Use stories to motivate
An e-mail or memo is useful for passing along the time for a
meeting or the latest data to show how your company is performing. But it can’t convey the details that are required to feed
the flames of passion needed to help your company grow.
“Stories are much more powerful than memos,” Corley says.
“Just about every week, I will tell stories on our voice mail system to our employees about other employees and the significant impact they have had on our patients, other employees or
physicians’ lives. The stories are very, very powerful.”
Corley recalled a time earlier in his career when he was a
shareholder in a company that made stents for patients. It
offered a lesson that stories can come from leaders but also
from others both inside and outside the company.
“At an annual meeting of all the shareholders, who did they
bring in?” Corley says. “Sure, the president and CEO talked,
but they had either patients or patients’ loved ones talking
about the stent that they made to save his wife’s life.”
You need to find ways to capture the good things that your
employees do and share those moments with others.
“Tell those stories about how one of your employees handled
this most difficult situation and turned it into a plus when it
was headed for a minus,” Corley says. “It’s positive reinforcement rather than, ‘Oh, somebody did something wrong.’ No, it’s
somebody did something right. It really is making sure you
want to make this part of your culture and then communicating it to others.”
Developing a culture around storytelling and the sharing of
experiences takes time.
“Don’t expect it to be a quick fix,” Corley says.
The key, once again, is consistency. Corley likens leadership
to being a parent.
“If both parents are consistent, then there is not a lot of stress
in the family,” Corley says. “Mom and Dad have talked about it
and both agreed and so it doesn’t matter who gives the yes or
the no. The no is going to be from Mom as well as Dad.”
The key to maintaining consistency across the organization is
that each department follows the same goals of striving for the
best experience for patients, their families, employees and
physicians as well as strong growth and financial performance.
Those goals are posted in company materials and continually referred to in meetings and dialogue that take place throughout the organization.
Valuing the work your employees do is the key.
“Your employees are your most valuable resource,” Corley
says. “They are not a cost. They are a resource and an asset.”
HOW TO REACH: Community Health Network, (317) 355-1411 or www.ecommunity.com
