What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of culture?
Most people would say something about their race, religion, or location.
Merriam Webster defines culture as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution or organization.” Or a shorter version: a way of life a group shares.
In senior living, culture is at the forefront of everything. Older adults may be anxious to transition into long-term care, but they bring with them a life of memories that often serve as a comfort during this major life change. Many believe they’re leaving their independence behind, longing to cook a meal or enjoy their favorite childhood dessert again.
While their lives may not look the same as they did when they were community-dwelling, you and your staff play a huge role in making them as close to home as possible—starting in your community’s kitchen and dining room.
However, while food culture among residents is vital to the heart of your community, culture extends beyond cooking. In this blog, we’ll explore four ways to create culture in your kitchen, starting with training staff and improving your mindset, all of which relate to caring for your residents.
Four Ways to Add Culture to Your Kitchen
Creating a positive kitchen culture in long-term care requires planning to blend diverse resident preferences, staff backgrounds, dietary needs, and culinary traditions into a unified and inclusive community culture.
1. Don’t settle for anything less than inclusivity.
To add more culture to your kitchen, start with the most important thing—shifting your mindset to one that focuses on inclusivity as the basis for a supportive kitchen culture. Setting that precedent establishes this part of kitchen culture as a necessity, not something that comes and goes as needed. Whether you begin celebrating more diverse holidays (even if you don’t have residents from that culture in your community), introduce different cultural dishes to your menu, or have nutrition presentations on specific cultural meals, don’t settle for the bare minimum! Remember, inclusivity isn’t optional; it’s crucial for growth.
2. Start teaching staff about your kitchen culture on their first day.
Once you establish an inclusivity-forward mindset, it’s time to outline your kitchen culture. Start by determining your community’s different attributes, such as values, demographics, lifestyles, cultures, and preferences. What matters most? What will contribute to creating a more equitable, balanced, and inclusive environment?
To build trust and resolve conflicts from day one, prioritize open conversations through regular team meetings and one-on-one check-ins. Implement an “open door” policy, inviting concerns and ideas. This way, staff know they’re safe and welcome in their work environment. This approach also encourages constructive criticism, reduces misunderstandings, and enhances transparency. If you begin this from their orientation or first day, it becomes the foundation for their training.
More training tips include:
- Create an inclusive employee handbook.
- Share personal experiences (within reason) and encourage staff to be open about what they’ve learned in the workplace.
- Consistently reinforce inclusive behaviors and provide positive feedback.
- Develop policies with the input of more experienced staff, but also conduct regular audits to ensure that what you’ve created matches your community’s needs.
- Make cultural competency training a part of everyone’s initial orientation and annual progress reviews.
- Practice active listening when discussing employee questions, concerns, or thoughts about improvements to the workplace.
3. Balance your kitchen environment.
A balanced environment is another way to create a non-chaotic and inclusive kitchen culture. Each staff member has different learning styles, levels of motivation and confidence, skillsets, strengths, and weaknesses, so understanding these about everyone in your workplace is crucial to developing a solid plan for a balanced kitchen culture.
To keep your kitchen team running smoothly, prioritize work-life balance by offering options that match mealtimes and job duties. For example, offering rotating shifts and adequate breaks can help reduce burnout and increase productivity. When your staff is calm, your kitchen will be, too. These expectations play a role in creating a balanced environment. If you have clear expectations, regular job duties and assignments, and employees are well-trained in their roles, you’ve eliminated most of the main stressors in a workplace.
4. Lead by example.
Strong leadership is the foundation of successful long-term care communities, but a 2017 survey from McKinsey reports that out of 500 executives, only 10% have faith that their company has strong leadership development. Another compilation of leadership statistics cites several other surveys that support this, with one noting that 77% of businesses identified leadership gaps in the workplace in 2019.
With Culinary Services Group, we provide the support you need to lead by example and create the inclusive, nutrition-focused culture that supports the health, identity, and well-being of your residents and staff. Learn more about our customizable meal plans, staff training efforts, and additional benefits we offer by scheduling a meeting with our sales team.
