What difference would it make in your health care
facility if morale was even better, if all departments treated each
other as valued internal customers, if labor and management saw each
other as equals and allies, and if everyone had a “how can I help out?”
mindset?
If there was an even greater feeling of goodwill at
your facility, how do you think it would affect patient and employee
satisfaction, your ability to attract and retain talent, and employees’
responses to changes?
Goodwill obviously has a huge impact on all of these
critical components of a facility’s success. Many health care
institutions owe their success largely to their efforts in creating a
Goodwill Culture – a culture where everybody is pulling together and
where people treat each other with a generous spirit. In a Goodwill
Culture, people are generous with their willingness to show
appreciation, give credit where credit is due, and roll up their
sleeves and help out – even if it’s not in their job description.
Don’t wait . . . take the lead
If you want this kind of culture at your facility,
don’t wait for others to lead the effort. If you’re a frontline worker
or supervisor, don’t convince yourself there’s nothing you can do until
senior management “get’s it.”
When talking with supervisors and managers about
actions they can take to make a difference in their workplace, I
encourage them to “spread goodwill” or “make deposits in the goodwill
bank account with others.” It’s a simple practice that is within each
person’s control and is something that each of us can do to make a
positive difference in the world. By consciously making deposits in the
goodwill bank accounts of others, you are having a positive impact on
those around you; you are making a difference in your corner of the
world.
By choosing to spread goodwill, you are choosing to
be an agent for change. Rather than wishing those above you in the
hierarchy would improve your workplace environment, you are choosing –
in the words of Gandhi – “to become the change you wish to see in the
world.”
Put the “pay it forward” process in motion
When we model kindness, generosity, compassion, and
giving someone the benefit of the doubt rather than playing “Gotcha!”,
we increase the odds they will in turn treat others with greater
goodwill. When they treat others in a kind, generous, compassionate
way, those people are more apt to treat the people they deal with in
the same way.
Thus, our humble little acts of goodwill can have –
a la the movie “Pay it Forward” – a powerful positive ripple effect.
What can you do to spread goodwill?
Regardless of whether you are a frontline worker or manager, you can:
• Look for opportunities to give people compliments.
• Look for opportunities to show appreciation. Think
of all the people who help you do your job or make your life a bit
easier.
• If you have a disagreement with someone, rather
than trying to prove them wrong, focus on first understanding their
perspective.
• If you’re experiencing ongoing conflict with
someone, rather than engaging in “payback” behavior or holding a
grudge, make the first move to get things out in the open and resolve
them.
• If you believe you’re getting bad internal
customer service from another department, rather than responding with
antagonism and resentment, try to engage them in productive
conversation.
• If someone who has a history of not being helpful
to you asks you for help, rather than pay them back by refusing, model
helpfulness to them, and perhaps let them know in a low-key but direct
way that you would appreciate their helpfulness in the future.
• If you’re upset with something your supervisor
did, rather than holding a grudge and talking behind his or her back,
talk to your supervisor directly.
If you’re a supervisor or manager:
• Practice making eye contact and acknowledging
people you have in the past treated as if they were invisible.
• When talking with employees, talk less and listen more.
• Ask yourself if you treat those people who have
less power than you with the same respect and consideration as those
that have more power than you . . . and then make any necessary shifts.
• If employees are having difficulty dealing with
some new change, give them a chance to share, rather than just
cheerleading or having your initial message be, “Hey, deal with it.
Move on!”
• Ask your direct reports for input on how together you can create a more positive work environment.
If you keep on the lookout for opportunities to
spread goodwill, you will doing your part in creating a Culture of
Goodwill.
David Lee is the principal of HumanNature-@Work (www.HumanNatureAtWork.com.) Email him at david@humannatureatwork.com.
