Vanderbilt University Medical Center: An Inside-Out Journey to Exceptional Patient Care

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Bob Adams

As told here, the exceptional guest services I recently encountered in a hospital Emergency Department at 1 AM in the morning were not normal…

…and here’s the reason why.

In 2004 Vanderbilt University Medical Center launched Elevate, a medical center-wide effort to improve the environment for patients, physicians, employees, trainees and students. Vanderbilt was already nationally recognized for excellence in many areas. But Dr. Harry Jacobson, at the time the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, had ambitious goals, including that Vanderbilt become one of the nation’s top 10 academic medical centers and a Fortune 100 employer – something that an academic medical center has never achieved. Elevate was designed to help achieve these and other goals by focusing on three important areas: Service, People and Quality.

Elevate was seen as a journey to establish a new culture of service – to patients, to colleagues and to the team members themselves.

Vision: Elevate builds a common culture based upon service excellence and credo behavior across Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Mission: Establish a culture of excellence based on service to our patients, our colleagues and to each other. Strengthen VUMC leadership practices to recruit, retain and develop an engaged and committed workforce – the foundation for service excellence.

The leadership of VUMC saw Elevate as a marathon, not a sprint. It was a journey that will continue as they set new goals for excellence.

The results of that journey?

In order to help the VUMC team fulfill the Credo, a “Tackle Box” was created – but there’s nothing fishy about this tackle box.

The Tackle Box is an online team resource, comprised of ideas to help leaders and their teams “catch” the spirit of the VUMC Credo in some fun and engaging ways and “tackle” a shared understanding and use of core values in everyday work. It consists of a collection of activities, discussion starters and agendas to use with teams.

The Credo, as part of VUMC culture, is best taught by observation, by raising awareness through discussion, by example and with honest feedback. Leaders of Elevate feel that the Tackle Box and the experiences arising from it will help the VUMC team re-focus and re-energize around the basics of the Credo and the spirit of It’s Who We Are.

In addition to The Tackle Box, the following tactics were introduced by the Studer Group and are key to the Elevate journey towards excellence.

Rounding for Outcomes – The consistent practice of asking specific questions of key stakeholders—leaders, employees, physicians and patients—to obtain actionable information.
Recognition – Affirming words, hand written thank you notes and or other methods used to recognize, reward and reinforce good performance and behavior.
Employee Selection and the First 90 Days – A retention tool as well as a way of building individual accountability within employees. Hire your co-workers, train your co-workers, orient your co-workers and be a role model for your co-workers.
Discharge Phone Calls – A way for staff to reconnect with patient after their visit to our medical center.
Key Words at Key Times – Using specific words to use with patients, staff and physicians to let them know what we are doing and why we are doing it.

The Credo is an inward-focusing framework supporting the VUMC culture of service excellence. But what does the patient see?

The Vanderbilt Patient and Family Promise is the outward expression of the Credo and describes what patients and family should expect from VUMC.

Elevate 10 Years Later

Affirming that its people are Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s most important asset, 2015 will bring a renewed focus to Elevate. The Studer Group, a partner in the original cultural engagement and leadership development journey begun in 2004, will help facilitate this process.

“The purpose of renewing our commitment to the core principles of Elevate is to make the Medical Center a better place for all employees to work, for physicians to practice medicine and for our patients to receive care. Our goal is to have a workforce that feels more valued and satisfied, enjoys coming to work each day and believes they are making a difference,” said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, M.D., deputy vice-chancellor for Health Affairs.

“The Medical Center and the work we do to improve the lives of others is something we all care about deeply. Many of us have spent the majority of our careers here,” said Pinson.

“The best way to move forward in the current climate of change is to articulate our future vision and re-engage and recommit to our culture of service, to our patients and to each other.”

An essential ingredient for sustained success within leading organizations is maintaining a culture of high performance.

This year, the emphasis will be on reinforcing the Medical Center’s culture in ways that better equip all faculty and staff to thrive amidst the constant pace of change that is now part of the U.S. health care system.

“As we move into a new fiscal year, VUMC continues to excel by virtually every measure as a very high-performing organization, even after having faced unprecedented challenges,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice-chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “Nevertheless, to maintain this trajectory after such a difficult year, it’s important to acknowledge what we’ve experienced and focus on our people.”

“The foundation for excellence is an engaged and committed workforce, not only in service to our patients but also demonstrating commitment to our colleagues and to professionalism,” said Pinson.

Through Elevate, teams will be working to implement greater alignment of the Medical Center’s Pillar goals to achieve improved service, quality, safety, innovation and financial performance through increased employee engagement.

“We are taking these steps to reinforce passion for the important work that we do. Every day that you take steps to improve yourself and to help those who surround you reach greater heights is a great day,” said Pinson.

Having been born and raised in the Nashville area, the excellent level of medical care provided by VUMC to my mother was no surprise to me.

What was surprising, however, was the systematic cultural emphasis on the total patient experience.

Elevate works.

It works when the Emergency Department admissions staff and nurses work quickly and efficiently, while at the same time have all the time in the world to talk with my mother.

It works when the Chief Resident, Dr. Oliver, exhibits the best bedside manner I have ever experienced, explaining what is going on, and what may have to happen.

It works when the nurses of the Critical Care unit immediately adopt an 86-year old as their favorite patient because of the stories she tells – and come by to see her even when she moves to another unit.

It works when Yana, a nurse on the 9th floor Step Down Unit, personalizes patient care in the most tender caring manner possible – consistently, efficiently, lovingly – throughout 3-day, 12-hour shifts with many other patients to care for. I have no doubt each patient thought they were her only patient.

It works in the late night and early morning hours as the always-cheerful housekeeping staff brings by new linens, cleans the room – and takes time to talk about family and life events.

It works when the nutrition staff drops off meals only to hear the patient complain about them – even when it’s what the doctor ordered – and before they leave, the patient agrees it’s best for her.

It works when Dr. Putnam, Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and the Attending Physician, makes his daily rounds – taking time to talk with the patient in a genuine, caring attitude – not just someone “making the rounds.”

For the dozens of other individuals whose demonstrated exceptional patient care in my recent experience at Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Elevate works.

Information for this article came from personal observations, the VUMC Elevate website, and conversations with VUMC staff

Exceeding Expectations at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Bob Adams

Of all the places to encounter exceptional Guest Experiences, the last place I expected to find them was in the Emergency Department of a hospital at 1 AM in the morning.

But then, this was no ordinary hospital experience, because it was no ordinary hospital.

First, the backstory…

One week ago my mother experienced some medical problems requiring her to go to her local community hospital. After a couple of days, she was well enough to go home – or so she thought. Within an hour of being in her apartment, she was ill enough that the staff sent her back to the hospital. Additional tests the next day uncovered some new problems, so she was admitted into ICU and I began the 7 hour drive to be with her.

Arriving at the hospital, she seemed to be resting fine. After several hours of visiting, I left her in the capable hands of the staff and continued on my journey, another hour’s drive to visit my wife and her father, who coincidently was in another hospital for some surgery that had been scheduled for a month. After a couple of hour’s visit, my wife and I drove to her parent’s house to spend the night.

After being there for less than 10 minutes, I received a call from the ICU staff at my mother’s hospital, requesting that I come as soon as I could – some delayed tests had the doctors concerned, and they needed to discuss some treatment options.

It took just a few minutes to determine that the local hospital did not have the capability for the tests needed, nor the type of surgeon available should certain conditions be discovered by the tests. We quickly made the decision to transfer my mother to another hospital.

And that’s where I encountered an exceptional experience over the next three days – at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.

From her admission just after midnight Friday 8/1 all the way through the Emergency Department, Intensive Care and then Step Down Care, through her discharge Sunday 8/3, she received care that exceeded my expectations.

In particular, Yana, a nurse on the 9th floor Step Down Unit, totally amazed me with her attention not only to my mother’s immediate medical concerns but also to her overall mental and emotional well-being. Yana exhibited all the skills one would expect of a skilled nurse, but it did not take me long to realize she was an exceptional nurse who was demonstrating personal individual characteristics that had been well-honed through a systematic cultural emphasis on the patient experience.

The entire VUMC staff – from doctors to residents to attending physicians to nurses to techs to nutrition to housekeeping – all demonstrated qualities that reflected values beyond their job description, a trait that is not often seen in our busy society.

I can state that unequivocally because my vocation and passion revolves a great extent around Guest Services, and I truly saw them at work over the past few days. These were not just surface level, but ingrained throughout the entire system at VUMC.

As one trained to note such values, I was curious about their origin, and spent part of my time during my mother’s hospital stay learning what was behind the unique experience I was observing.

Regarding my comment above about “exceeding expectations” I would note that while my primary focus is on Guest Experiences in churches across the U.S., part of my research has included health care facilities.

Remember also my opening paragraphs above: through an unusual set of circumstances not only did my mother spend 2 days, 2 different times last week in one hospital, my father-in-law was in another hospital. So I had experienced 3 hospitals in one week, both first-hand and through the observations and comments of my wife (who is also well-versed in Guest Services, as the Senior Property Manager of retail properties in NC, SC, and MD, totaling 1.7 million square feet).

It was very evident to us:

The patient experience at Vanderbilt Medical Center is exceptional in every way imaginable.

Now to find out why…

Next: The Inside-Out Journey of Vanderbilt University Medical Center to Exceptional Patient Care

First Impressions Last…

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Bob Adams

…but the Last Impression is Remembered!

Hellos and good-byes are beginning and ending points, the two highest positions in what memory researchers call the serial position curve. In a list of items or a series of events, they will be remembered most easily.

I have long been an advocate of a WOW! First Impression – there are literally dozens of posts on this blog that will speak to that. While I don’t intend to change that high opinion of your First Impression, I am increasing becoming aware of the power of the Last Impression.

Good-byes are often rushed – or skipped altogether – in ChurchWorld. Even the name for one of the most common Guest Experience positions – Greeter – is emphasizing the welcome. I’ve never heard of a “Good-Byer” and it’s probably not even a word, but the intent should be!

The goal should be to close your interaction with your Guest in a way that is memorable and sincere.

Never miss a chance to say good-bye without providing a warm smile, words of farewell (if possible), and an invitation to return.

The Last Impression will become a First Memory.

Guest Experience Survey Results Provide 4 Key Findings

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Bob Adams

In the fall of 2011, I collaborated with Worship Facilities Expo on a brief survey about guest services practices to its online audience. The survey was not intended to be a scientific survey, but instead sought baseline information to indicate trends in guest services in churches.

The 22 questions dealt in broad areas ranging from sanctuary size to number of worship services held weekly to the number of volunteers in guest services roles to training for guest services teams. From the responses, a snapshot of guest services practices in churches is beginning to take shape.

I’m in the process of preparing an updated survey, but I thought it would be helpful to look at the original results one more time: Here’s a look at some summary findings, four key points, and an invitation to continue the conversation.

Selected Survey Stats

Responses came from 33 states in the US and 9 countries around the world
Church attendance ranged from 100 to 19,000
The majority of churches responding offered multiple worship services
The majority of churches responding had only one location
About one-third of respondents had auditoriums seating 300 or less; almost one half had auditorium seating for 300-800
Guest service components include a wide range of services – from parking to greeting to ushers to information centers and more
The size of Guest Services teams ranges from a few to hundreds
Leadership of Guest Services teams is primarily voluntary
1-3 hours of initial training is provided to Guest Services teams by a large majority of respondents
Almost half of the respondents offer no updated or ongoing refresher training
A large majority of respondents have no formal statement of expectations for Guest Services teams
Recruiting and retaining team members and developing leaders are the biggest needs of Guest Services teams
Respondents had great success stories and encouragement for other Guest Services teams

A more detailed review of the survey responses began to show a pattern – there were four key findings that a majority of the respondents identified:

1. Guest Services Components The survey identified the following eight areas of typical Guest Services teams: Prayer, Greeters, Ushers, VIP/First Time Guests, Resources, Next Steps, Set-up, and Parking. Additional responses included Kiosk check in, Hospitality time with Pastor, Gift for Guests, and Communion. The largest areas of service were Greeters and Ushers – every respondent had some level of service in these areas. Prayer was another large component, reported by majority of respondents. Areas on the low side were VIP/First Time Guest and Parking.

2. Expectations/Covenant Less than twenty percent of respondents indicated that their Guest Services teams had a formal statement of expectations or covenant agreement.

3. Greatest Need As with any mainly volunteer ministry, a wide range of needs were identified by the respondents. After a closer review of individual responses, the following three areas began to emerge:

Training of existing volunteers
Recruitment of new volunteers
Organization and leadership of the volunteer teams and process

4. Success Stories Respondents were asked to list a brief success story of their Guest Services teams. The responses were able to be categorized into four areas:

Being known as a friendly church and/or providing a warm environment
No success story! (more below)
Commitment of the Guest Services team members
Follow-up by Guest Services team members

It’s beyond the scope of this post to go into detail on all the findings, but a review of the four summary findings above do provide a unique glimpse into what Guest Services teams are doing – and how they might be challenged to improve on their services. Here are a few that I see:

Guest Service teams are a very visible and important part of the experience on your church campus – no matter the size. From the street to the seat, your Guest Services team has an opportunity to provide a ministry to Guests and members so that they enter into worship ready to worship. Adjust the services you provide to the scale of your church, but make sure that your Guests and members have no doubt they are welcome
Guest Services teams – like all volunteer teams at your church – need a vision to serve, a target to aim at, and guide to serve by. A statement or expectations or covenant of service – common to all volunteer teams in your church but tailored to the specifics of Guest Services teams – is the best way to help them minister to the people they encounter every weekend.
Not surprisingly, Guest Services teams want to know what they are supposed to be doing – and given the tools and training to carry out their jobs. It’s critically important that your Guest Services teams – and all volunteer teams at your church – be a part of solid training at the initial training AND ongoing continuing education along the way.
Serving should mean celebrating – individuals serving on your Guest Services team provide the front line, first contact experience with Guests and members. They should be delivering and receiving powerful opportunities to pour into people’s lives. When the second largest category of responses to the survey’s “Success Story” question is “None,” something needs to change!

You’ve probably figured out by now that Guest Services is a big deal to me! It’s more than a big deal – it’s a passion of mine. I want churches to realize that they have a chance – usually a single chance – to make a WOW! first impression on Guests coming to their facility this weekend.

If you would like to be a part of the ongoing research and communication in the next Guest Services survey, just drop me a note at bob@auxano.com and I will send you the survey when it is available later this summer.

Starbucks, Customer Service Recovery, and What Happens at Your Church…

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Bob Adams

Even when it’s not really their fault, the baristas at my Starbucks know how to make things right.

Facing a writing deadline today, I needed a little caffeine boost and a change in venue. I headed over to my Starbucks for my favorite breakfast: Tall White Chocolate Mocha and an chocolate croissant. The barista told me that he was sorry, they were out of the White Chocolate syrup. That’s no big deal for me – there are plenty of other drinks to choose from. I paid and walked over to grab a table.

On the way, I ran into a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in a while, and we began catching up. Within a couple of minutes I heard my beverage being called, so I went to the counter and grabbed it from a different barista and headed back to my table.

As I sat down, I realized I had not received my croissant, so I went up to the counter to get it. With a horrified look on his face, the second barista said “I’m so sorry we forgot your pastry,” and handed me this:

This voucher is Starbuck’s way of saying “we goofed, but we want to make it up to you.”

He explained that the voucher was good for any size beverage anytime at any Starbucks location. The first barista joined the conversation and added that he was sorry to disappoint me about having to choose another beverage, and but then to forget my pastry? “Unacceptable.” The other barista also apologized, and the pastry was brought out to my table when it was warmed less than a minute later – again with an apology.

Breakdowns in service are unavoidable, even in a well-run organization like Starbucks (and this is the first time in over 4 years at “my” Starbucks that a mistake has been made). Service breakdowns, while unavoidable, are a great opportunity for an organization to show what they’re made of, an opportunity to bring a customer closer to you.

Starbucks practiced these four steps to service recovery (thanks Micah Solomon!):

Apologize and ask forgiveness
Review the complaint with the customer
Fix the problem and then follow-up
Document the problem to allow a permanent fix (later I heard the shift leader talking with the barista who took my order)

I was already a regular customer, and it was really no big deal.

But they (the whole staff at the time) made it a big deal…

…and reinforced my positive feelings and actions towards “my” Starbucks (and by extension, to the Starbucks brand) even more.

Here’s the lesson for ChurchWorld:

I’m willing to guess that things don’t always go peachy at your place every weekend. Shortage of volunteers, room assignments messed up, AVL problems in the worship experience, sermon that didn’t preach like you wrote it, etc.

It’s going to happen.

But what happens next is up to you, and might just make all the difference in the world in one of your Guests coming back again next week.

Great Guest Experience Teams Pay Attention to What’s Out of Sight

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Bob Adams

…at least, out of their line of sight.

Spatial awareness and quick reactions aren’t just characteristics of great athletes – they are absolutely necessary to exceeding your Guest’s expectations.

I recently read a great post by Micah Solomon on developing effective customer service leadership. Solomon always has great advice – both in a regular column at Forbes.com and his books Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit and High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service.

But it was a single phrase that caught my attention:

The waiter with no peripheral vision

Solomon goes on to explain that in comparing two team members with equal skills and service standards, the one who exhibits peripheral vision will be the more successful one, and, surprisingly, attributes peripheral vision to understanding the difference between Purpose and Function.

Could that be true in your Guest Experience Teams as well?

Here’s how Solomon differentiated the two:

Every team member has a job function, and a purpose in (and of) the organization. The function is what’s written, in detail, on the team member’s job description. It’s the technical side of the job.

A team member’s purpose is something different. The purpose is the reason you’re doing all the technical things, and sometimes stepping out of your technical role to do whatever it takes.

That’s peripheral vision – seeing beyond the obvious, noticing what’s outside the very center of your gaze.

It’s a Parking Team member noticing steam coming out from under the hood of a parked car – and volunteering to repair the cracked hose while the family attends the worship experience.
It’s a Greeter noticing a young mother struggling with an active toddler while trying to maneuver an infant stroller through the crowd – and asks if he can push the stroller for the mother.
It’s an Usher being sensitive to the unspoken request of a worship attender – and seating them to accommodate a special need.

When your Guest Experience Team members exhibit peripheral vision, they are going beyond their “job” and serving the people out of a sense of purpose and mission that undergirds all they do.

Is it time for your Guest Experience Teams to have a “vision check?”

Create a Culture of Extreme Guest Experience Focus

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Bob Adams

Here is a short checklist for how to create a culture of extreme Guest Experience focus.

1. Create a Guest Experience vision. Much like creating a vision statement to direct the organization, you should also create a clear and compelling “Guest Experience vision” that describes the level of service your organization aspires to deliver.

2. Infuse your entire organization with the Guest Experience journey. Create strong, trusting relationships with your Guests. Solicit feedback, communicate that feedback throughout the entire organization, and then be sure to take action on the feedback your Guests have given you.

3. Become an expert on delivering superior Guest Experiences. Find out everything you can about how to deliver a great Guest Experience. Steal the best ideas, benchmark against the top performers, share that information across your organization and make learning about and working on improving Guest Experience a core competency of your organization.

4. Turn every team member into a Guest Experience champion. Make serving the Guest the number one job of every team member in your organization. Help them with the tools, training, equipment and support they must have to deliver excellence consistently. Reward and praise those who deliver above and beyond the call of duty, deal quickly and effectively with anyone who does not embrace the Guest Experience values.

5. Remove any barrier that stands in the way of delivering superior Guest Experiences. Look at all systems, policies, procedures, reports and rules. Wipe out anything that creates roadblocks or frustrations in the effort to delight and amaze the Guest. Stupid rules that make it hard for team members to serve superbly impact your organization negatively.

6. Measure, measure, measure, measure, measure & communicate. Create a clear, specific and extremely well thought out and over-communicated program for systematically collecting and quickly communicating the most important Guest Experience delivery measurements to the people who can then act on them. Make it easy for your people to win.

7. Walk the talk. Every level of the organization, starting at the very top, MUST be a living example of your Guest Experience strategy. If the senior leadership team in your organization does not support and demonstrate the critical importance of Guest Experiences, there is absolutely no hope that your front-line people will deliver great Guest Experiences. All team members must demonstrate an obsession for delivering consistently Guest Experiences.

What would have to change in your organization to create a culture of extreme Guest Experience focus?

What are you waiting for?

Adapted from Awesomely Simple by John Spence

Execution: Turning Strategy into Performance

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Bob Adams

You want your organization to be the best it can be at what is does – to be a winner.

How do you make that happen month after month, year after year? A brilliant strategy or a killer brand isn’t enough.

You need to be able to articulate your strategy in simple terms and then consistently put it into action.

Without execution, the breakthrough thinking breaks down, learning adds no value, people don’t meet their goals, and the revolution stops dead in its tracks. What you get is change for the worse, because failure drains the energy from your organization.

– Larry Bossidy

3 Keys to Execution

Execution is a discipline, and integral to strategy – People think of execution as the tactical side of an organization. That’s the first big mistake. Tactics are central to execution, but execution is not tactics. Execution is fundamental to strategy and has to shape it.

Execution is the major job of the organization leader – An organization can execute only if the leader’s heart and soul are immersed in the organization. Execution requires a comprehensive understanding of the organization, its people, and its environment.

Execution must be a core element of an organization’s culture – Execution doesn’t work unless people are schooled in it and practice it constantly. It doesn’t work if only a few people in the system practice it. The discipline of execution has to be part of an organization’s culture, driving the behavior of all leaders at all levels.

Leadership without the discipline of execution is incomplete and ineffective.

Without the ability to execute, all other attributes of leadership become hollow.

Adapted from Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

Seven Rules for Successful Strategy Execution

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Bob Adams

Most organizations’ strategies deliver only 63% of their promised value (HBR study, 2005).

Why?

Leaders press for better execution when they really need a more sound strategy. Or they craft a new strategy when execution is really the weak spot.

Leaders can avoid these errors by viewing strategy and execution as a linked pair.

Here are seven rules for successful strategy execution:

Keep it simple – avoid drawn-out descriptions of lofty goals. Instead, clearly describe what your organization will – and won’t – do.
Challenge assumptions – ensure that the assumptions underlying your long-term strategic plans reflect reality, not wishful thinking.
Speak the same language – everyone on the team, from senior leaders to front-line team members, need to have a common framework for assessing performance.
Discuss resource deployment early – challenge teams to be realistic about when and how they will execute the strategy. Push them earlier rather than later for the most feasible plans.
Identify priorities – delivering planned performance requires a few key actions taken at the right time, in the right way. Make strategic priorities explicit, so everyone knows what to focus on.
Continuously monitor performance – measure real-time performance against your plan, resetting planning assumptions and reallocation resources as needed. Doing this will remedy flaws in your plan and it execution, and avoid confusing the two.
Develop execution ability – no strategy can be better than the people who must implement it. Strategy development must include team selection and training.

By following these rules, you reduce the likelihood of performance shortfalls. If you do happen to falter, you can quickly determine whether the fault lies with the strategy itself, your plan for pursuing it, or the execution process.

The payoff will be that your organization can make the right mid-course corrections – promptly.

To read the full article this content was adopted from, go here.

If you liked this post, you might also like these:

Execution: Turning Strategy into Performance

Moving from the Chief Executive Officer to the Chief Execution Officer

Moving from Chief Executive Officer to Chief EXECUTION Officer

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Bob Adams

What happens when the CEO gets involved in the details of strategy execution?

The E in CEO gets changed.

It’s all too easy for a leader to delegate the actions of strategy execution to levels of management below them.

And it’s a mistake.

By retaining the execution of strategy, the Chief Execution Officer can achieve consensus and commitment across the leadership team; establish and preserve the integrity of the strategy; and engage the team. If done correctly, this approach and these achievements can greatly improve any strategy’s performance.

Randall Russell, VP at Palladium Group and founding editor of Balanced Scorecard Report, has identified the following three practices that can lead to a successful management style of a Chief Execution Officer.

Lead the Leadership Team – creating a leadership team that is unified around the strategy is the most important prerequisite for successful strategy execution. Consensus on and commitment to the strategy provides a litmus test for determining who should stay on the team – and who should go.

Share the Story of the Strategy – too many strategies never get executed because they remain the closely guarded secrets of the leadership team. To be effective, strategy should be shared with all team members. Successful organizations believe that people who perform non-strategic but vital roles should know the general outline of the strategy so that they can become more engaged and find ways to contribute.

Leverage Strategic Performance Feedback – Once the strategy is se and the extended team is engaged, a system of strategic performance feedback must be established. Alignment of performance reward and recognition systems with strategy execution must be done early in the process. Team members who see how their individual roles make a difference will be powerfully motivated.

Application for ChurchWorld Leaders

Establish cross-functional integration, high-level consensus, and commitment to the strategy across your leadership team.
Translate the strategy into a set of measurable objectives that guide behavior across all your teams.
Integrate organization-wide measurements that enable individuals to understand their contribution to the strategy
Align reward and recognitions to the overall strategy while acknowledging unique individual contributions.

Smart leaders translate strategy into execution.

For more information, see the full story here.