Catching more flies with wine
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a people watcher. Stick me anywhere and I’m watching how people interact, their reactions, mannerism and trying to figure out what makes them tick. No place is this more fun than at a big conference or trade show.
I was at such an industry event the other day where I met a bunch of administrators, directors, managers, and a lot of business people who supply products and services to the senior care industry. Part of the event had a wine and cheese reception for the attendees to mingle and unwind with their colleagues. These types of gatherings are always interesting in their own right, but then again people with alcohol generally are.
But it wasn’t the people chit chatting in the aisles that really caught my attention; it was the people staffing the trade show booths that caught my eye. Watching the booth staff it was plain to see there were a lot of different corporate cultures at play. Some, like those in my booth, had drinks in hand and were chatting away with the administrators and directors who stopped by, others, were not allowed to even consider grabbing an adult beverage.
From what I could tell, the beverage-less booth staff may have come across as being ‘more professional,’ but they sure as sunshine weren’t attracting people to come take a look at what they had in their booth! The tired attendees wanted to cut loose, laugh, and have fun, and the ‘more professional’ booth staff came across as being stuffy and just a bit uptight; not a great first impression of your company now is it?
That’s not to say my booth staff were having an out of control party, but sipping one glass of wine certainly communicated that we were relaxed and enjoying ourselves too and broke down the barriers of formality. We chatted amicably about where they worked, what was going on and what
The first impression analogy carries on from there. Of course we all know the saying about how you don’t have a second chance to make a good first impression and for the most part this applies to how you dress and present yourself to the world around you, but let’s extend this beyond ourselves and into our work places.
Pretend that today you’re going to give a tour to a family interested in moving their dad since he can no longer take care of himself. Have a look around you with a fresh pair of eyes. How does your own staff treat people as they come through the door? Are they made to feel welcome or are they treated as a nuisance. Not everyone can be perfect every day, but are people made to feel like they’ve arrived home or are they just another body coming through the front door.
What’s the general vibe of the place? Is it frantic, frazzled or out of control? Does your staff look stressed or bored?
How about those ubiquitous notices on the front door: “Visitors, please wash your hands,” “It’s flu season, ...” or the even more foreign “Agency staff notice;” nothing says, “welcome to ABC medical facility,” like a front door full of warnings. Find a better way to get these messages across, even if it’s just moving them from the door to a bulletin board, or finding a frame to display them.
Are residents lounging or sleeping in institutional chairs by the front door? Why not place a few nice café tables there instead! Keep the comfortable sitting area, but move it over so it’s not directly at the door. Or maybe there’s some classical music playing softly in the background in common areas. Perhaps in the apartment or life-lease section of your facility there are avid gardeners who could contribute flower arrangements for dining areas and common rooms; you know, human touches.
Sometimes subtle changes are all you need, and it’s always the little things that have the biggest impact on how you’re perceived.
You catch more flies with honey then with vinegar and yes, sometimes with wine too.