You're Not Building a Team. You're Building a Culture.

I love sports.

Not because I can tell you every statistic or remember who won the championship each year. I think sports are great because they remind us of something unmistakably true in every profession.

Talent doesn't win championships. Teams do.

Every year after the draft is all said and done, you'll see a team stacked with superstar athletes making bank on loads of NIL deals.  Yet at the end of the season, they fail to make it to the finals.

Why?

Like it or not, talent can only take you so far down the road.

The teams that win create a culture of trust amongst one another. They communicate with each other on and off the court (or field). At the end of the day, each player knows their role. We've all seen games where players are trying to outshine one another, which ultimately leads to fumbles and missed shots.  Rather, great teams work together as one unit and all while being focused on the same goal.

Believe it or not, healthcare isn't any different.

I've walked into ARF and RCFE facilities with beautiful buildings, updated policies, and all the right paperwork... yet the culture was struggling.

On the flip side, I've been in facilities that didn't have every bell and whistle, but the staff genuinely cared about one another and the residents.

Guess which one I'd choose every time?

Hands down, culture always wins.

Good to Great.

One of my favorite leadership books is Good to Great by Jim Collins.

He spent years studying companies that went from average to exceptional, trying to answer one question:

What separates good organizations from truly great ones?

This is one lesson that has always stuck with me. Because it truly matters and makes THE difference.

Before you worry about the strategy or growth, or fixing every problem you face, you must get the right people on your team.

Jim Collins calls it "First Who... Then What."

It's simple.  When you have the right people on your team, almost every challenge is easier. On the other hand, the wrong people make even the best plan fall apart.  Let’s face it.  We’ve all seen it. 

In today’s world, staffing can be a challenge.  And while you’re certainly eager to hire and fill a schedule, I caution you to take a step back before you make your next hire. 

Because at the end of the day, if you hire too quickly, the same cycle starts all over again and you’ll find yourself in the same shoes once again. 

√ Short-staffed.

√ Call-offs are piling up.

√ Residents still need care.

√ Feel the need to hire the first person who can start

√ More hours spent on-boarding and training new staff members

I get it.  Sometimes you have to do what you need to do, but if that becomes your hiring strategy instead of your emergency plan, you're creating problems you'll spend months trying to fix.

• One person with a poor attitude can drain an entire shift.
• One person who refuses to communicate creates confusion for everyone.
• One person who doesn't buy into your mission can slowly chip away at the culture you've worked so hard to build.

Skills can be taught, but character is a lot harder.

I also like to think of this as enthusiasm and passion for their job.

Another book that I absolutely love is Enthusiasm: The Action Handbook, by Norman Vincent Peale. It explains the power of enthusiasm and a positive mindset, which is something that truly cannot be taught.  Peale states, “Enthusiasm like measles, mumps, and the common cold, is highly contagious.  But unlike measles,  mumps and colds, enthusiasm is good for you. I hope you catch it, and good.”

You want people in your facility who will spread a positive mindset rather than those who dig their heels and attempt to fill your facility with complaints and negativity.

Every Position Matters

One of the biggest leadership mistakes I see is treating some positions like they're "more important" than others.

They're not. Everyone matters from the caregivers, med techs, cooks to the activities coordinator, maintenance technician, and the housekeeper.

In the early 1960s, during a visit to NASA, John F. Kennedy reportedly noticed a janitor carrying a broom.

Kennedy asked him, "What do you do here?"

Instead of saying, "I clean floors," or "I'm the janitor," the man replied:

"I'm helping put a man on the moon."

Whether those exact words were ever spoken isn't certain, but the lesson has endured because it captures a powerful truth about leadership.

The janitor understood that his job wasn't just to clean bathrooms or empty trash cans. His work contributed to a much larger mission. A clean, organized environment supported the scientists, engineers, and astronauts who were working toward one extraordinary goal.

Every person in a residential care facility contributes to the resident experience.

• The housekeeper isn't just cleaning rooms, they're helping create a safe, comfortable home.
• The dietary staff isn't just serving meals, they're nourishing residents and creating moments of connection.
• The maintenance technician isn't just fixing a handrail, they're helping prevent falls.
• The medication technician isn't just passing meds, they're supporting health and well-being.
• The administrator isn't just managing schedules, they're creating the culture that makes compassionate care possible.

When every team member understands that their role contributes to the same mission, the culture changes. People stop thinking, "That's not my job," and start thinking, "How does what I do help our residents?

As I wrap this up, I want you to think about that championship team one more time.

When a coach is building a team, they're not just looking for the fastest player or the one who scores the most points. They're looking for people who fit the culture they're trying to build. They want players who encourage their teammates, communicate under pressure, stay coachable, and are willing to do the little things that rarely make the highlight reel.

Because at the end of the season, nobody remembers who had the best warm-up. They remember who won.

The same is true in residential care.

Every person you hire either strengthens your culture or slowly chips away at it. There really isn't much middle ground.

That's why hiring isn't just about filling an opening. It's one of the most important leadership decisions you'll ever make.

• See beyond the résumé.
• Look beyond who's available the quickest.
• Search for people who believe in your mission, who care about others, and who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Can skills be taught? Absolutely.

Can procedures be learned? Of course.

But it's much harder to teach someone to care..

That's how great teams are built and that's how great facilities are created.

At the end of the day, your residents don't benefit because one person carried the team. They benefit because every member of the team showed up, knew their role, and was committed to the same goal.

It is truly the kind of culture worth building. And, on top of that, every great culture starts with one question:

Who will you choose to join your team?

The UCampus Group Team