APHAA Summary of Qualitative Responses

1. What are the top 3 challenges you are currently facing as a leader?

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Challenges

24%

Staffing (20/82) Customer Politics & needs (17 /82) government

(12/82)

Funding (12/82)

There were 82 unique responses to this question.

Leadership Prioritzing & culture (12/82) planning (9/82)

Responses to this question are organized by theme below - verbatim responses can be found in the Appendix at the end of the document.

Staffing

24% (20/82) of the responses given related to the theme of staffing. There was a call for hiring committed staff ("the right people on the team") who would then receive the necessary training to stay motivated and want a career in the housing industry. A request for more connection with employees was also made as well as a desire to create a staff culture that is adaptable to change:

"Ensuring we have skilled staff to meet our needs."

"Long term staff inclined to work within imagined limits defined by past practices rather than looking toward continuous improvement."

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Customer Needs & Expectations

21% {17 /82) of the responses related to customer/resident needs and expectations. Several responses point to how customer expectations and needs have changed, and how there is now more pressure to provide different services to aging clients (healthcare, social supports, navigation of a complex system, etc.). Some comments relate to a perceived disconnect between the organization's mandate and the needs of the community:

"Higher need population, no real housing options for older adults {50+) that need mental health help but are able to manage independently for the most part."

"Understanding our mandate vs what we see we need to provide at our facilities. Example: being able to provide health care."

Politics & Government

15% (12/82) responses suggest that the political climate and changes in government are challenging. It was noted that there is an unclear direction from Government and the fact that the legislation keeps changing hampers the ability for a clear plan and direction. It was also suggested that there is a "lack of visibility with the Minister".

Prioritizing & Future Planning

Closely connected to the theme of Politics & Government above, 10% (9/82) of responses point to challenges with prioritizing and future planning. Respondents would like to feel able to build "a long term plan that is truly attainable" but are currently impeded by scheduling challenges and a lack of a solid mission/vision:

"Trying to do a business plan for an uncertain future. It's uncertain politically, we face new boards, funding is out of control but we are expected to plan for consistency."

Funding

Also connected to the theme of Politics & Government, 15% {12/82) of responses spoke to the challenges of uncertain and limited funding. It was noted that "revenue increases don't match capital or human needs" and there is a need to keep up with changes both in terms of new technologies and with regard to aging facilities that need an adequate maintenance budget:

"Uncertainty on government policy and program funding."

"Sensible funding formulas."

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Leadership & Organizational Development/Culture

A total of 15% (12/82) of responses alluded to the umbrella theme of Leadership & Organizational Development/Culture. This includes challenges related to Communication & Collaboration as well as Personal Leadership Development.

Challenges cited here include the need to engage in "fruitful collaboration/partnerships" rather than simply "meeting for meeting's sake" as well as workload and "unsophisticated management". Challenges in communication were noted several times and there was a call for more effective sharing rather than mixed messages:

"Lack of collaboration amongst organizations. Duplication of services and costs but no real innovation in the sector."

"Competition instead of collaboration within the sector."

A small number of comments related to the need for Leadership and Personal Development training ("I have a hard t ime delegating duties"; " I wish all people would just be honest").

2. What has helped you in working through these challenges?

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

41%

Collaborat ion & Engagement

(12/29)

What Has Helped?

Peronsa l

Qualities & Experience

(8/29)

St rong Other (3/29)

Leadership

Team & Vision

(6/29)

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Collaboration & Engagement

The themes of Collaboration and Engagement were cited as helpful when working through challenges at a frequency of 41% (12/29). Collaboration was seen to come from within the Alberta team and from networking with colleagues and peers from outside Alberta to enhance learning. Good communication channels and a solid team were also noted here as being key to overcoming challenges and building engagement:

"Working with a network of colleagues."

"Contact with peers, Information and training opportunities, information on best practices, information on where resources can be found."

Personal Qualities & Experience

28% (8/29) of the responses alluded to personal qualities or the personal experience of respondents. Some of the qualities cited here include "perseverance", positivity, "ability to adapt", "flexibility" and "hard work". Past training and experience are also seen as important in working through challenges as well as the ability to know what you can control:

"Just step up to the plate, and do the next right thing. Don't get overwhelmed, baby steps. Then you feel better afterwards."

"Past experience and learnings from many years of being in the housing and supports industry."

Strong Leadership Team & Vision

Connected to the theme of Collaboration as seen above, several responses (6/29: 21%) pointed to the importance of a strong leadership team with a clear vision of where the organization needs to be. It was noted that as "there is no clear direction from government" the Board has to think outside of the box. By establishing a clear vision planning can occur.

"Working with a strong leadership team and having a clear vision of where the organization needs to be."

"Strong leadership team within our organization to help break through some of the barriers, supportive boss, and the "buying power" our organization has due to our size and success stories."

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Other

There were a small number of single responses that did not lend themselves to a particular theme. They are noted verbatim in the Appendix.

3. What are your top 1- 3 sources of support (e.g. a colleague, instructor, boss ... )?

Top Source of Support

Director of HR (1/27)

Admin Assista~=-------;f' (1/27)

4%

Manager (1/27)

The 1st Source of Support given by respondents was: • Colleagues (10/27: 37%) • Board (7 /27: 25%) • Team (6/27: 22%) • Admin assistant (1/27: 4%) • Director of HR (within Organization) (1/27: 4%) • Manager (1/27 : 4%)

Other (1/27)

4%

• Being able to keep operational surplus on gov't owned buildings (1/27: 4%)

The 2nd Source of Support given by respondents was more varied:

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mher !2128i 2nd Source of Support 7%~

Housing Staff ""\ (2/28) \

7%

Mentor (3/28) 11%

Board (3/28) 11%

11%

2nd Source of Support:

• Colleagues & Other Co-Workers (7 /28: 25%)

• Family (4/28: 14%)

• Literature (4/28: 14%)

• Supervisors {3/28: 11%) • Board {3/28: 11%)

• Mentor {3/28: 11%)

• Housing Staff (2/28: 7%)

• Other (2/28: 7%)

3rd Source of Support:

• Networking (7 /27: 26%)

• Board (3/27: 11%)

• Industry (3/27: 11%)

• Coach/ Advisor {3/27: 11%)

• Community (2/27: 7%)

• Family & Friends (2/27: 7%)

• Literature (2/27: 7%)

• Other (Faith, Contractors, Supportive Boss, Clients, ?) (5/27: 20%)

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Literature (2/27) 7%

Family & Friends (2/27)

7%

3rd Source of Support

Other (5/27) 20%

Community (2/27) / 7%

:,__ ______ coach/Advisor

4. If you could learn one thing in the next 6 months what would it be? Responses are reproduced verbatim below organized by theme.

Leadership Traits & Skills

• Patience.

(3/27) 11%

• How to be firm, direct, clear and efficient but still be kind and compassionate.

• To prioritize workloads better.

• How to read & comprehend faster! Work life Balance - Work always wins!

• Ways to get our Managers thinking more globally and less day to day perspective of operation.

• Resilience.

• Better communication skills for diverse audiences.

• That I need to learn more.

Strategy & Navigating Change

• How the changes from the top down (government legislation) will assist in changing the industry.

• Navigating the next 3-5 years in preparation for the next 20.

• Change navigation.

• How to take the strategic focus and push it into the operations so everyone is moving in the same direction.

• How to better handle the changing times.

• How to unify a team to embrace change.

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Workplace Culture & Employee Engagement

• A better way to build trust relationships in a constantly changing work environment.

• How to attract and keep younger workers.

• How we as an industry can be more fruitful and purposeful in the time we spend on things.

• How to appease all staff members! • How to attract great staff.

• How to lead staff to be accountable.

Customer Care

• How to more effectively guide seniors who are no longer able to live independently through the housing continuum of higher care etc.

• Increase knowledge and understanding of social housing portfolio within our community.

• How to show that the rural areas are just as much in need as the big cities.

Other

• Cash flow projections; how to do an accurate proforma. • What makes the govt tick. • What the future of the industry will be.

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Appendix

Verbatim responses organized by theme.

1. What are the top 3 challenges you are currently facing as a leader?

Staffing 1. Ensuring we have skilled staff to meet our needs 2. Long term staff inclined to work within imagined limits defined by past practices

rather than looking toward continuous improvement 3. Connecting with staff regularly 4. Maintaining employee morale 5. competent staffing 6. Human resources 7. hiring committed staff 8. Creating a staff culture that is adaptable to change 9. Resistance to change 10. Staff without sufficient internal capacity to weather change. 11. Staffing - increasing wages, work ethic of next generation 12. Right people on the team 13. Getting the youngers workers to want a career in the housing industry 14. Staffing 15. keeping staff motivated with the clientele we work with 16. making seniors housing an employer of choice 17. The pace of change and how it is impacting employees. 18. Lack of appropriate training for frontline staff 19. Keeping staff motivated in this industry and in line with organizations 20. A diverse staff and resident culture.

Customer Needs & Expectations (17 /82: 21%) 1. Changing expectations of our customers 2. Pressure to provide more services for our aging clients - enter the healthstream 3. Change in demographics that we serve 4. Changing needs/expectations of residents 5. Rising expectation of our clients 6. increased levels of care of seniors 7. Seniors are more demanding than 20 years ago balanced with less funding 8. Higher need population, no real housing options for older adults (SO+) that need

mental health help but are able to manage independantly fo rhte most part 9. Dealing with clients who have limited life skills: need mothering 10. Community expectations that do meet our organizations mandate or capacity 11. Understanding our mandate vs what we see we need to provide at our facilities

example. It being able to provide health care

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12. Rural facility so increased vacancies and more diverse clients impact on LAPG monies.

13. Rural housing management body so more vacancies and more diverse clients in the context of a community model of care creates the need for constant innovation and education.

14. Insufficient social supports to help our tenants thrive and be successful 15. Helping people navigate a complex system 16. Maintaining full occupancy in Rural areas can be a challenge 17. Vacancies - Services offered in home, challenging economy

Politics & Government (12/82: 15%) 1. government slowness - legislation changes 2. Uncertain political climate 3. Changes and requests from Government; eg Business Plan 4. Unclear direction from Government 5. New rules of the Act 6. political winds (ever changing, unable to have clear plan/direction) 7. govt relationships 8. New municipal rules in Edmonton 9. Some uncertainty around changing government dynamics/policy 10. Getting the politicians to understand the impact of their decisions on the

industry. 11. sector workforce slow change - over regulated 12. Lack of visibility with the minister

Prioritizing & Future Planning (9/82: 10%} 1. Seeing around the corner 2. building a long term plan that is truly attainable 3. Planning effectively for the future 4. Prioritizing 5. Scheduling challenges 6. Temptation of the immediate over the important 7. mission/vision 8. Planning for the future in Housing 9. Trying to do a business plan for an uncertain future. It's uncertain politically, we

face new boards, funding is out of control but we are expected to plan for consistency.

Funding (12/82: 15%) 1. uncertain and limited funding 2. Sustainability -accessing requisition dollars 3. Uncertainty on government policy and program funding 4. Increased financiaf strains organizationally through increases in expenses that

are uncontrollable (ie. minimum wage, carbon tax etc.)

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5. Limited dollars 6. Revenue increases don't match capital or human needs. 7. no increase in funds 8. Aging facilities that aren't meeting the needs of the residents 9. Technology changing - trying to keep up and pay for it 10. sensible funding formulas 11. Budgeting 12. having funds for adequate maintenance

Leadership & Organizational Development/Culture (12/82: 15%)

1. Unsophisticated management that we rely on to make change 2. Engaging in fruitful collaboration/partnerships - seeing adequate results for the

effort and time put in (tired of meeting for meeting's sake) 3. Time 4. Work load

+ Communications and Collaboration 5. Communications 6. Mixed messages 7. Communication - common interpretations, language, understanding, effective

sharing 8. lack of collaboration amongst organizations. duplication of services and costs but

no real innovation in the sector. 9. Competion instead of collaboration within the sector.

+ Leadership and Personal Development 10. I am too soft 11. I have a hard time delegating duties 12. I wish all people would just be honest

2. What has helped you in working through these challenges?

Collaboration & Engagement (12/29: 41%)

1. Networking with other groups or administrators to see what other people are doing or

2. brainstorm solutions 3. Having discussions with peers especially from outside Alberta on how they are

dealing with the changing environment. 4. contact with peers, Information and training opportunities, information on best

practices, information on where resources can be found 5. Working with a network of colleagues 6. Setting aside time to meet staff and do site visits. Sticking to a schedule helps,

having a t o do list. But sometimes this does not work due to emergency work that comes in.

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7. Support of other colleagues and support of Board 8. having a good team of qualified staff 9. A great team 10. More planning, completed demand study, working with union on employee

issues, strengthening strategic focus 11. Communication is key to defining continuous improvement with in an

organization .... bottom up approach works. 12. Stay focused, continue to build engagement and understanding, fostering

innovation

Personal Qualities & Experience (8/29: 28%)

1. Just step up to the plate, and do the next right thing. Don't get overwhelmed, baby steps. Then you feel better afterwards.

2. Past experience and learnings from many years of being in the housing and supports industry.

3. Focusing on what can be controlled and accepting that many things will always change and be out of my immediate control. You just have to improvise and adapt. Change isn't new. It is constant. The same industry-related "changes" existed years ago. Change never changes.

4. My knowledge of the services we provide with the employees we hire today. My experience in working with seniors. My understanding that even though it makes sense financially it does not always make sense. Communicating is key to developing understanding. Keeping my Board Members well informed. My knowledge of how it has worked for others - some successes - some wish they had not entered into the realm of health .

5. keep positive 6. Perseverance 7. My ability to adapt 8. Just trying to continue to go with the flow Creativity, flexibil ity and hard work.

Strong Leadership Team & Vision (6/29: 21%)

1. Working with a strong leadership team and having a clear vision of where the organization needs to be.

2. there is no clear direction from government so as a Board have to think outside of the "box"

3. Time and space to plan; finding the right people then getting out of the the way; writing down the plan

4. Communicating with other leaders and discussing partnership opportunities 5. Strong leadership team within our organization to help break through some of

the barriers, supportive boss, and the "buying power" our organization has due to our size and success stories.

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6. Changing the work environment to attract more flexible adaptable staff. Working with AHS to get more home care in lodges and doing a bare minimum business plan based on facts

Other (3/29: 10%)

1. Financially we have no choice but to offload expenses to municipalities through requisition, however there continues to be only one tax payer!

2. Courses, input from mentors. 3. not able to work through these challenges yet

3. What are your top 1- 3 sources of support (e.g. a colleague, instructor, boss ... )?

1st Top Source:

Colleagues: 10/27: 37% 1. Colleagues 2. Colleagues 3. colleague 4. Colleagues 5. Colleague 6. colleagues 7. Colleague 8. colleague 9. colleagues 10.Colleagues

Board : 7/27: 25% 1. Board initiative 2. Board of Directors 3. The board - we have a separation of operations from the activities of the Board. 4. Board 5. Board 6. board of directors 7. Board Chair

Team: 6/27: 22% 1. Internal team 2. Internal team 3. Team 4. Team 5. Staff 6. Management Team

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• Admin assistant: 1/27: 4%

• Director of HR (within Organization): 1/27: 4%

• Manager: 1/27: 4% • Being able to keep operational surplus on gov't owned buildings: 4%

2"d Source of Support:

Colleagues & Other Co-Workers (7 /28: 25%) 1. colleagues 2. Other co-workers 3. Peers 4. core staff 5. Other colleagues 6. Technicians 7. Direct reports

Family (4/28: 14%) 1. Family 2. Family 3. partners 4. family

Literature (4/28: 14%) 1. reference material/literature 2. web/specifically gov information pages, studies 3. CIH industry knowledge 4. ASCHA & APHAA

Supervisors (3/28: 11%) 1. Boss 2. Managers/Staff 3. Management Team

Board (3/28: 11%) 1. Board 2. Board 3. Board chairperson

Mentor (3/28: 11%) 1. County CAO has wealth of experience and is a fantastic mentor 2. Mentor 3. mentor (non-colleague)

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Housing Staff (2/28: 7%) 1. Housing Advisors 2. Housing staff

Other (2/28: 7%) • Civil employee continuity

• portfolio advisor

3rd Source of Support:

Networking (7 /27: 26%) 1. networking with peers 2. Peer Group 3. Some within my direct report team 4. experienced staff 5. Other colleagues 6. provincial liaisons 7. personal network

Board (3/27: 11%) 1. Board 2. Board Members 3. Board of Directors

Industry (3/27: 11%) 1. Global industry 2. other industries 3. other organizations

Coach/Advisor (3/27: 11%) 1. Strategic advisor 2. Life/Career Coaching 3. Government Portfolio Advisers

Community (2/27: 7%) 1. The community (staff, Home Care, the public, families and seniors) 2. Community leaders

Family & Friends (2/27: 7%) 1. Supportive Family 2. friends

Literature (2/27: 7%) 1. Conference material

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2. web sources

Other (5/27: 20%)

• Faith

• Contractors • supportive boss allowing us to make change

• clients that are successful • ...?

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