I LIVE IT: New Hospitality Program Unveiled

After investing nearly a year of looking into the latest in hospitality program development, United Church Homes is introducing an all-new hospitality program — I LIVE IT — and looking to improve its customer service metrics while also ensuring that the ministry’s culture empowers staff to exercise servant leadership.

Amy Kotterman, director of hospitality, chaired a task force of staff from across the organization to develop the conceptual foundations of the I LIVE IT program. “We began with the idea of how best to provide hospitality training that would help bring abundant life to our residents,” said Amy. “We focused on keeping things simple, and integrating the new program with United Church Homes’ mission, vision, and core values.” The I LIVE IT hospitality program is designed for all staff, whether they work in a housing community, a healthcare community, or the central offices.

The program’s training modules cover areas that involve interaction with customers, from greeting guests to using facial expressions, body language, and vocal tone, from attentive responses to teamwork. “Hospitality covers every conceivable interaction, in every setting from the parking lot to public restrooms,” said Amy. “So the training is focused on emphasizing the principles to guide how to respond in specific situations.”

Even the use of different words to describe a common situation can have a powerful impact on how others respond or feel. Here are some responses from Fairhaven Community residents to two alternative words which describe the same concept:

“What we’re finding in the training is that the words we use, over a long period of time, have a significant impact,” said Amy, who explained that’s the idea associated with introducing a new word each week. “The changes we’ve witnessed in a few weeks have been amazing.”

Inspired by the iconic LOVE sculptures around the globe, it was only fitting that the I LIVE IT logo adopt this visual reminder of the program. “We’ve chosen to borrow the image,” said Amy. “It’s from the original idea that our new hospitality program comes. From LOVE comes United Church Homes’ hospitality program, I LIVE IT.”

I Listen. I Inspire. I Value. I Empower.

Facility:

hospital, dry, Army base, place with no personality

Community:

village, neighbors, gathering, togetherness

Patient:

sickness, hurting, needy, needing a doctor

Resident:

permanence, home, family

Unit/Wing:

intensive care unit, hospital, section, cold/sterile

Neighborhood:

home, backyard, street, place where you can talk

Elderly:

old, sickly, feeble, older than us

Older Adults:

well-seasoned people, experienced, parents, wise beyond years