Residents Who Shape Culture: The Relational Approach with Rose Lamb and Lou Watson

What if the most powerful voice in the hiring process isn’t the manager, but the resident?

In today’s episode, Rose Lamb and Lou Watson show us what it looks like when residents aren’t just living in a seniors’ community, they’re shaping it. As a 92-year-young resident at The Village of Taunton Mills, Lou brings wisdom, wit, and a clear voice to the hiring table – literally. Together with Rose, Senior VP at Schlegel Villages, they share how involving residents in the interview process strengthens culture, trust, and connection.

This episode is a powerful reminder that when we see residents as contributors, not just recipients, we create more meaningful, human-centered care environments. From the “Wisdom of the Elder” program to the five pillars of Schlegel’s “Connect the Dots” philosophy, Rose and Lou walk us through what a relational approach really looks like in practice.

You’ll hear:
– How involving residents in hiring decisions can strengthen culture and connection
– What Lou looks for in a candidate (and why it’s not just about the resume)
– Why “value-added” is Lou’s north star when it comes to team fit
– How Schlegel Villages builds their relational culture through “Connect the Dots”
– Why honouring grief, autonomy, and different personalities matters in resident engagement

This is a rich, honest conversation about leadership, legacy, and why wisdom belongs at the center of how we build culture in seniors’ care.

You can learn more about Schlegel Villages here

Lou Watson’s bio:

Lila Mae (Lou) Watson is a former appointed member of the Council of the Ontario College of Teachers. While on Council she served on the Executive Committee and several other committees including the Accreditation Committee.  She was chair of the Fitness to Practice Committee. Lou has 35 years experience in public education with the Scarborough Board of Education. She received a B.A. from York University, a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of Toronto (OISE) and the Supervisory Officer’s qualifications with the Ministry of Education. She has been a teacher, curriculum chairman, vice-principal, principal, a centrally assigned principal in charge of special education, and superintendent. At the Scarborough Board, Lou was responsible for the establishment of the Scarborough Progress Career Planning Centre and served as the chair of the Board. Since her retirement in 1997 she has served as chair of the Toronto Strategic Business Alliance’s Sub-Committee on School to Work Transition and past chair of the Progress Career Planning Centre Board. Lou has also chaired the committee on school councils for the Ministry of Education. She currently chairs or is a member of several education-related committees and boards.

Rose Lamb’s bio:

Rose is the Senior Vice President (Eastern Villages) at Schlegel Villages. She provides direct operational support to the general managers and leadership teams of the eastern Villages. Her daily aspiration is to help these teams make effective decisions that encompass the organization’s five key success factors: people development; product quality; customer experience; profitability/sustainability; and culture change.