There is a fundamental principle central to much of organizational life, one that has an even stronger meaning in healthcare: We are human beings caring for human beings. Following that principle, it is at the point of interaction through which we provide experience. 

This raises a critical point: The people who make up our organizations are the primary drivers of the experience we ultimately provide. But people do not operate in a vacuum; the way in which we recruit for, select, and develop talent becomes a central driver in the kind of experience we provide. The entire process is shaped by the very organizations we build, develop, and maintain. That is, the culture of our organizations, especially in healthcare, plays a pivotal role in the way people engage with not only one another, but also those they care for and serve. 

While this is not a foreign idea to many committed to the truest sense of what talent development entails, all too often these potential supports for success are left to chance or are secondary considerations. The issue is that strategies built on weak cultural foundations often miss their mark or result in short-term wins that soon dissipate in the latest organizational winds. This may be the most significant challenge we have in healthcare experience today. And it underlines the fundamental role leadership must play in shaping and guiding these cultural efforts. 

The challenge in healthcare has been in how some have defined experience and, therefore, how they have chosen to address it. Some have associated it with simply the level of service provided or patient satisfaction. While these are indicators of performance, they are not the experience itself. Rather, experience comprises everything patients are exposed to in their healthcare encounter. 

At the Beryl Institute, we have defined patient experience as “the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care.” In these words, we are reminded of the power of every personal interaction we have, which is shaped by our organization’s culture. It also reminds us that for all we do, the perceptions of our customer is the ultimate measure of success. 

Healthcare leaders themselves have validated these ideas. In our latest research on the state of patient experience, we asked respondents to identify what has supported patient experience success. Visionary leadership and strong and vibrant cultures topped the list. 

Leaders fundamentally understand the importance of their role, the organizations they build, and the people that comprise them, yet many still fail to recognize that these ideas are not just an HR or talent development issue. They are foundational strategies to ensure the best in outcomes for all we do in healthcare. 

As a former HR and organization development leader, I, like many of you, committed to consistently raising these issues as central to organizational success. We have the opportunity to expand our efforts to show the link between these efforts and outcomes. Consider the following logic when outlining your case:

• We must engage the best people to make up our organization, people who are aligned with the expected behaviors and attitudes we believe best to deliver on our organizational commitments.

• We must build vibrant cultures rooted in clear and shared purpose, framed by sound core principles and espoused values, and focused on understandable and actionable goals.

• The culture we build serves as the lens through which good people make good choices.

• Good choices are the seed of every positive interaction.

• Interactions are the point where experience happens and ideally positive interactions result in positive experiences.

• Experience drives the fundamental results we look to achieve. In healthcare that includes, in this order, clinical and financial outcomes, consumer loyalty, and community reputation. 

It is with this simple framing that talent development professionals and patient experience leaders can build their case for what is critical to achieve experience excellence. Organizational leadership can use this logic to tie all they do together in a way that links strategy and purpose to action and results. When we build the right culture and give our people the right support and an understanding of all that is possible, great experiences can be created. 

Want to learn more best practices in patient-centered concepts? Join me November 13-14 in San Antonio at the ATD Healthcare Executive Summit.