Excuses are, perhaps, the greatest barrier to achieving greatness in both our personal and professional lives. Healthcare organizations often embrace a culture of excuses without even realizing that it’s happening. I frequently witness healthcare leaders engaging in excuse-making to explain away poor patient satisfaction scores. Organizations, far too often, accept the excuses without questioning.

I was recently at a meeting where leaders were reviewing their patient satisfaction scores for the previous year. The data showed a decline in scores over a three-month period. As the group reviewed the data, a discussion ensued about the decline. One leader stated “We were under construction.” Another added “We were short staffed.” I watched as everyone nodded, accepting these explanations.  Read more...