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By Kristin Baird
We all have those experiences as consumers when things don’t go as expected. We might be disappointed in a meal at a restaurant, or wait longer than expected in line or in the waiting room. But then there are times when disappointment becomes a full blown service failure. In both the small disappointments as well as the service failures, service recovery efforts matter. I recently had two incidents that were handled at opposite ends of the service recovery spectrum. One was excellent service recovery while the other was the worst. My husband and I were staying in a hotel in Colorado Springs. We had a room that, when we arrived had no light bulbs or TV remote. They quickly fixed the bulb problem but the remote wasn’t the correct one for the TV. My husband needed to unplug the device just to turn it off. Then, in the middle of the night, the toilet wouldn’t flush and was threatening to over flow. We were both too exhausted from our travels to deal with it at 2 AM so waiting until morning to talk with the front desk. The clerk at the front desk was apologetic and promised to get right on it. By the time we returned from breakfast, she had a new room for us just across the hall. She then went on to talk to us about their fair trade policy that promises guests that if they are not fully satisfied, they will be expected to pay only what they feel the stay was worth. She encouraged us to exercise that policy at the time of check out and gave us a $15 credit to their in-house store. This was an example of service recovery at its best. She took ownership, acted on behalf of the organization and corrected the situation. My second example didn’t turn out quite that well. I was recently doing a webinar when the audio dropped out. No one on the webinar could hear me. Fortunately, attendees began posting alerts to me in the chat box so I could try to fix it. When I dialed back into the webinar, nothing happened. It took several tries and 8 minutes of dead air time to regain connection. It was embarrassing and frustrating for me and a major inconvenience for my attendees. When I began exploring the root cause, I was met with serial finger-pointing. Zoom, the webinar platform, blamed AT&T our internet provider. AT&T blamed Zoom and the phone software company and so on. No one took ownership or tried to help resolve the issue. Through all my calls and emails, I never once heard the words, “I’m sorry.” Nor did any one of the vendors take accountability. This is after investing thousands of dollars in my phone system and having 2 internet accounts so that if one signal weakens, the other will take over. For those of you old enough to remember the Lily Tomlin skit where she plays Ernestine the telephone operator, you may recall one of her famous lines, “So, the next time you complain about your phone service, why don’t you try using two Dixie cups with a string? We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the Phone Company.” That was 1976 and it appears we are still getting the same level of service in 2019. Apparently Ernestine must do the customer service training for all these vendors. There are some important lessons in service recovery here. Take ownership, apologize on behalf of your organization and strive to make things right. When you do, you create raving fans. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Kristin Baird
While healthcare grapples with the COVID-19 crisis, it’s difficult to focus on anything else. At the same time, it is important that leaders begin thinking about, and preparing for, the inevitable recovery period that will follow. Prior to COVID-19, there was universal concern over burnout across healthcare, particularly among doctors and nurses. Turnover goes hand-in-hand with burnout. Our healthcare professionals have never been as taxed as they are in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Their stress has been compounded by both the volume and acuity of patients as well as concern over shortages of PPE. My fear is that many organizations were dealing with staffing issues prior to the crisis. Today, the workers at the epicenters are suffering from “battle fatigue.” What will the aftermath be? How can we help them recover once the crisis has subsided? The physical and emotional toll is very real. One thing I know for sure, is that when the crisis passes, the doors will still be open and beds will still be filling with patients in need of medical and surgical services unrelated to COVID-19. We’re going to need our team members on board and ready to serve them. The challenge facing leaders is to keep one foot in the present and another in the future. "What's next?" is a question weighing on everyone’s minds today. As more and more news reports tell us there will be no “getting back to normal”. We must ask; what is the new normal? Good question, but no clear answer. The new normal is what we create and based on how we, as leaders, answer these questions:
These are just a few questions to consider. What’s next is up to us. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
When it comes to improving the patient experience, don’t forget volunteers. Healthcare organizations benefit from millions of hours of volunteer time and energy every year, yet I rarely see stellar training on customer service. They are often the first faces that patients and family members see upon entering hospitals. They are the face of the organization and yet I am consistently stunned by how few have good customer service training and feedback systems. Hold Everyone to the Same Standard We were recently rolling out Power of One customer service training for a system with thousands of employees. As we discussed plans, I asked about volunteers, wondering if they would be included in the training. The answer was no. That soon changed when staff noticed the standard to which they were being held seemed to be different for volunteers. They realized that as long as a volunteer serves in a patient or customer-facing position, they should be held to the same service standards. Just like the employees of the organizations, volunteers need to know the standards and expectations for service excellence. And, like employees they benefit from feedback and coaching. A volunteer often makes the first impressions. Make sure they have the tools they need to be successful. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
Empathy is an essential element in a good patient experience, yet many providers miss important cues. In the past few weeks, I have shadowed a number of hospitalists to help them improve their patient interactions. During hours of observation, one common theme emerged. They missed important cues from patients and family members where they could have expressed empathy. The good news is that when I pointed out the situation in our feedback sessions, every one of the doctors recognized the missed opportunity and were receptive to suggestions. How to Show Empathy In one situation a young woman was admitted the night before. She had cardiac symptoms. Her husband called 911. They were frightened by the ordeal. The physician did a great job explaining the physiology of what had transpired. He also clearly outlined the next steps in the treatment plan. What he missed was the cue that both the patient and the husband were really worried. He could have said to the patient and her husband, “That had to be really scary for you both.” That simple statement would have opened the door to the emotional impact of the medical situation. In several other situations, the patients offered cues that they had children or elderly parents at home. The doctors never asked about their home life or if they had the support they needed. It was evident that they were so focused on the physical and medical situation that they were missing out on the emotional aspect. I firmly believe that everyone can learn to pick up cues that will lead to more empathetic interactions. Shadow/coaching is a great way to help nurses and doctors improve communication and empathy. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
Employee engagement is at the core of any company’s performance. But in healthcare, where the patient experience drives loyalty, trust, and even reimbursement, engagement is paramount to success. A disengaged employee needs coaching right away. Spotting and addressing disengagement can make the difference between a team’s success and failure. My colleagues and I regularly coach healthcare managers on how to improve engagement. Providing the employee specific, concrete examples of problem behaviors. Short Conversations A few years ago I was coaching a department manager who had two very disengaged staff members. This particular manager wasn’t a good communicator, so we were working on improving his coaching conversations with his team members. He was to have a coaching conversation with one of his most disengaged team members, then call me to discuss how it went. He called on schedule and reported that the discussion went well. “It was short and sweet,” he said. “I just said, ‘Your attitude sucks. Fix it or you’re out.’” Well, he was right about one thing: it was short. What he described was an edict or threat, not the coaching discussion we assigned. In a coaching discussion with a disengaged individual, it is important to clearly state your concerns, but give specific examples of problem behaviors and how they affect others. I’m happy to say that this particular manager made great progress in his coaching conversations with staff over the next year. He learned that if wanted to see change, he needed to clearly state his expectations, identify unacceptable behaviors using specific examples, and explain consequences. Short and sweet isn’t necessarily the best approach. In contrast, specific, actionable steps get you further, faster. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
My team and I have been on the road doing culture assessments for various health systems recently. We've 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. In this time of thanksgiving, make your gratitude known. It will not only inspire your team members, it will help you appreciate all the good that is happening around you. Happy Thanksgiving! Looking for your Nurses Week healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
Workplace betrayal can have profound effect on both individuals and the entire culture. But how you manage it is up to you. You can be a victim which will keep you in a vulnerable state, or you can look squarely at the betrayal as a learning opportunity and make a conscious effort to move on with your eyes wide open. For sanity’s sake, it’s important to recognize the betrayal and move forward. There are many forms of betrayal in the workplace including:
When I have been betrayed, I find that myself grieving the loss of a friendship, collegial relationship or the image I had of the other person. It’s natural to feel angry but being vindictive doesn’t help the situation. The other thing that can compound the sadness is telling the story over and over. Here are a few tips for moving beyond betrayal:
Work places are complex microcosms. Building a culture of trust means working through betrayals and learning from them. Looking for your Nurses Week healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
I have the utmost respect for leaders who deal with toxic behavior head on. Many healthcare leaders still look past the gossips and groaners because they have good technical skills. Some leaders feel they have to tolerate the moaners and complainers because they need a person to fill a slot in the schedule. The problem is, there will be another slot next week and the week after. And what happens to the rest of the team while you keep filling shifts with toxic people? The culture erodes and so does your reputation. A few months ago, I was coaching a leader who was having difficulty taking the final step in terminating a toxic individual. Her biggest challenge was that “Toxic Tilly” was a technical wizard. Unfortunately, she demanded perfectionism in all things from her teammates. Nothing was ever good enough, and Tilly was always there to point that out to everyone. After giving Tilly both written and verbal warnings, “Carol” called me and said, “It’s decision-making day.” In her organization, that means it is the turning point of termination. She described the precipitating event (which was the final straw) in deciding to terminate. She had had enough. Carol managed the termination like a true professional. It is never easy having to terminate someone, but Carol managed with dignity and respect. Once the dust had settled, I asked Carol what she had learned from the experience. She answered the same way dozens of other leaders have in similar situations. She said, “My only regret is that I wish I had done it much sooner. I hadn’t realized the strain it was placing on me and the rest of the team.” Coaching is always the first step. But when you know that a toxic team member isn’t changing and is bringing others down, you must take action. You owe it to your high performers and the people you serve. Looking for your Nurses Week healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
We hear so much about empathy as it relates to the patient experience. And for good reason. Empathy is what makes the science of medicine human. It’s the care in healthcare. But empathy is often lumped in with softness, which is sometimes viewed as weakness. I contend that it’s just the opposite. It takes courage to be empathetic. Here’s the thing about courage. Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear. Not the absence of fear.” This is an important distinction to make. It takes courage to demonstrate compassion and empathy for others. Having empathy requires a certain degree of vulnerability. This is where heart meets courage. It takes courage to allow yourself to step into the emotion – to feel and to empathize. Real success will never be free of fear, but learning to move past it. And I do believe you can learn this. A few years ago I was working with a physician who was a brilliant diagnostician. “Dr. Smith” could assess and diagnose conditions quickly and move on to the treatment plan almost before the patient was finished describing their symptoms. The problem was – his patients couldn’t stand him. His surveys were the lowest in the system which was embarrassing for both him and his partners. He wasn’t a heartless person, he was simply objective-driven. He believed people came to him with a physical problem and that his objective was to diagnose and treat. Period. When I first met with Dr. Smith, he expected me to approach his “case” the same way he approached his – diagnose and prescribe a plan as efficiently as possible. Instead I asked him to describe what he hoped patients would say about him and their time with him. Of course he focused on clinical outcomes. So I asked him to describe what he hoped the patients would feel about their encounters. It took some digging, but I found that he really did want them to feel that he cared. As we talked, he revealed that it was hard for him to let down his guard and to demonstrate compassion and empathy. During the conversation, I tried to point out that a chief complaint isn’t really about the physical symptom, but often about the impact that symptom has on a person’s life. To take a moment to recognize that makes a patient feel validated and understood. He admitted that getting into people’s feelings was scary for him. (He used other terms, but scary is my diagnosis.) I told him that it takes courage to demonstrate compassion and empathy for others. Having empathy requires a certain degree of vulnerability. This is where empathy meets courage. It takes courage to allow yourself to step into the emotion – to feel and to empathize. We practiced some empathy statements and some non-verbal behaviors as well. I jokingly said, “Take two minutes for empathy,” but the truth is, that is a great place to start. It takes practice and consciousness. And chances are, you won’t change behavior over night. The secret is to keep going back and trying it again and again. As author Mary Anne Radamacher said, “Courage doesn’t always Roar. Sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.” Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
The lobby was breathtaking with a beautiful water feature and sculptures in bronze and blown glass. The registration staff was friendly and efficient in professional and tasteful uniforms. The entire building was as beautiful as any 5-star hotel. What stood out to me during one of my mother’s last hospital admissions wasn’t the striking environment or the professional appearance. It was the personalized and attentive care demonstrated through small acts of kindness. The real WOW happened when Nurse Shelly took mom’s hand and said she was delighted to be her nurse again. Similarly, it happened again when Amber, the tech remembered how much Mom loved coffee. Amber promised to bring her a cup the minute she returned from her procedure. And did! A New Focus on WOW As healthcare organizations embrace the patient experience on a deeper more strategic level, there is greater pressure to WOW the consumer with gorgeous architecture, room service and hotel-like amenities. Consequently, what was a WOW experience five years ago is commonplace as healthcare organizations share best practices. As a result, we must never lose sight of the fact that it is the small acts of kindness that stay with patients and families for a lifetime. It’s the little things that show you care and leave indelible memories. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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