When Culture Becomes the Cure: Transforming Healthcare from the Inside Out

Doctor, Woman, Nurse, and Healthcare Team

Silos in the workplace are a threat to communication, teamwork, innovation, morale, retention, performance, and safety. In 2009, we began a relationship with a healthcare organization who came to us with a multitude of challenges. A long-term partnership ensued, and additional human and organization development has been engaged up through 2023. There is a current pause in activity due to Strategic Plan priorities. It was identified that effective leadership—not just clinical excellence—was essential to this client’s success. Assessment, connection, communication, commitment, truth, trust, relationships, strategy, accountability, plan, and action were central to the change process.


Challenges

  • Departmental silos
  • Dealing with demanding patients and families
  • Staff needs related to being cared for and feeling valued
  • Recruiting and retention issues
  • Fears, running on fumes, drained, and exhausted was commonplace
  • Low employee morale (nurses, support staff)
  • Inconsistent performance feedback
  • Lack of internal capacity to train and develop staff
  • New hires didn’t feel connection to the organization or culture
  • Need to effectively, mindfully, and skillfully engage in difficult conversations (i.e. patients showing up or calling in upset, leadership and employee tensions, and peer-to-peer situations)
  • Teamwork needed
  • Lost the north star. Need a restart, refresh, restore


What We Did

  • Conducted a culture assessment and shared feedback with recommendations with the Sr. Leadership Team
  • Worked with leadership on Vision Statement, Values, Mission, Leadership Development, Service Excellence Behaviors, and establishing Metrics
  • Assisted in Service Excellence Strategy, Philosophy, and Culture Competence
  • Employed steps to manage emotions and situations, e.g.: frustration (acknowledge), irritation (align), anger (advocate)
  • Led yearly Service Excellence and Culture Competence training with all employees
  • Led a culture change to acknowledge and address apathy in order to establish and advance empathy
  • Instituted a 4-step de-escalation process for conflict and high-stress situations
  • Effectively trained all Front-Line Staff, Team Leads and Supervisors
  • Facilitated safe space for real talk, active listening, understanding, accepting accountability, and embracing change
  • Highlighted Emotional Intelligence throughout every aspect of training and consulting
  • Utilized and integrated MulticultuReal tools, skills, knowledge, and strategies throughout the organization


Measurable Results

  • This healthcare organization was named one of the Top 100 Workplaces for four consecutive years by the Chicago Tribune, as well as many other deserving accolades associated with MulticultuReal Professional Development
  • Reduction in medical errors due to better team coordination
  • Higher employee engagement scores on internal surveys
  • Increased patient satisfaction scores
  • Community engagement increased (i.e. external improvement based on internal improvement)

Let’s Start Building Your Thriving Workplace Culture