Good Planning Begins with Good Listening
July 2009
A year ago the Landis Homes Board launched its six-month strategic planning process with an Appreciative Inquiry phase that focused on strengths and growth opportunities. Each board member and members of management contacted 5 to 10 stakeholders who care about the mission of Landis Homes, so that in total more than 150 persons were involved in sharing ideas about our future.
Each one was asked to answer the following questions:
1. What do you see as core strengths of Landis Homes services, culture, staff?
2. What unique opportunities for enriching Landis Homes services do you see?
3. What might be new opportunities or unmet needs in the larger community that Landis Homes should consider?
4. As you think about your future as an older adult, are there ways we should explore that would serve you as a consumer
Arising out of these contacts seven themes were identified by the Board:
1. Affordable Services
2. Partnership
3. Virtual Continuing Care Retirement Community
4. Process of Aging - Education/Support Groups, etc.
5. Urban Site (i.e. Lancaster city)/Other Locations
6. Expand Active Living
7. Increase Diversity
These were themes that we heard from the current and prospective residents, business partners and healthcare consultants, donors, church leaders, geriatric practitioners, pharmacist, elder law attorneys, and local office of aging staff, as well as other friends of Landis Homes.
As strategic planning work continued into the fall of 2008, the Board arrived at these four strategic focus areas which we are beginning to explore and implement. Many of the seven themes listed above are incorporated in various ways in these areas:
1. Retirement Community - keeping it strong and vital, including through the planned residential living expansion over the coming three years of adding 72 hybrid homes and 70 cottage homes.
2. Affordable Living - including exploring HUD or Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing, possibly in Lancaster City, and as part of a mixed-income community.
3. Services at Home - building on our existing Landis at Home and Adult Day Services programs which support persons in remaining in their homes. This can also at times address concerns of affordability, and we are seeing increased potential for funding growth at the State level for in-home services.
4. Creative Partnerships - to support achieving the above. Some of the partnership opportunities that have already been put into place in the past year arose out of appreciative inquiry conversations with the CEOs and Executive Directors of eight other senior service or related organizations.
We welcome your prayer, counsel and support of these new strategic focus areas that are beginning to take shape as we move into the coming years. Feel free to speak with any of the Landis Homes Board or Management Team about any of the above areas.
I particularly would welcome hearing any creative ideas or needs that you feel Landis Homes might address within our mission of serving aging adults and their families by honoring and enriching their lives in communities of Christ-like love!
Larry Zook, President/CEO - lzook@landishomes.org or phone (717) 381-3561.
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