Real Life Strategies For Changing Your Company’s Culture That Work

It can be a challenge to modify the customs of a whole organization, particularly if the staff is large and spread over several locations. One way to discover what might work is to review the accomplishments of those that have already experienced successful change. For example, consider the story of Adventist Midwest Health.

Adventist needed to start with straightforward, concrete steps that all 5,000 employees, spread over multiple facilities including hospitals, outpatient and support locations, could talk about and achieve.

A major goal was to correct patient’s and patient’s family’s opinion regarding the quality of care they were receiving. Adventist had always been focused on quality clinical care for its patients, but this commitment often caused employees to focus on the duties at hand and appear rushed and preoccupied to those passing them in the hallways. Although not the case, this ultimately made patients question the level of care they were receiving.

Adventist took on the challenge of becoming a more responsive organization that was committed to responsive communication with all parties, as it knew this was imperative to gaining the trust of patients and their families. And, while some organizations may have attempted to change the culture with a vague mandate such as “be friendly,” Adventist realized it needed to break the concept down into simple concrete actions.

With the help of consultants from the Studer Group, Adventist leaders implemented the 10/5 Rule. Employees were directed to give direct eye contact to any staff member, patient or vendor they encountered within ten feet of them, and to greet them if within five feet.

The result was a benchmark everyone shared and a name to identify it by. The employees would check each other on whether or not they were following the rule and kept each other accountable. While some employees acknowledge that it can be annoying to be “called on it” when they forget to say hello, the rule has helped to create a friendlier environment.

Since it was implemented, the 10/5 Rule has become a way of life at Adventist. Within a month of implementing the rule, patients began to remark that “something is different around here,” and employees starting saying, “this feels like a better place to work.

Lessons Learned

Adventist’s experience with the 10/5 rule brings up several points regarding change and influence.

1. Concrete steps to achieve change work best.

The authors of the book, Influencer found that in successful change efforts, leaders identify vital behaviors. These behaviors are the initial key actions that the members of the organization must achieve in order to lead to other changes. In the Adventist example, the crucial behavior was requiring employees to acknowledge other people. While this action didn’t change the culture in and of itself, it did create a ripple effect that resulted in other positive changes within the organization.

2. Messages should be “sticky”.

In their book, Made to Stick, researchers (and brothers) Chip and Dan Heath argue that an idea needs to be “sticky” enough for people to first understand it and then communicate it to others in order for it to spread. The 10/5 rule adopted by Adventist was just such an idea in that it was easy, tangible, creative and easy to remember.

3. Encourage everyone involved to hold each other accountable.

Lastly, accountability was a key element in the success of this initiative. Employees throughout the organization were asked to hold each other accountable for the effective use of the 10/5 rule. This involved the entire staff in the success of the campaign.

Culture by its very nature is abstract and hard to define. Adventist’s experience teaches us that by changing specific, concrete behaviors, the culture of the organization will most likely also change as a result.

Vinnie Garufi is the Director of Organization and Leadership Development for Adventist Midwest Health. Wendy Mack is a consultant, keynoter, and author who specializes in leadership and change management. For more information on mobilizing energy for change, visit www.WendyMack.com.