It is often tough to change the customs of a company or other concern, particularly when it consists of many members who may not all be in the same location. It is always helpful to review the strategies that other teams have found successful in the past. Adventist Midwest Health is just such a success story.
Consisting of 5,000 very busy healthcare employees spread out over multiple hospitals, outpatient facilities, and support offices, Adventist started first with simple, concrete actions that could be implemented and talked about by every employee.
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. This often resulted in patients perceiving that the quality of care they received was substandard, although this was not the case.
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. And, while some organizations may have attempted to change the culture with a vague mandate such as “be friendly,” Adventist realized it needed to break the concept down into simple concrete actions.
Consultants from the Studer Group helped the leaders of Adventist to implement the 10/5 Rule. Employees were directed to give direct eye contact to any staff member, patient or vendor they encountered within ten feet of them, and to greet them if within five feet.
The result was a benchmark everyone shared and a name to identify it by. The employees would check each other on whether or not they were following the rule and kept each other accountable. While it was no fun to be corrected if they forgot to greet someone, all staff agreed that working together to create a friendlier environment was gratifying.
Adventist’s culture has changed significantly since the implementation of the 10/5 Rule. 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. Concrete steps to achieve change work best.
The authors of the book, Influencer found that in successful change efforts, leaders identify vital behaviors. These are the action steps needed to lead to other, less tangible change. In this example, the vital behavior was looking up and acknowledging one another. While just doing that didn’t completely change the culture of the organization, it did create a ripple effect that resulted in other positive change.
2. Make messages “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. Encourage everyone involved to hold each other accountable.
Finally, the accountability factor was critical to the successful outcome of Adventist’s campaign. Employees throughout the organization were asked to hold each other accountable for the effective use of the 10/5 rule. Everyone was tuned into and dedicated to the success of enforcing the rule.
Organizational culture is difficult to define because it is so abstract. Adventist’s experience teaches us that by changing specific, concrete behaviors, the culture of the organization will most likely also change as a result.
Vinnie Garufi is the Director of Organization and Leadership Development for Adventist Midwest Health. Wendy Mack is a consultant, speaker, and change catalyst who specializes in leadership and change management. For more articles and resources on mobilizing energy for change, visit www.WendyMack.com.