Workplace Excellence – If you Build it they will Excel, Part 1

Posted on April 23rd, 2018

In service industry people serve other people. In healthcare support services, people not only serve other people they also provide comfort, care, a helping hand and a safe environment! Whether they are serving patients with their meal, cleaning their room, transporting them from their hospital room to the lab and back, they are serving people! These people are also their patients! These patients in a hospital are likely under the best possible medical care of the hospital’s very caring medical staff. They are also in the hands of the most compassionate and comforting support services employees. These employees are carefully recruited because of their service attitude, pleasant manners and inherent people skills. They are also very well trained. And when they Excel at what they do, their patients will see it, feel it and share their experience with everyone they know!

 

To Excel at providing exceptional service to their patients the employees must first experience respect, compassion, sincerity, appreciation and feel valued by their department Leader. They expect their Leader to provide a clear vision, clarify expectations, listen to the employees and engage with them regularly. They want all work-related issues resolved promptly and fairly. They also expect their Leader to follow up and follow through on their words in a timely manner! These are the behaviors they love to experience from their Leader at their workplace. This is what makes the employees Excel at what they do!

 

It takes a visionary, dedicated, committed, engaged and supportive Leader to build a great workplace culture.  This Leader puts employees first in almost all situations and is always available to serve them. They know and practice servant Leadership behaviors and always show their gratitude to the employees. Next are the first five of nine Leadership skills and behaviors when practiced diligently, sincerely and consistently can help tremendously towards building a great Workplace Excellence culture!

 

  1. Share your vision

 

Employees look up to their Leaders! Successful Leaders understand it very well! They share their personal vision, objectives, plans and specific department goals with their teams in both formal and informal manner. Most effective way to communicate this is in the department’s monthly employee meetings and then continuously promoting in their daily interactions.

 

These Leaders ask for employees’ commitment and support towards achieving their goals and objectives. The employees will eagerly and diligently get involved and put forth full effort in supporting and achieving the desired outcomes! A Leader must also provide regular updates on the progress being made and any challenges that come up. This Leadership practice is essential for continuous employees’ focus, drive, support and enthusiasm!

 

  1. Paint a clear picture and clarify expectations

 

Employees want to know what is expected of them! Organized and disciplined Leaders know that ambiguity kills employees’ drive and enthusiasm. The clearer the direction, the better the results. Most employees will go to tremendous lengths to reach the pinnacle if they know, that is what the Leader needs. They may even design their own path to achieve results if a clear picture has been painted towards the end in mind. They want to be fully on board with the ‘plan’ and get to work.

 

To accomplish any great task or achieve highly desired results from any project large or small a Leader’s effective communication skills play a major and crucial role. They keep directions simple, organized and in an easy to follow manner. They verify that employees understand their expectations and if needed clarify any confusions. This Leadership skill is essential for achieving high employee output and their personal job satisfaction!

 

  1. Make employees feel welcomed and appreciated

 

Employees should look forward to their day at work! Compassionate and engaged Leaders know that employees enjoy being welcomed to their workplace. It takes a sincere greeting, with pleasant smile and polite eye contact to welcome each employee at the beginning of their day. Newly hired employees should be introduced to the entire team by the department Leader personally. This one simple Leadership behavior shows enormous respect and a great welcoming gesture to the new team member.

 

While employees appreciate an instant and sincere ‘Thank you’ gesture by the Leader, they also like and enjoy a formal reward and recognition program. Such program must be simple, fun, ongoing and easy to follow. Employees’ individual and team’s collective accomplishments should be highlighted in department meetings and on the hospital’s website. An occasional hand-written note also provides a great emotional bank account deposit for the employee. Monthly giveaways in prizes and some other redeemable cash value awards are always appreciated. These Leadership behaviors re-charge employees’ energy and enthusiasm!

 

  1. Treat employees fairly and with respect

 

Employees can sense micro-inequities! Fair-minded and sincere Leaders are aware of their everyday behavioral style when interacting with employees. They also know that each employee is unique and have certain special talent as well as what each employees’ strengths and opportunities for growth are. They sense that employees are not necessarily looking for ‘equal’ treatment but an equitable, just and fair treatment.

 

With such awareness these Leaders purposefully and inherently show respect and kindness to each employee. They also encourage employees to speak with them if any one feels that they have somehow been ignored or slighted in any fashion. Such open-door communication is very effective towards building mutual trust between the two. This Leadership practice builds a long-standing mutual respect and an ongoing employees’ commitment and dedication!

 

  1. Listen with empathy and compassion

 

Employees want you to talk less and listen more! Leaders with effective and empathetic communication skills practice ‘seek to understand first before being understood’ habit when interacting with employees. They know how important it is for the employees to have the freedom to share their ideas and concerns with their Leader. They also let the employees vent their frustrations and speak candidly about anything on their mind. Employees know that the Leader will listen with empathy and respond with compassion.

 

Whether the conversation is work related or of a confidential and personal nature, the Leader will listen patiently to gather all the details and take notes if necessary. They verify what the employee said and what they understood. When appropriate they will sympathize and offer to help. If needed, the Leader will commit to a follow up action or conversation. This active and compassionate listening skill is admired by all employees and strengthens their commitment and loyalty to the Leader and the department.

 

Khalid Shiekh

Consultant – Food and Nutrition Services

April 18, 2018