September 8, 2023
A Shared Responsibility
The Admiral at the Lake wholeheartedly dedicates itself to building and nurturing an accepting environment, recognizing that the sense of shared responsibility is fundamental to its realization.
The latest round of affiliate grants provided by Kendal Charitable Funds allowed the community to roll out new DEIAB (diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging) knowledge and share lessons learned with all Kendal affiliates, reaching beyond The Admiral’s four walls. DEIAB efforts can help the workforce challenge by bridging the cultural gap that creates barriers to staff entry and retention.
The funds supported two projects at The Admiral. The first was to engage a consulting firm to lead an employee workshop addressing the community’s Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Cultural Values (CV). Secondly, The Admiral aimed to identify two ambassadors to become certified in the Cultural Intelligence program to facilitate these workshops in the future.
An Increased Awareness of Values
The Admiral team quickly assembled to bring an experienced culture consultant to the campus. This representative provided the desired training to the leadership team at The Admiral and a group of residents, staff and board members that expressed interest in participating in the cultural values workshop.
Immediately upon completing the training, participants shared they better understood their peer’s values, backgrounds, working, and living styles. They also expressed their ability to appreciate better that everyone at The Admiral may communicate differently but that all are striving for the same goals and mission. Two staff DEIAB ambassadors were also identified and completed their “train-the-trainer” CQ program certification to lead these workshops in the future. The Admiral ambassadors are preparing to roll out an even more robust DEIAB program this year. The Admiral solidified the cultural belief and action statement and is committed to continuing its growth in cultural intelligence.
Funds provided by Kendal Charitable Funds
Kendal believes that a spirit of inclusion and a culture of diversity enrich and strengthen communities, people and services. Creating this environment requires concentrated efforts and is the shared responsibility of each community and team member.
Kendal Charitable Funds, which was incorporated in 1989, supports the charitable goals and aspirations of The Kendal Corporation, its network of affiliates and the wider world of aging. The 2022 Affiliate Grant program provided support to Kendal affiliates in areas focused on increasing commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and a sense of Belonging (DEIB), particularly among employees. Each month we plan to share a story from a Kendal affiliate to highlight the strides they made in DEIB initiatives as it relates to the workforce.