Lenbrook

"Shining star" employees -- or associates as we call our employees here at Lenbrook -- stand out by their nature and tend to receive frequent recognition. But what about associates who work behind the scenes, or in less visible positions and provide invaluable momentum to the team and the organization as a whole? That's the delicate but critical balance we've aimed to achieve with our new associate recognition program. 

It takes the efforts of every individual to make a successful team and hence a successful organization. This is especially true at Lenbrook.

Everyone says time goes faster the older you get. If that's the case, I'm getting older really fast. Actually, I prefer the alternative explanation which says, "Time flies when you're having fun." Naturally, it's easy to have more fun if you're actively engaged in doing what you love. That's how I'd describe this past year at Lenbrook -- a year filled with enjoyment in our community as residents engage with life and pursue what's meaningful to them.

I heard an analogy not too long ago from an advisor at Jackson Spalding and it stuck with me ... so much that I used the analogy to kick off a monthly resident information meeting. It's about the making of a cake. 

Most cakes are made with simple ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, milk or water, baking soda, eggs, and of course flavoring -- vanilla, chocolate, etc. When you see a cake, whether it's a sheet cake or a seven-layer cake, do you see the eggs? Not really. Why not? Because all the ingredients combine to make it into a fluffy, delicious dessert. 

For many years, we lived happily in our older home in Buckhead's Tuxedo Park in the summer and in our patio home in Tequesta, Florida, in winter. In January of 2013, however, our Atlanta home was burglarized while we were away. Then, in February, a large pine tree fell on the roof during a storm. All of this prompted us to begin thinking about the next phase of our lives, which would likely involve simpler living arrangements.

Doing Our Homework