Culture Catalyst Blog & Articles

Gratitude: Let it stick like Velcro

Several years ago, as I was collecting stories from nurses about their work, I learned a very troubling fact. Most nurses I interviewed didn’t accept compliments from patients very well. They would hear patients' statements of gratitude but not really ...

It’s Not About the HCAHPS Scores!

Yesterday, I was doing physician communication training with a large group of doctors. To give context, I showed them their current patient experience scores focused on physician communication. One of the attendees raised his hand and said, “There has never been any ...

Beware the Toxic Superstar

A few months ago, I was doing leadership development in a critical access hospital. The CEO is a strong leader and fairly new to his role. He has a clear vision of where he wants to take the organization, and I honestly ...

Want an ROI on Training? Measure What Matters

U.S. corporations (including healthcare) spent $94 billion on training last year. The investment is significant, but are they getting their money’s worth and seeing an ROI on training? The ones that are getting the biggest bang for their buck are ...

Good People, Bad Healthcare Systems

Healthcare is confusing, and it's often needed when we are at our most vulnerable. Despite major improvements in the patient experience over the years, deep chasms remain. And, in my experience, the gaps are often due to faulty healthcare systems ...

Stop Blaming Wages for Medical Staff Turnover

Medical staff turnover is rampant, but it doesn’t have to be if we start listening to our new employees BEFORE their exit interviews. I recently heard a case study from a large academic medical center about their Medical Assistants (MAs) leaving ...

Lead Is a Verb. Take Action Now

One of my colleagues often reminds our clients that the word lead is a verb and, as we learned in grade school, verbs are action words. So what actions are most important today? Coaching rises to the top. To Lead Is ...

Complaining, Resisting Change, or Speaking up?

In our fast-paced culture, change is a way of life. One thing I know for certain is that when making changes to systems, processes, and workflows, you must listen first and engage stakeholders. Without stakeholder input at every step of change, ...

Organized, Not Over-Scheduled

Coaching a healthcare leader provides a great opportunity to review best practices, including rounding on employees. Over the past 25 years, I have heard every excuse in the book for why rounding isn’t done regularly, but the most common reason ...

Change Agents vs. Resisters

I’ve always been a change agent and an ideas person, seeing new opportunities and potential all around me. I get excited about changing things up to improve. While I get excited and energized by change, my team members may not ...

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