the home’s leaders for guidance on every decision,” said Jeremy Zinger, Vice President, Operations. “As we began resetting routines and returning to the basics, we saw an opportunity to further empower our team members to make autonomous decisions and fully leverage their skills, contributing to a stronger, more resilient organization overall.”

To help with this reset, peopleCare turned to healthcare expert, RN, and seasoned trainer Jayne Harvey. Harvey tailored her training to meet the specific needs of peopleCare’s leaders, with a focus on empowering them and their team members.

Over multiple sessions, the training brought together 115 leaders in three groups (RNs and RPNs, clinical leaders, and non-clinical leaders) from all seven of peopleCare’s LTC homes. Participants were encouraged to openly share knowledge and gather all necessary information to make effective decisions—and discuss how to encourage their team members to do the same.

“It wasn’t like any training I’ve ever experienced,” said Mohamed Eltorky, Director of Environmental Services, peopleCare AR Goudie LTC. “It focused on changing the culture of leadership at peopleCare. Because of the training, the boundaries came down. We [leaders from across peopleCare] trust each other and feel comfortable going to each other with challenges we’re facing,” says Eltorky. “Now I’m not hesitant to call my colleague and say, ‘Hey, I’ve never had a situation like this, have you?’”

When tailoring the training for peopleCare, “We thought about how to reset people’s mind frames,” said Harvey. “The components of the training were about everyone having access and permission to use their knowledge—to show it’s not something they should shy away from.” The type of knowledge varied depending on the team Harvey was working with, but the common theme was “Finding how to use their knowledge to launch their leadership.”

The training also focused on critical thinking, conflict resolution, problem solving, and transparency. “Working in such a legislated environment, it’s important to reinforce critical thinking and healthy outcomes for the residents,” said Harvey.

As a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in senior care and client advocacy, Harvey stresses that the ultimate goal “is to ensure we’re supporting the people we’re caring for. We have to do our absolute best to ensure the people living in the homes are receiving the best care.”

This alignment of values ensures that both the organization and peopleCare team members benefit. “When we all share the same values and invest in each other, it benefits everyone,” said Zinger. “We believe in our people, and we’ve seen that by giving our team members the tools and support they need to succeed, they give back wholeheartedly to our residents and their families.”

As for the leaders’ experience of the training: “It felt like our voices were really being heard,” said Eltorky. “Jayne is brilliant. Instead of telling us what we should do, she asked us what we would do in a given situation. Then we talked through it and learned what the best approach would be.”

“The feedback has all been very positive,” said Zinger. “People learned a lot and feel more prepared to deal with potential conflict and to work more collaboratively. We’ve even seen some people move into higher roles since the training.”