Getting the culture “right” in healthcare has become a mandate and not an option. Today with value-based purchasing, mediocre care is no longer acceptable. Financial rewards are tied to patient clinical outcomes.
So, the question becomes, “how will twenty-first century healthcare leaders embrace this brave new world?” This new healthcare world is drastically different form traditional leadership. Now we must lead with our eyes on the patients’ needs in a holistic manner to deliver the patient quality outcomes that are liked to reimbursement.
Establishing the Right Culture
Twenty-first-century leadership begins with establishing the “right” culture. Delivering value-based medicine in a traditional healthcare culture is like trying to force an elephant through the eye of a needle. Organizations that fail to prepare the culture to deliver the new era of care will result in an inability to deliver the quality of care expected and could ultimately destroy the organization.
How Healthcare can Win
Organizational culture matters. The healthiest cultures will be the driving force behind the most successful future healthcare organization. Healthcare will win the day when its leaders think in terms of cross-functional team leadership and develop organizational infrastructure to support and sustain it.
Transparent Communication
Cultures require learning environments that foster and sustain open and transparent communication that is free to question and explore the existing healthcare environment. A leadership culture that is marked by closed communication and led with fear, intimidation, and negative consequences for employees is a fragile culture. This type of status quo environment needs to transform new cultural norms. Open, honest communication and authentic transparency should be the default always if we are to deliver the quality-of-care people deserve.
Modeled by Leadership
To reap full benefits of collaborative leadership, this leadership behavior must be modeled as part of the organization’s culture and not be confined to select leaders. It must flow in a 360’ directed within the organization. The culture affects everything because it touches everything. Healthcare financial daily operations, quality of care, employee satisfaction, and patient satisfaction are directly impacted by the leadership that is modeled, as seen through the culture of the organization.
The Culture Baseline Survey
Interested to see how your organization can make improvements around culture? Take part in our FREE Culture Baseline Survey. The results of your self-administered work culture survey offer a unique and valuable perspective on the success, challenges, and opportunities your organization has in taking the next steps toward organizational cultural excellence.
