Everyone networks. You do it often without even knowing it\u2014talking with family, friends, co-workers and business professionals. It’s all networking.<\/p>\n
It can be as simple as chatting with a patient or resident while serving lunch, as involved as making a connection while attending a professional seminar or anything in between. As a healthcare foodservice professional, every conversation you have and every connection you make during the course of the day rolls out the red carpet to improving yourself, your operation and, ultimately, the people in your care.<\/p>\n
Whether your networking is done on a personal or professional level, the goal is the same: to cultivate and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with a mix of people with whom you can share ideas and knowledge.<\/p>\n
The key word in that definition is people, says Maureen Leugers, Director of Non-Commercial Customer Success at Gordon Food Service. It\u2019s not about collecting business cards of people you can call when you need advice. It\u2019s about reaching out, talking and listening\u2014really listening\u2014to people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s less about having a bunch of LinkedIn connections and more about having a phone-a-friend relationship,\u201d Leugers says. \u201cNetworking is about sharing information as much as it is receiving it, and that\u2019s critical for healthcare foodservice.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the healthcare subculture, the foodservice director often feels isolated or far down the ladder of importance, according to Gordon Food Service Customer Effectiveness Manager Ken Wasco. Everyone plays a role: administrators, doctors and nurses, therapy professionals, then foodservice workers.<\/p>\n
All of these people deal with situations and find answers every day, which makes open lines of communication essential to internal networking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to think your opinion or experience doesn\u2019t have an impact, but it does,\u201d Wasco says. \u201cYou and your staff are connected to residents all day long\u2014you know what they like and dislike, you understand nutrition, diet needs and even who they like to sit with at dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Effective networking starts with reaching out, Leugers says. She cites business consultant Harvey Mackay\u2019s advice\u2014dig your well before you\u2019re thirsty\u2014as relevant to healthcare foodservice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you listen to other people\u2019s needs and connect them with the data and people who can help, you\u2019ll find they are willing to share knowledge and ideas when you\u2019re in need,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The risk of not reaching out is that it\u2019s hard to stay on trend or avoid inefficiencies, and that can increase expenses that take a toll in patient or resident count. If you\u2019re in charge of food service at an assisted living community, Leugers says, you need to be reaching out to hospitals and telling them about your nutrition plan, memory care capabilities and other successes. The entire community benefits when you network your strengths and keep an open line of communication.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you show a hospital how your foodservice program promotes healing and contributes to lower admission rates, your community will be on their preferred placement list when patients are discharged,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s built on networking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Networking\u2014contact and conversation with people in the business\u2014ultimately keeps the operator current on foodservice topics: the latest government regulations, new food products or serving items that can improve the dining experience.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s high-tech world, it\u2019s easy to think all the information you need is online. With the Internet, Wasco says, answers are easy. \u201cThe challenge is to know the right questions to ask, and networking provides a way to learn those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
He suggests forming a network of five people who know what you do. They can work in your healthcare community or in other businesses. This group is not only a personal network, but it\u2019s the antidote to feeling alone with an opinion or problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guarantee that among the five people you will find someone with the same or similar concerns and you\u2019ll be able to talk through solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any knowledge gained through networking increases the foodservice director\u2019s value, Wasco and Leugers agree. This benefits the entire caregiving team. Here are some key considerations on improving your networking:<\/p>\n
Start where you\u2019re comfortable. <\/strong>Networking can be a lot like going alone to a party, Leugers says. You\u2019re never at ease until you mingle and find people with similar interests.<\/p>\n \u201cStrike up a conversation with the foodservice director at the assisted-living community across town,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s easier and less expensive to connect locally, and people are happy to share information you can take to your community.\u201d<\/p>\n Network in-house. <\/strong>We all have expertise, Leugers says. Your facilities team has knowledge about the environment, the foodservice team knows safe food-handling, the nursing team knows about infection control and you should be sharing that knowledge internally. \u201cIn the end, we care for the whole person, not just the nutrition or diet needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Know the pros. <\/strong>If you want to look beyond the local landscape, there are a number of professional and trade associations at the local, state and national levels, Leugers says, and they are there to help. Examples include The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP), Leading Age or the local Alzheimer\u2019s Association. Many of them have their own network of professionals able to respond to your needs, and most offer seminars, workshops and conventions that can be valuable.<\/p>\n Share your learnings.<\/strong> Attending a conference or a workshop comes at a cost to care communities, either in travel expenses or time away from work. So if you\u2019re able to attend, take notes and share helpful advice when you return.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows the value of sending you to the seminar, plus it gives your boss or administrator something to think about that may not have been a priority before,\u201d Wasco says.<\/p>\n Practice saying two things after you return from any networking venture, Leugers advises:<\/p>\n \u201cI just learned this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think \u2026 should we do this here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [[{“fid”:”45976″,”view_mode”:”default”,”fields”:{“format”:”default”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Harness the power of networking”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Harness the power of networking”},”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“1”:{“format”:”default”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Harness the power of networking”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Harness the power of networking”}},”link_text”:null,”attributes”:{“alt”:”Harness the power of networking”,”title”:”Harness the power of networking”,”height”:300,”width”:695,”class”:”media-element file-default”,”data-delta”:”1″}}]]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Connecting with people in the know leads to enhanced leadership skills and decision-making.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n