Page 144 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

The Real Job of Managers C131

tions for reduced fasting times. Her recommendations were accepted
and implemented successfully. She had a very positive impact, and
other employees know they can do the same.

Q: How have the values and practices of your senior leaders
shaped your management culture?
Lang: In health care it’s easier because the values and the mission are
clear to everyone. Our employees just want to know the organization
is doing well, they have the equipment to do their job, and they can
be involved in decision making. The visibility of our leaders is ex-
tremely important. Our senior leaders are out and about all the time,
making rounds and letting all staff know they can be easily accessed.
They are thanking employees, telling them “I heard you did a great
job—thanks so much,” and sending thank-you notes. It just comes
instinctively to our senior leaders. They are nice people to begin with,
and are sincerely interested in people’s lives. We also have what we
call “Chat and Snack” meetings once a quarter with the six VPs and
the CEO, where they provide hospital updates and respond to ques-
tions from staff. These sessions have really helped to create trust.
We also focus on fairness. We can’t afford to be the highest-paying
hospital, but we try hard to be fair with pay and benefits. We know other
organizations make deals and exceptions on pay and benefits, but we
rarely do. Where we do make exceptions is with employee recognition and
development. Winchester has one of the most flexible workforces when
compared to other hospitals, with many different shift options. We are
open to making accommodations and working out arrangements with
individual employees that make life and family responsibilities easier for
them. We help nursing assistants pay for nursing school. All flexibility
issues are job dependent and employees know that.

Q: If you were to create a headline that described how your com-
pany has developed a culture of strong management practices,
what would it be?
Lang: Leadership matters—that’s the key. It’s all about your leaders.
Our Press-Ganey survey scores were extremely high on leadership.