When our organization turned 30 years old we decided it was time to reflect on our current culture. An organization’s culture is the values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization. What we found was that there was room for improvement in how we interact with our patients, their families and each other.
In order to improve the culture of our organization, we needed first to educate employees about our expectations. The tool that was developed to guide employees’ values and behaviors is called The Service Pledge. This Pledge is based upon three core organizational goals.
• Caring for our Patients
• Caring for Each Other
• Caring for our Communities
There are many values embedded in our Service Pledge, but as you will see in this video honesty, empathy and accountability are the main themes upon which The Pledge was built.
The ultimate goal of The Service Pledge is to encourage behavior in the workplace that creates a positive environment where employees enjoy coming to work and provide exceptional care to our patients.
MAKE GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS
- Acknowledge visitors and customers
- Greet each person in a way that is appropriate for the situation
- Address the person by their preferred name and/or title
- Make eye contact
- Be aware and sensitive to the impression you create by your appearance
- Wear your name badge so your name is visible
- Introduce yourself and your role in the organization
- If someone is lost or confused, stop and ask, “How may I help you?”
- Escort them to the location they are trying to find or provide a resource to help them
- In all communications create a professional first impression…you do not get a second chance to make a great first impression
- Identify your department and yourself when answering phones, indicate a desire to help, and get permission and express thanks before putting someone on hold
- Say “hello” to guests, patients, and co-workers in the hallways
SHOW CARE AND CONCERN
- Be proactive in finding solutions rather than simply reacting
- Demonstrate a caring attitude and a willingness to go the extra mile
- Show empathy by putting yourself in that person’s shoes
- Listen without interruption – stop what you are doing and minimize distractions
- Make eye contact and have “open” body language
- Confirm understanding
- Treat each customer as if meeting his/her needs is the most important thing you have to do that day
RESPECT THE DIGNITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF OTHERS
- Assist your co-workers; ask, “How may I help you?” or “Am I providing you what you need?”
- Look for ways to combine resources
- Speak positively about other team members and departments; be open, honest and direct
- Address conflict effectively by going to the individual directly and in a private setting; include the appropriate supervisor when necessary
- Make sure your individual behaviors help to promote teamwork and contribute to organizational excellence
- Acknowledge and respect cultural diversity in all interactions
- Arrive at meetings on time, give your full attention and remain engaged
- Do not bring your cell phone to meetings if you are going to use it for anything that is not related to the meeting
- Respond to e-mail and voicemail within two (2) business days
- Indicate absences of more than one (1) day on e-mail and voicemail greetings
- Our core values are integrity, honesty, responsibility, trust and respect
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
- Always explain the “why” behind our policies and procedures vs. reciting the policy and explainour systems in a manner that promotes understanding
- Keep people informed on a timely basis and explain any delays
- Be proactive with information; ask, “What questions do you have for me?” and “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
- Say “thank you”
OWN THE PROBLEM…GO THE EXTRA MILE
- Take responsibility for solving the problem
- Offer solutions, take action, and strive to exceed expectations
- Adopt a “Can Do” attitude
- Respond to requests as soon as possible and establish a timeframe for follow-up, i.e.…“Is 10 minutes OK?”
- Always follow through
INITIATE QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
- Add your value to the organization; initiate and participate in performance improvement and offer suggestion…be open to new ideas
- Celebrate best practices
- Take the initiative to make things better and celebrate successes
- Utilize resources as if they were your own
- Expect the best and have zero tolerance for anything less than excellence
- Embrace change and make the growth of your colleagues and the organizations a priority
ORGANIZATIONAL PRIDE – Making a commitment to the organization and constantly striving to support the culture
- Accept the responsibilities of your job
- Adhere to policies and procedures
- Complete work on time with accuracy and precision
- Help keep the environment clean and welcoming
- Lead by example
- Do the right thing
- Do everything you can to reduce noise in the patient areas
- We are a healthcare environment; speak softly whenever possible and remind others to do the same