Page 268 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

Dream, Believe, Dare, Do 249

to be like.” Griffin took those responses to heart and under Patrick Charmel’s
leadership, a transformation began.
One thing Patrick had on his side during the transformation of Griffin
was the longevity of his senior leadership team. Over half of them had worked
together for more than 27 years and were essentially “born at Griffin.” (Vice
president Bill Powanda was actually born at Griffin, and his executive office
was once part of the original maternity ward. Bill says proudly, “I have been
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right here all my life.”) A key factor that fueled the transformation was the
fact that four executive staff members had recent, not-so-comforting hospital
experiences for serious personal or family medical problems at three differ-
ent hospitals. Although none of them reported being disappointed with their
medical care, all of them had felt a void in the area of personalized attention
from hospital staff. Sharing these experiences was more than a catharsis for
these leaders: it was the solidifying of a dream to ensure that Griffin patients
never have to wonder whether they can ask a question about their care and get
a straight answer; whether they have the freedom to view their medical charts;
or whether their families will be respected by hospital staff. This determined
and empowered executive team was a source of great strength and inspiration
for the entire staff during the days of Griffin’s transformation. Together they
helped facilitate all-day retreats called “Griffin Days,” which deepened their
passion for creating the dream of making Griffin “the hospital of choice” for
every “guest” who enters their sanctum.

Believe

Griffin Hospital’s success in delivering on its promise of superior patient-
centered holistic care and customer service is chronicled in its annual reports,
like the recent “Creating the Exceptional Patient Experience,” and “Clinical
Excellence: Creating Exceptional Outcomes.” Truly one of the hallmarks of
Griffin’s success is its unique culture of extraordinary service and teamwork.
Like Disney, Griffin Hospital has always been a place where differentia-
tion is achieved by employees who exercise both good judgment and creativity
in their interactions with others—all without a script. “When other hospitals
visit Griffin, they give us high praise for the lack of “scripting” in our environ-
ment, saying Griffin seemed more sincere than other hospitals that employ
scripting for their specific departments. What our guests are seeing is evidence
that Griffin’s genuine customer service approach was always part of its cul-
ture,” Bill Powanda stated.