Orange City Area Health System

Finding Purpose in an Unexpected Career

I sit here today as a Licensed Nursing home Administrator, feeling blessed, but this was not my plan. After graduating from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, in 1987, my plan was simple. I wanted to become a successful schoolteacher and coach, and possibly become a professor and coach at the college level until I retire. But God had something else in store.

Everything started as planned when I landed my first head high school baseball coaching position and met my wife, JoAnn, at the school. After a few years teaching middle school Reading and Math, my teaching position was reduced, leaving me unemployed. The educational job opportunities in the 90s were significantly different from those today. “Back in the day,” hundreds of applicants would vie for one position, while today, schools are hungry for teachers.

Taking the First Step into Healthcare

After failing to land a new position, I began working evenings as a CNA at the nursing home two blocks from our home. I would watch our two boys during the day and then go to work, and JoAnn would watch them until I got home at night. I intended to make this work for a year until the next hiring cycle. Little did I know that this would be just the beginning of my journey and that I would never teach again. After a year as a CNA, the nursing home offered to send me to school for nursing.

My wife, JoAnn, carried a significant burden at home raising our boys while I worked full-time as a CNA, went to school full-time and served in the Iowa Air National Guard. Between work weekends and Guard drill weekends, we only had one free weekend a month! This would hold for the ten years I served in the Guard. Needless to say, I have a very special and supportive wife.

Carrying the Lessons of Teaching into Leadership

My career in healthcare continued to progress. I worked for several years as a floor nurse until transitioning to a Quality Control and Care Plan Nurse position and later a MDS Coordinator. After a few years in this role, I was offered the opportunity to manage an Assisted Living and Independent Living facility. It was in this area that I spent nearly seventeen years, most of them at The Orange City Area Health System.

As we lead our people, many things we want from them simply take an investment of time to develop.

Although these career changes were rarely planned, each one expanded my understanding of leadership. Teaching and coaching taught me to develop people. It is amazing how rewarding it is to take young students and players and help them go from struggling to success. Middle school students are especially confused about where they fit in due to their age. But once they get a taste of progress and a small taste of success, the momentum builds! When they know you believe in them, they begin to listen more, believe in themselves and simply do better. 

Building People through Practice and Coaching

My coaching career, although not exactly what I planned, spanned over thirty years. I had a great experience coaching high school baseball and even a Fall season of college ball, but the greatest blessing was being able to coach both my sons from youth ball through high school. Besides the obvious joy of coaching your sons, from a leadership standpoint, I learned the importance of investing time.

As we lead our people, many things we want from them simply take an investment of time to develop. This is an investment by the employee and the leader. To perform a task better, you must repeat it, you must practice and be “coached” along the way. It is a commitment by both to the goal.

As I served in different leadership roles, I have found success by keeping my approach simple. My interactions with staff, residents or families are based on the fact that we have more things in common than different. We all have life stories that have led us to the place we are today. My staff knows that I have done the work they are doing today. My staff and residents know I am present throughout the building and am willing to stop and listen.

Building Bridges through Presence and Listening

Just as my former students and players would be excited to tell stories about a weekend activity or a vacation, our residents love to share their life stories as well. By stopping, being present and listening, I build bridges with them and the families. There will be times when a team member or I will fall short, but that is why I build bridges to get over the water!

Looking ahead to the future, I would encourage new leaders to lead with their hearts and lean into their unique life experiences to drive their approach and connections with staff, residents, and families. Expectations are higher than ever these days, and you will fall short. Bridges are important.