“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say: ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.”
Who do you think said this? If you guessed Martin Luther King. Jr., you hit the nail on the head. In a continued effort to call forth the highest standards of caregiving from society’s systems that support aging populations, today’s theme is EXCELLENCE.
How Should We Define EXCELLENCE?
On the assumption you’re surrounded by a support team, (i.e., in-home agencies or assisted living, doctors, other professionals) each member instills confidence. You gain the clear sense that every person in the process knows what they’re doing. Plus, they do it with aplomb. You know EXACTLY who to go to for what. This is essential! No matter how many seniors the outfit has under their charge, your representatives are ‘on top of it’ at all times.
What Is the Opposite of EXCELLENCE?
On the contrary, you have NO idea who to go to for what when dealing with a non-excellent service provider. Distinctions between people’s roles have not been clearly defined, such that the left hand knows not what the right is doing. That’s why when you ask ‘difficult’ questions, you get brushed off with “that’s not my job”. To make matters worse, no effort is made to proactively locate an answer the next time your same issue arises for a new customer.
Questions for Reflection
My Do and Do Not definitions stated, here are three questions to get you thinking further about EXCELLENCE in your situation:
- What effect does it have on you when providers know what they’re doing?
- What effect does it have on you when providers don’t know what they’re doing?
- How far are you prepared to go to get the accurate answers you need when you require them?
Next Steps
Back to our opening quotation. In hindsight, I believe my Dad (obstinate as he could be) embodied EXCELLENCE when he used to famously ask while growing up: “Did you do your best?” That school principal question pertained even when I got failing grades in math. LOL.
To learn more about how I can help you gain the COMPLETE SUPPORT you deserve from all service providers, please take advantage of my complimentary Readiness Session at https://www.copingwithuncopeableparents.com/coaching/
Carol-Ann Hamilton
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