It can be a challenge to modify the customs of a whole organization, particularly if the staff is large and spread over several locations. It is always helpful to review the strategies that other teams have found successful in the past. For example, consider the story of Adventist Midwest Health.
Adventist needed to start with straightforward, concrete steps that all 5,000 employees, spread over multiple facilities including hospitals, outpatient and support locations, could talk about and achieve.
A major goal was to correct patient's and patient's family's opinion regarding the quality of care they were receiving. The organization had always been dedicated to providing great medical care, but it often happened that the staff's focus on the task at hand caused the impression they were in a hurry and non-communicative to those they encountered during the day. While this was not correct, patients often expressed concern over the health care quality they were receiving as a result.
Adventist took on the challenge of becoming a more responsive organization that was committed to responsive communication with all parties, as it knew this was imperative to gaining the trust of patients and their families. It is common in many organizations to attempt to change the employee's behavior with a vague directive such as "be nice to people", but Adventist knew it was important to define manageable actions that would help them to reach that goal.
Consultants from the Studer Group helped the leaders of Adventist to implement the 10/5 Rule. Staff were trained to look any patient, staff member or vendor in the eye who was within ten feet, and to say "hi" to them if they were within five feet.
What resulted was that the entire staff had a model to strive for with a specific name. The employees would check each other on whether or not they were following the rule and kept each other accountable. Most agreed they didn't like to be corrected by a co-worker for failing to greet someone in passing, but acknowledged that the process resulted in a friendlier environment for staff and patients alike.
Since it was implemented, the 10/5 Rule has become a way of life at Adventist. It only took a month of using the rule before patients started commenting on the positive changes and employees began enjoying their work day more.
Lessons Learned
Adventist's experience with the 10/5 rule brings up several points regarding change and influence.
1. Make change concrete.
The authors of the book, Influencer found that in successful change efforts, leaders identify vital behaviors. Vital behaviors are the few key actions that lead to other changes. In this example, the vital behavior was looking up and acknowledging one another. While this one action didn't change the culture, it did create a cascade of other changes.
2. Messages should be "sticky"
In their book, Made to Stick, researchers (and brothers) Chip and Dan Heath argue that an idea needs to be "sticky" enough for people to first understand it and then communicate it to others in order for it to spread. Adventist's 10/5 rule was sticky - it was simple, concrete, catchy, and memorable enough to spread.
3. Make it a priority for all members of the organization to share accountability.
The final lesson learned is that shared accountability is a crucial factor to the positive outcome of the initiative. Adventist leadership encouraged employees and staff throughout the Adventist organization to hold each other accountable with respect to the use of the 10/5 rule. This involved the entire staff in the success of the campaign.
Organizational culture is difficult to define because it is so abstract. However, the lessons learned from Adventist is that, rather than trying to force a certain culture on an organization, it is better to focus on changing specific key behaviors, which, when changed, will ultimately lead to a successful change in the overall culture. - 31963
Adventist needed to start with straightforward, concrete steps that all 5,000 employees, spread over multiple facilities including hospitals, outpatient and support locations, could talk about and achieve.
A major goal was to correct patient's and patient's family's opinion regarding the quality of care they were receiving. The organization had always been dedicated to providing great medical care, but it often happened that the staff's focus on the task at hand caused the impression they were in a hurry and non-communicative to those they encountered during the day. While this was not correct, patients often expressed concern over the health care quality they were receiving as a result.
Adventist took on the challenge of becoming a more responsive organization that was committed to responsive communication with all parties, as it knew this was imperative to gaining the trust of patients and their families. It is common in many organizations to attempt to change the employee's behavior with a vague directive such as "be nice to people", but Adventist knew it was important to define manageable actions that would help them to reach that goal.
Consultants from the Studer Group helped the leaders of Adventist to implement the 10/5 Rule. Staff were trained to look any patient, staff member or vendor in the eye who was within ten feet, and to say "hi" to them if they were within five feet.
What resulted was that the entire staff had a model to strive for with a specific name. The employees would check each other on whether or not they were following the rule and kept each other accountable. Most agreed they didn't like to be corrected by a co-worker for failing to greet someone in passing, but acknowledged that the process resulted in a friendlier environment for staff and patients alike.
Since it was implemented, the 10/5 Rule has become a way of life at Adventist. It only took a month of using the rule before patients started commenting on the positive changes and employees began enjoying their work day more.
Lessons Learned
Adventist's experience with the 10/5 rule brings up several points regarding change and influence.
1. Make change concrete.
The authors of the book, Influencer found that in successful change efforts, leaders identify vital behaviors. Vital behaviors are the few key actions that lead to other changes. In this example, the vital behavior was looking up and acknowledging one another. While this one action didn't change the culture, it did create a cascade of other changes.
2. Messages should be "sticky"
In their book, Made to Stick, researchers (and brothers) Chip and Dan Heath argue that an idea needs to be "sticky" enough for people to first understand it and then communicate it to others in order for it to spread. Adventist's 10/5 rule was sticky - it was simple, concrete, catchy, and memorable enough to spread.
3. Make it a priority for all members of the organization to share accountability.
The final lesson learned is that shared accountability is a crucial factor to the positive outcome of the initiative. Adventist leadership encouraged employees and staff throughout the Adventist organization to hold each other accountable with respect to the use of the 10/5 rule. This involved the entire staff in the success of the campaign.
Organizational culture is difficult to define because it is so abstract. However, the lessons learned from Adventist is that, rather than trying to force a certain culture on an organization, it is better to focus on changing specific key behaviors, which, when changed, will ultimately lead to a successful change in the overall culture. - 31963
About the Author:
Vinnie Garufi is the Director of Organization and Leadership Development for Adventist Midwest Health. Wendy Mack is a consultant, speaker, and author who specializes in leadership and change management. For more articles and resources on mobilizing energy for change, visit WendyMack.com.
