Leadership Academy 2013-14 LeadingAge New York Feb. 2014 | Page 25

Laura Radensky
Director of Community Relations,
Community Services Division
Jewish Home Lifecare

Improving Communication
1

How would you describe your Action Learning Project and the difference you hope it will make to
advance your organization’s mission (or the field) and benefit the individuals you serve?

My action learning project grew out of the awareness that there is a tremendous amount of change occurring in the community
services division, as we close our Long Term Home Health Care Program and open a Certified Home Health Agency, and that
communication about changes being made was not always done effectively. I began with a focus on ways in which we provide verbal
and electronic communication to staff during this time of transition, with programs opening and closing. It metamorphosed towards
a project to improve the communication needed to ensure that the changes inherent in the expansion would be communicated
appropriately throughout the division as well as within the organization as a whole. The action learning project involves creating a
system for dissemination of information for the programs that are expanding in community services, so that all staff understand who
the new staff of those programs are, where staff and offices are located, how to access those staff, and a communication protocol
for disaster planning. More formalized communication will improve the ability of intake to know who they are contacting and what
our capacity is to provide the services in terms of numbers of clients that can be on service. The improved communication also helps
staff to feel that they are part of the process and knowledgeable about the goals of the changes and how they will continue to play
out. In addition, the ability of more staff to have knowledge of who to contact in the event of the need for disaster planning is crucial
to ensuring that all clients are accounted for.

2

How have the relationships you’ve developed as part of your project (with mentors, partners,
stakeholders, etc.) influenced this direction and you as a leader?

For this project I first started by speaking to staff in Human Resources as I was getting more of a sense of how staff transitions are
communicated and their perspective. This discussion really allowed more for a broad understanding of changes and helped to shape
it. From there I was able to speak to administrative staff that has a broader vision of the organizational needs and it was at this
point that my project came into more clear focus as the communication gaps involved in our expansion became clearer. In addition,
administrative buy-in was of course crucial. It was also pointed out that my position within the division is very much a global one and
that the other types of communications that I originally thought may be lacking do happen but in my position I may not be aware of
them. Finally I was in touch with the directors of the programs that are most involved in the expansion. The directors provided good
feedback as to exactly where the expansion stood in terms of current operational capacity and provided a reality check to begin with,
citing the future work still needed and providing more of a sense of the long-term range of some of the plans that need to be put in
place. It also became clear how overwhelming the operational side of this is to them and their desire to allow someone else to initiate
and implement the types of communication I spoke of and were willing to work with me as long as there is administrative backing.

3

What have been important turning points for you, in your own learning, as you’ve engaged with
the action learning process (you might consider a surprise, insight, setback, or challenge)?

My awareness of my own reactions to the various players as I have presented these ideas has been very informative for me. I can
see how as soon as someone has pointed out problems to my proposal that I am sometimes too quick to get on the defensive or to
immediately consider drastically changing it. In some instances, like my initial change from dealing solely with staff transitions, it is
important to be flexible and to ensure buy-in from key administrative staff. In other instances and something that I need to be on the
look-out for is to better monitor my own reactions and not get discouraged too quickly.
(continued on page 26)

IGNITE Leadership Academy Action Learning Project 2013-14

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