Becker's Hospital Review

Becker's Hospital Review 5th Annual Meeting - call (800) 417-2035 68 ready and excited to take it to another level and work on the next letter. Connecting to mission, vision and values There is probably no better way to capture the hearts and minds of individuals in healthcare than connecting what we're asking them to do back to what the organization stand for. For example, we might let people know the reason we're hardwiring this new tactic, which is difficult and requires a change in behavior, is that we want the best clinical outcome for those we serve. Or in the realm of financial stewardship, make the connection that what we're doing now will allow us to invest in our mission, whether it's through compensation, facilities or technology. Connecting the dots for people The most effective communicators connect the dots for others in a way that creates clear under- standing and leads to the desired outcome. Here is the approach that works for me, which I feel will also work for you. After connecting with a group, my goal is to al- ways accomplish three things with each item I speak about: to make sure the listener under- stands the outcome or the result of the technique and/or tool, to explain how to implement it and to tell a story that illustrates the impact. If this is done well, those individuals most influ- enced by the metric outcome — the mind part — will hear a call to action and the how. Those most moved by the human impact — the heart part — will also hear the call to action and the how. The key is moving people to action. Selection of talent is a good example. When recommending new or enhanced selection pro- cesses for those most financially driven, make it clear that better selection leads to less turnover, lower orientation cost, less overtime and less agency use. For the quality driven leader, share metrics that show better selection and less turn- over mean better patient safety and better mor- tality data. For those most impacted by the heart, explain that better selection leads to a better cultural fit, better teamwork, a better place to work and a staff that feels respected and trusted. Plus, the selected person feels more cared about since the organiza- tion took time to make sure they were the right fit. Each person sees the benefit that resonates with them — and this gets them ready for the how. Summary I believe certain people are "naturals" at most of these skills and thus make very powerful lead- ers. Other leaders may be strong in some skills and weaker in others. However, I also believe the vast majority of people use their minds and their hearts to make decisions —and therefore most of us can learn the skills to connect with others on both levels. When we make sure all of our leaders know the techniques to connect with both aspects of the human beings who make our organiza- tions work, we're well on our way to creating a high-performance culture that can weather any storm. n The above is a modified excerpt from Mr. Studer's latest book, "A Culture of High Performance: Achieving Higher Quality at a Lower Cost." It is part two of a two-part series. Quint Studer is the founder of Gulf Breeze, Fla.- based Studer Group, a recipient of the 2010 Mal- colm Baldrige National Quality Award. Inc. mag- azine named Quint its Master of Business, making him the only healthcare leader to have ever won this award. Twice, Modern Healthcare has cho- sen him as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare. He is the author of numerous books. There are currently 700,000 copies of his Busi- nessWeek bestseller, "Hardwiring Excellence," in circulation. Accretive Health is proud to sponsor the Becker's Hospital Review Annual Meeting 401 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60611 • 312-324-7820 www.accretivehealth.com Our mission is to partner with healthcare communities to serve as a catalyst for a healthier future for all.

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