Denise Boudreau, President - Drive
About Denise:
Denise Boudreau is the President of Drive, a company that helps senior living organizations create cultures where team members and residents thrive. A former Nursing Home and Assisted Living Administrator with 17 years of on-the-ground experience, Denise brings real-world insight to culture transformation.
She is the founder of the New Jersey Alliance for Culture Change, Secretary of the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), and serves on both the NJ Nursing Home Administrator Licensing Board and the board of Parker Life. Her career began as a CNA and dietary aide, inspired by caring for her grandmother. Denise holds a Master’s in Health Administration from Cornell University, currenlty lives in Key West, and especially loves to help people find their purpose and joy.
Like many of us in the field, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Denise and/or bumping into her in many different places. She’s been a keynote speaker for our state conference, an attendee/presenter at national conferences as well as leading team workshops and spearheading culture focus civil money penalty grant projects. She is known and recognized by many as being a strong leader and advocate for our field, so it was an honor to learn about Denise’s book recommendation, “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath.
Book Recommendation: “Switch”, by Chip and Dan Heath
Why you like it:
It made me think completely differently about what it takes to get people to change their mind, including myself! The book is a fun read, with a lot of research and as a self-proclaimed nerd I love to know that there is data behind concepts. The information is shared in very actionable ways so that you can use it to help create a systematic change at work or use it at home to get your child to clean their room!
Some key concepts:
Direct the Rider: Appeal to the rational side by providing clear direction, setting specific goals, and offering a logical plan
Motivate the Elephant: Engage the emotional side by appealing to people's emotions, finding the positive aspects, and creating an environment that encourages motivation and enthusiasm.
Shape the Path: Alter the surrounding environment to make change easier by removing obstacles, providing support and resources, and establishing the right atmosphere for new behaviors.
Overall, "Switch" emphasizes the importance of balancing logic and emotion, as well as shaping the environment, to facilitate successful change efforts.
How can it help senior living leaders:
"Switch" can help senior living leaders by providing strategies to effectively lead and navigate change in their organizations. It offers insights on how to motivate and engage employees, establish clear goals, and create an environment that supports and facilitates the desired changes.