In business, the only thing that matters is what works, says Peder Johnsen, a third-generation specialist in senior living communities.

"The people in your company who are dealing with your customers - the clerks, the caregivers, the customer service reps - are where the rubber meets the road," says Johnsen, CEO of Concordis Senior Living, www.concordisseniorliving.com, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities.

"That's why it's essential for the company leaders, the men and women in the offices that are often far from the front lines, to be where the action is on a regular basis," he says.

Concordis' specialties include managing senior-living communities for other owners and developers, an art it has perfected, Johnsen says.

"We developed certain practices over the decades, first by building assisted-living communities and then by operating them," he says. "These practices work in any business because they keep the leadership actively involved in what's going well - and not - on the front lines, and provides a system for regular communication through all layers of the company."

Johnsen offers these tips for management that produces excellent results:

•  Identify the influencers in each work group. As with most businesses, senior living communities require teams of staff, from administrators to housekeepers and everyone in between. Within the various groups that make up your business, identify the key players - the people who influence others' behavior, whether or not they hold a title or official authority. Meet with them on a regular basis so you can stay plugged in to what's happening on the front lines.

•  Identify areas that need improvement. Talk to them about systems and areas that need to be fixed, overhauled or eliminated, and about how team members are working together. They'll often have ideas for innovations. The idea is not to look for people or problems to blame, but to work together to develop solutions and improve the team's overall efforts.

"The information you get in speaking with these key players is invaluable," Johnsen says. "There may be nothing at all wrong, which is great, but these meetings give you, the CEO or manager, the information you need to constantly improve. It also reinforces the message to employees that they and their ideas are valued members of the team."

•  Figure out those "wildly important goals." You can have the best people in the field working for you, yet if they're not specifically guided to a certain goal, they are putting their time and effort toward an end that they're assuming is correct. CEOs and other upper-level managers have the 30,000-foot view, so it's up to them to guide everyone beneath them.

"Short-term priorities may change slightly or drastically on a regular basis," Johnsen says. "Your team may be self-sufficient, but their vision is limited to their daily duties. If they don't know that a goal or objective has changed, they can't work toward it."

About Peder Johnsen

Peder Johnsen is the CEO of Concordis Senior Living, www.concordisseniorliving.com, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities. He's a third-generation assisted-living specialist whose grandfather and father built one of the first contemporary-style ALFs in Florida more than 30 years ago. Johnsen took over administration of two small facilities at age 18. Today, he runs the full spectrum of ALFs - from "ALF lites," where most residents live very independent lifestyles but know assisted-living services are available if they should need them, to homes specializing in care for residents with Alzheimer's and dementia. He is an industry leader in staff development and training, and has overseen the development, acquisition and financing of several communities.

Troy Scribner tosses shutout for a career-high 7 1/3 innings before yielding three-run homer

GENEVA, Ill. (August 14, 2014) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Troy Scribner had a team season high 10 strikeouts and 1-0 lead through seven innings Thursday, but he allowed three hits - including a three-run home run by center fielder Trey Martin - in Kane County's four-run eighth inning that lifted the Cougars to a 4-1 victory and third straight comeback win at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.

In his second Midwest League start, Scribner (0-2) retired the first 14 batters of the game - including seven on strikeouts - before Cougars third baseman Chesny Young singled to center field with two outs in the fifth inning. Scribner also allowed a two-out triple by left fielder Shawon Dunston Jr. in the sixth inning, but kept Kane County (32-20 second half, 77-45 overall) without a run through the first seven innings. Scribner became the first River Bandit pitcher with 10 strikeouts since Mike Hauschild struck out 10 Clinton batters June 30, 2013.

Cougars right-hander Duane Underwood matched Scribner for the first five innings, allowing three hits and four walks with four strikeouts. In the second inning, Quad Cities (25-27, 60-61) got a leadoff single by first baseman A.J. Reed, who went to third base after a walk and groundout. He was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice.

In the third inning, right fielder James Ramsay extended his season-high eight-game hitting streak with a single to right field and stole second base with center fielder Bobby Boyd batting. Boyd walked, and Ramsay and Boyd stole third and second base, respectively, with designated hitter Chase McDonald at the plate. Ramsay's two stolen bases made him the first Quad Cities player with 28 in a season since Matt Lemanczyk stole 48 bases in 2005.

After McDonald walked, Underwood struck out Reed and third baseman J.D. Davis to end the inning. Underwood allowed a leadoff single by left fielder Ryan Bottger in the fourth inning, but Bottger was caught stealing, and Underwood induced a double play to end the inning.

Right-hander Zak Hermans relieved Underwood to start the sixth inning in a scoreless game. Reed drew a one-out walk and went to third base on a wild pitch, before Davis hit an RBI single to right field to extend his seven-game hitting streak and give Quad Cities a 1-0 lead. A throwing error allowed Davis to reach third base, but Hermans escaped the inning and worked around a hit in the seventh inning as well.

In the pivotal bottom of the eighth inning, Young placed a leadoff double down the right-field line. After right fielder Jeffrey Baez lined out to first base, shortstop Carlos Penalver grounded an infield single behind second base to put runners at first and third bases. Martin then hit an 0-1 pitch out to left field for his second home run of the season and a 3-1 Cougars lead. Scribner was removed after a career-high 7 1/3 innings, in which he allowed three earned runs on five hits without a walk. Left-hander Jordan Mills then entered for his Midwest League debut and allowed a walk by Dunston and two-out RBI double by catcher Victor Caratini. In each of the three games of the series, the Cougars took the lead for good with a four-run inning. Kane County won the final seven games of the two teams' regular season series.

Cougars right-hander Jasvir Rakkar (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth inning around a walk and ninth inning around a single to earn the win.

Quad Cities opens a three-game home series against Burlington at 7 p.m. Friday at Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits left-hander Blaine Sims (3-4) is scheduled to face Bees right-hander Alex Blackford (1-3).

UP NEXT: A Fireworks Friday kicks off the next homestand, with a 7 p.m. game on City of Davenport Night and Global Cultural Night presented by Tyson Fresh Meats. When gates open at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the first 1,500 fans receive a Trevor Rosenthal Bobblehead courtesy of DHCU and FOX18. Sunday's 1:15 p.m. game is a Celebration and Appreciation of Senator Tom Harkin for 40 years of service with a bobblehead giveaway for the first 1,000 fans when gates open at noon. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com.

1. An invitation to participate in a televised debate hosted by KWWL-TV in late August or September in Waterloo and broadcast on KWWL, KTTC-TV in Mason City, and KTIV-TV in Sioux CIty.
2. A televised debate hosted by KCAU-TV during the week of October 6th in Sioux City and broadcast on KCAU, WOI-TV in Des Moines, and WHBF-TV in Davenport.
3. A televised debate hosted by Iowa Public Television on October 23, 2014, in Perry, Iowa, and broadcast statewide on IPTV.

Congressman: The United States should not engage in another open-ended conflict

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) is today asking Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to answer questions about the nature of America's recent military reengagement in Iraq after it was announced that the Pentagon was sending an additional 130 military personnel to northern Iraq.

"America has made enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and our commitment to ensuring its security has justifiably ended," Braley said. "While it's appropriate to take steps to address the humanitarian crisis and protect America's national security interests, I remain firmly opposed to another long, open-ended commitment that places our troops in harm's way and am deeply concerned by the recent decision to redeploy troops in Iraq."

In addition to outlining his concerns about involving America in another open-ended mission in Iraq, Braley asked Hagel to provide answers to a series of questions including the timetable for bringing home all American military personnel, the estimated cost of the current mission, and the Administration's intention to seek Congressional authorization for the mission.

"I believe the current situation in Iraq is a challenging one. However I do not believe the United States should engage in another long-term conflict in Iraq," Braley wrote.

A copy of Braley's letter is available online HERE.