Posted by Kristin Baird on January 17th, 2019 • No Comments »

We are such creatures of habit. It is that tendency that causes us to look past the things that can diminish a positive customer experience. Often times as a result of habituation.

Habituation, defined as the diminishing of physiological or emotional response to frequently repeated stimulus. In layman’s terms, it is the process where we simply get used to our surroundings. That helps us feel comfortable, which is a good thing. But that comfort isn’t good when it comes to looking past things that affect the patient experience. Read more...

What’s The Story?

Posted by Kristin Baird on January 8th, 2019 • No Comments »

Culture is created and sustained by the stories told by its people. When you think about your organization, what stories are being shared? How are you seeking stories? What channels are you using to share stories that advance the reputation, brand and values? To drive a value-based culture – one with a passion for excellence; take the time to design and execute a solid storytelling strategy. And by the way, an email or memo alone won’t do the trick to tell a story. Read more...

Working Holidays

Posted by Kristin Baird on December 20th, 2018 • No Comments »

Holiday time means decorations, parties, gifts and traditions for many of us. But not everyone gets to spend them with friends and family. Hospitals are a 24/7/365 operation which means a significant number of healthcare workers will be spending as much (or more) time working than at home with family and friends.

Foster Gratitude

If you’re one of the lucky ones who has a break over the holidays, take time to thank your co-workers who will be on the front lines. Read more...

How to Become a Soul-crushing Micromanager

Posted by Kristin Baird on December 11th, 2018 • No Comments »

I’m pretty sure no one sets out to be a soul-crushing manager. In fact, most of us start with really good intentions. So with all these great intentions, how do we get there? By being a micromanager. I’ve never seen a management training or an MBA program with curriculum focused on becoming soul-crushing micromanagers. But it happens. If you’ve ever worked for a micromanager, you know just how stifling it can be. Here are just a few signs that you might be one: Read more...

Constantly looking over people’s shoulders
Questioning every decision made by your team members

Quality Assurance Applies to the Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 27th, 2018 • No Comments »

The term quality assurance or QA has been around since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Simply put – it is a process or system for monitoring products or services to ensure that they meet the standard.

Patient Satisfaction

Healthcare organizations are always striving to improve quality, but the term quality often applies only to clinical outcomes. What about patient experience? If you have set standards for customer service, what are you doing to monitor the consistency? Of course you are measuring patient satisfaction, but that is a lagging indicator with little or no “story” value to personalize the events and attribute the service to specific individuals. I find that it’s the stories that move people into action. Read more...

Is your gratitude showing?

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 21st, 2018 • No Comments »

My team and I have been on the road doing culture assessments for various health systems recently and have found some common denominators among the organizations that struggle with engagement, patient satisfaction and financial performance.Among other things, these cultures don’t foster recognition and gratitude.

Show Appreciation

It saddens me when I see healthcare workers starving for even the smallest crumbs of appreciation. After all, they are the ones on the frontline creating the customer experience. When workers feel appreciated, they engage and deliver better patient experiences. Let them know how much you appreciate them – that you’re thankful to have them on your team. That they make you proud. Read more...

Want Better Employee Engagement? Measure Joy

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 19th, 2018 • No Comments »

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the National Center for Healthcare Leadership’s (NCHL) conference on human capital in Chicago. I heard a number of great speakers and walked away inspired and armed with great ideas to share. One of the topics worth sharing is the concept of measuring joy.

Measure Joy

We survey our patients and employees all the time to collect hard data that drives decision-making. Most health systems don’t even measure employee engagement annually. They rely on once every three years – which is an entirely different subject for another blog. Yet, with all that measuring, we miss the opportunity to look around for signs of joy in real time. Read more...

Quality Assurance for Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 7th, 2018 • No Comments »

No one would argue the value of quality assurance in healthcare. It has proven to be absolutely essential in achieving high clinical standards. Because the stakes are so high it is important to be sure things are done right the first time and every time. Patient experience should be treated with the same stringent standards and validated through observation. Mystery shopping is a reliable method of validation of human behavior and environment. Yet some healthcare leaders shy away from mystery shopping because it implies spying. Let’s take away the term mystery shopping for discussion purposes and replace it with the term quality assurance assessments. Does it feel different? Perhaps. Read more...

Show Them The Way

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 1st, 2018 • No Comments »

20 years ago that I first wrote about the merits of creating behavior-based service standards as a way to articulate clear expectations. Setting standards may seem basic, but it’s amazing how often this level-setting step is skipped.

Establish Standards

Leaders often tell me that they haven’t established behavior-based standards because they feel that the organization’s values are enough. Although values are essential, it is the standards that clarify how to live the values through consistent behaviors. I like to think of service standards as the organization’s “way.” When organizations are successful at establishing and sustaining standards, it just becomes their way of life. Read more...

Manage Wait Time Expectations for a Better Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on October 30th, 2018 • No Comments »

Have you ever checked in for a medical appointment at the scheduled time only to be left waiting? I’m willing to bet that anyone reading this blog will say yes to this question. The challenge in most waiting situations is that no one lets you know that there will be a wait or what the wait time is. Personally, I can tolerate waiting much better if someone keeps me informed. Read more...

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It’s Right in Front of You – Why You’re Missing Clues About Your Patient Experience