BLOG: The most powerful change you can make in your practice
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
I never really understood what this meant until about 10 years ago when my practice underwent a major remodel of our main location in Laguna Hills, California. We took over the entire 11,000-square-foot top floor of our building and merged all the office suites into a single space that patients entered directly off the elevator.
In undertaking the remodel, we realized that a totally new space meant a new opportunity to tune the culture of our organization. Harvard Eye Associates, then a company of about 60 employees and 10 doctors, created a “culture committee” whose job was to build a mission statement and statement of values that would guide everything we do. Once accepted by our staff as a whole, those words were inscribed prominently on our walls, in our employee handbook and on our website.
It takes more than words on the wall to make a culture shift happen. We genuinely refer to our core values when making decisions, and we congratulate our staff when they exhibit them in a weekly “kudos” email that touts the positive happenings in our three locations.
Vance Thompson once told me that he considers his staff as his top priority, even above his patients. At the time that seemed like a reverse priority, but in retrospect, my practice has recognized that the way we treat our staff directly translates to the kindness they show our patients and the longevity of their employment. Every day, my partners and I try to interact with as many staff members as we can and make them feel good about the positives they bring to the office. We do regular pizza lunches, Thanksgiving potluck parties, wear-your-favorite-sports-jersey days and surprise Subway gift cards. These are all small gestures, but they really drive home the message that we value our team.
Do these efforts really impact the patient experience? Absolutely! Our practice’s culture of compassion is reflected in the tone of voice of the patient support representative who answers the phone. Patients see it in the way the technician smiles at them and tries to pronounce their name correctly. It shows in the respectful way our billing staff addresses a patient who is angry about their insurance coverage. Most importantly, it’s evident in the way we treat each other in this organization that values humanity.
Does a culture shift yield financial benefits? Positively! Our practice has enjoyed 10% to 20% year-over-year growth for these past 10 years. We’ve doubled our number of doctors and outgrown that 11,000-square-foot space, building a brand-new 27,000-square-foot office two blocks away. Our patients tell us that they refer all their friends not just because of our big, fancy office. They refer because of the way they feel treated — like we value them as people.
It’s not necessary to remodel your office to build a new culture. Most important are small actions of gratitude, teaching and gentle guidance every day that build a powerful organization. My practice is still learning, but every one of us, doctors and staff alike, enjoy coming to work in an environment where we genuinely like each other.
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