3 Ways to Improve Healthcare Corporate Culture

How do the people who work from evening until morning – the graveyard shift – work in this unusual environment? In hospitals, the lights get dimmed for patient comfort, the number of staff is pared down to a minimum, and the buzzing energy of the daytime decreases to a gentle hum. Even human interactions are diminished because of noise considerations.

During this time of muted of interactions, I recently witnessed an encounter between two hospital staff members that illustrated to me the importance of organizational culture.

“Without you, this floor don’t shine!” exclaimed the twenty-year-old patient transporter to the veteran custodian who was busily buffing the floor.

This comment from the younger man directed to the more experienced member of the housekeeping team put a smile on my face when I least expected it. My mind was drawn from the selfish complaints of how I was missing a few precious winks in the call room to how I am part of a bigger team.

From a management standpoint, it was an example of a desirable behavior that was a result of a good corporate culture. There are a few things that every organization can do to develop this type of culture.