Look at any hospitals annual report or publication and you will usually find them. Walk the hallways or inspect the lobby and you will typically see them there as well. I’m talking about your organization’s values. No matter what you call them, when you look at health systems’ mission statements, purpose, or values, you have to be impressed. They focus on elements like patients, compassion, the community and high quality care. They are powerful and can provide clear direction for every employee.
Now, here’s the gut check: from top to bottom, how well is your organization living it? Most organizations do a decent job or can point to a couple of departments where the culture is really strong. But it seems many fall back to excuses like, “that department will never get it” or “our admins seem to be all over it”. A strong consistent culture can be a huge competitive advantage. Successful organizations always seem to have it and those on the decline or staying the same are in desperate need of it. Let’s do some benchmarking from the best.
The best organizations start every meeting, huddle and debrief talking about their values and culture. They look for stories within their organization that reinforce the culture and get those stories out to everyone. They recognize folks who are living the values as well as getting results. Hiring guides include questions which focus on the values and if there are question marks on an applicant, they don’t get hired (regardless of qualifications). Orientation includes a portion dedicated to the culture. There is never a better time than today to recommit to your organization’s culture. It can become the catalyst to improved results and consistency across all departments. Don’t take my word for it. Look at the top companies in any industry and you will find a strong culture as the foundation.
