Bridging the gap between service standards and daily habits
Have you ever experienced a moment when you spot a glaring gap between what an organization says about itself and what you experience? I recently encountered this disconnect during a culture assessment at a healthcare organization that perfectly illustrates why having service standards isn’t enough—unless those standards are actually exhibited by employees every day.
Standards Need to Be Real to Be Realized
Organizations can create impressive behavior-based standards, but unless they become integrated into daily work life and habits, they remain just words on paper.
During a recent culture assessment, I observed something telling as I walked through the hallways: employees weren’t acknowledging each other. They rarely smiled or greeted colleagues in the halls. Occasionally, they might give a verbal greeting to a patient or visitor, but with each other, they would often avert their eyes and look away. My impression? They don’t like each other much.
Yet this organization proudly proclaimed its commitment to service excellence. In fact, when I asked the leadership group about their service standards, they were eager to share their “We Care” acronym. They proudly walked me through what each of the letters stood for.
“We’ve trained everyone on these standards,” they assured me. “Everyone’s been exposed to them, so they should be following them.”
And yet, when I did a focus group with employees, their perspective was quite different.
Plaques and Training Are Not Enough
When we met with employees, we asked them how they knew what was expected of them regarding customer service and got some interesting answers.
Some mentioned the golden rule. Others cited the platinum rule. And some simply said, “It’s what’s in your heart.” I tried multiple approaches to spur a memory and get someone to mention the We Care standards. Not one person mentioned them despite the leadership’s assurance. It was clear that the We Care standards the leaders were so proud of— they were not top-of-mind or embedded in the culture.
Sure, they’d created standards. And they trained employees on the standards. But they hadn’t taken additional, ongoing steps to ensure the standards became woven into the fabric of the culture and daily operations.
A New Normal
This gap between stated values and daily behaviors creates what I call a “new normal”—an unofficial standard that is an organization’s reality.
I shared my observations with the CEO, suggesting that the organization’s actual standards had become “We may care about patients but not each other.” He vehemently disagreed. So I encouraged him to spend some time in high-traffic areas observing how often employees greeted each other versus how often they avoided eye contact.
When he returned, his response was simply, “Wow.”
That experience provided an important insight. Without consistent reinforcement, what you tolerate becomes your standard—your new normal. Behaviors that are consistently demonstrated and accepted become the real standard.
For this CEO, the moment of truth created an opportunity for a fresh start. “We’re going to do a culture reset,” he told me. “We need to revisit our standards and help everyone embrace them as a way to live our values.”
Bridging the Gap
This situation was not unlike similar situations I’ve encountered in hospitals, medical practices, and other healthcare organizations around the country. Creating service standards is only the beginning. Making them stick requires ongoing attention to five critical elements:
- Model the standards consistently. Employees know when leaders aren’t modeling the stated standards. Make sure you are modeling the behaviors you expect of others.
- Keep an eye out. Leaders must be present, observing what’s actually happening rather than assuming standards are being followed. This vigilance isn’t about policing but about staying connected to the daily reality of your organization.
- Reinforce the standards. Regular reminders, discussions in team meetings, and integration into performance reviews keep standards front and center. When standards are referenced regularly, they remain relevant.
- Coach the standards daily. Never assume that one training session is sufficient. The training is the start, not the end. New employees join, priorities shift, and other initiatives compete for attention. Consistent, ongoing communication is essential.
- Celebrate successes. When you catch people living the standards, acknowledge and celebrate these moments. Recognition reinforces that these behaviors matter and guides others in understanding what “good” looks like.
Remember, your patients and employees aren’t judging your organization by what you say you value, but by what they experience in every interaction. When behavior standards are truly integrated into daily habits, they create the kind of culture where patients want to receive care, providers want to practice, and employees want to work.
Isn’t that the kind of culture you’re like to cultivate? We can help.
Tags: Accountability, corporate culture, culture, healthcare culture, Service Standards, Standards
