Helen started working summers and school holiday vacation times in a senior living community while she was in high school. She realized that she not only enjoyed working with older adults but had a natural vocation for this type of work. After graduating high school, she furthered her schooling in spurts since she didn’t have the finances to attend higher education full time. In time her dream of degrees in gerontology faded because life got in the way. She also knew the natural beauty of youth was fading, and she wasn’t sure what to do about that either. One day she came across an article in a magazine that mentioned having a makeover. That was it, she thought to herself. Time for a complete re-do!

And she did invest in a physical makeover altering her thoughts about her appearance. Next, she spoke up at the meeting the staff held each month in her senior living community. After telling everyone about her makeover refreshing her self-image, she suggested they do the same for all of the staff regarding their work.  It was time for some fresh training sessions to bring them up to date on new rules and regulations and maybe improve their work performance. She believed it would help newer, inexperienced members of the food serving team and bring additional life to those who had been on the job for a long time. It’s time for the company to show how they value us by investing in the further education of our food serving skills. Every one of us on the staff has performed as food servers even if we do not serve meals daily.

Investing in a remote Kind Dining♥ training and coaching program is what Helen had in mind. While having lunch with a friend recently, who is also a food server but in a different community, their conversation slipped into their work, as it often happens. She liked the idea of interaction and practice, not just lectures that her friend described to her. She said it was essential that we understand our role in being a vital part of the community on the food serving team. Our courtesy, social skills, and proper serving techniques make a big difference. They matter! Residents expect it, and we want to keep our residents happy. Her friend called them the secret to success, reminding her that the books on service standards in the dining area do not mention this part of being a top-notch food server. Federal guidelines and state regulations don’t suggest courtesy or positive attitudes either. Helen learned a lot from her lunch companion and looked forward to the Kind Dining sessions she convinced her boss to invest in.

B♥ Kind ®Tip: Is there a new food server on staff that needs a helping hand?