Culture Change RX
By: Capstone Leadership Solutions
Language: en-us
Categories: Business, Management, Education, How To
Embark on a journey to the heart of healthcare, where we dissect the driving force behind every thriving organization: its culture. Drawing on her executive background and extensive work as a strategic coach, Capstone’s co-founder Sue Tetzlaff and guests will share actionable insights and practical steps for successfully navigating the people side of the business of healthcare. Join weekly to be equipped and inspired to uplevel the culture and unlock the next level of potential in your healthcare organization.
Episodes
100 Episodes - 9 Critical Themes
Jan 07, 2026Send us a Message
In this celebratory 100th episode of Culture Change RX, I reflect on the journey of the podcast since its inception in early 2024. The episode highlights key themes and subcategories discussed in previous episodes, focusing on improving the employee and patient experience in healthcare organizations. I emphasize the importance of organizational culture, employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and communication in fostering a positive healthcare environment.
Download (and share!) this helpful index of prior podcast episodes.
We’re stepping forward in a bigger way—growing our team of rural health...
Duration: 00:14:54Culture Bytes: 4 Hidden Upsides of Challenging Goals
Dec 31, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the importance of setting challenging goals within organizations. Soft goals do not lead to significant improvements and that setting hard goals can spark creativity, increase engagement, and surface underlying issues that need to be addressed. By aiming for ambitious targets, organizations can achieve more in less time and foster a culture of motivation and collaboration. I encourage you to embrace the challenge of setting big goals for the upcoming year, particularly in the healthcare sector, where the stakes are high.
Inside the Capstone Playbook: Helping Hospitals Begin Their Transformation (Julie Coneset)
Dec 24, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, engages in conversation with one of Capstone’s transformational experts, Julie Coneset. They discuss the transformational assessment, planning, and coaching process at Capstone Leadership that makes up the early weeks of Phase One activities for healthcare organizations that are engaged in a Capstone partnership. They explore the importance of establishing a strong foundation for this transformation through this strong start. The conversation emphasizes the need for tailored team structures and action plans that respect past efforts while fostering a cu...
Duration: 00:47:47Culture Bytes: Losing Peers is Heavy in Healthcare
Dec 17, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the emotional toll on healthcare workers due to staffing losses and the systemic issues affecting the workforce. Sue emphasizes the importance of the 'people pillar' in healthcare, arguing that without strong support for staff, healthcare systems cannot thrive. Sue calls for healthcare leaders to prioritize their people, rebuild trust, and create systems that support engagement and culture.
Key Takeaways:
Staffing losses are a significant concern for caregivers.Leadership challenges often s... Duration: 00:14:23Culture Bytes: The Advantages of Being a Small Hospital
Dec 10, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the unique advantages of small and rural healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the strengths of relationships, agility, and community loyalty, arguing that these factors contribute to a strategic advantage in the healthcare sector. Sue shares insights on how small organizations can leverage their size to foster deeper connections, adapt quickly to changes, and ultimately provide better care for their communities - making the preferred choice, the better choice. The episode concludes with a call to action for small healthcare...
Duration: 00:22:12Culture Bytes: The Power of an Organization’s Pre-Planned Year
Dec 03, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, explores the significant benefits of setting a master calendar of key activities and events for the year ahead, highlighting how it improves culture and trust, momentum, efficiency, strategic clarity, and better results (e.g., improvement, growth). The discussion emphasizes the importance of pro-actively determining how best to spend your time, aligned with top strategic priorities and the key activities that support the successful execution of those strategies.
We’re stepping forward in a bigger wa...
Duration: 00:21:07Culture Bytes: When Culture Carries Providers, Not the Other Way Around
Nov 26, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores the role of the medical staff in becoming the provider of choice through cultural transformation. She emphasizes that while medical staff engagement is crucial, the primary focus should be on creating systems that enhance the providers, staff, and patient experiences. By addressing workplace culture and improving communication, hospitals can create a positive environment that benefits both providers and patients. Sue outlines Capstone's approach to guiding hospitals through this transformation, highlighting the need for a structured framework that allows providers to focus on patient...
Duration: 00:18:31Clarity Over Chaos: Making Strategy Work in Rural Healthcare (Doug Morse)
Nov 19, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Doug Morse discuss the complexities and challenges faced by rural healthcare organizations. They explore the importance of strategic planning, optimizing existing services, and making informed decisions to drive growth and improve patient care. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in strategy and the effective use of existing resources. Doug shares actionable insights for healthcare leaders to navigate uncertainty and enhance their operational effectiveness.
Connecting People to Places: Inside Rural Recruitment (Stephanie Senger)
Nov 12, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff interviews Stephanie Senger, founder of Rural Staffing Services, who shares her journey in healthcare recruitment for rural hospitals. The conversation explores the importance of building relationships with clients and candidates, innovative staffing solutions, and the significance of community support in rural healthcare. Stephanie discusses the Good Neighbor Project, mental health awareness in recruitment, and her aspirations for future community engagement. The episode emphasizes the need for personalized recruitment processes and the challenges faced in rural staffing.
Culture Byte: When Strategy Becomes Legacy: Rewriting the Future
Nov 05, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores how certain strategic decisions become turning points that forever change the future of an organization. She shares how courageous leaders move beyond incremental improvements to make trajectory-changing moves—decisions that blend clarity, courage, and execution. Listeners will gain insight into how Capstone Leadership partners with healthcare organizations to help them align strategy and execution, ensuring that their next big move doesn’t just shape results—it builds a legacy.
Every organization has pivotal moments that change everything.Pivotal moves can include new buildi... Duration: 00:18:59The Experience Initiative: Part 5 A New Path Forward (Ben Davis, CEO)
Oct 29, 2025Send us a Message
CEO Ben Davis provides his fifth quarterly update on the happenings of Glencoe Regional Health’s Experience Initiative which is targeted at improving access to care and elevating the patient, resident, and employee experiences.
Culture Bytes: The Secret Behind Teams That Keep Getting Better
Oct 22, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the essential elements of developing high-performing teams in healthcare. She emphasizes that high performance is a continuous journey rather than a destination. She highlights the importance of distinguishing between behavior, performance, and contributions. Sue outlines leadership practices that foster team growth, the significance of feedback, and the need for leaders to engage in meaningful conversations with their employees. The episode concludes with a call to action for leaders to embrace these practices to elevate their teams and organizations ongoingly.
Change Isn’t Resisted—It’s Misunderstood (Natasha Todorovic)
Oct 15, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Natasha Todorovic-Cowan explore the multifaceted topic of change management. Natasha shares her journey into the field, emphasizing the importance of understanding human nature and change readiness. They discuss the untapped potential within organizations, the significance of creating structures for employee engagement, and the necessity of customization in change initiatives. The conversation also touches on hard truths about change management, the importance of measuring culture, and the need for diverse perspectives in teams to foster innovation. Natasha concludes with insights on designing change that...
Duration: 00:32:58Culture Bytes: Isolated Success Won’t Save Your Hospital
Oct 08, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Capstone’s Cofounder & CEO Sue Tetzlaff unpacks a common pattern in healthcare organizations: one leader or department excelling while the rest of the hospital struggles to keep up. These bright spots, while encouraging, are often fragile and siloed. Sue contrasts this episodic excellence with the power of systemic success—when every leader, every team, and every department is aligned and performing at high levels.
Episodic excellence feels good in the moment but is fragile and unsustainable.
Relying on a single stan... Duration: 00:15:20Culture Bytes: When a Housekeeping Team Shifted Culture Through Goals
Oct 01, 2025Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Capstone’s Cofounder & CEO Sue Tetzlaff shares a Story That Inspires about the power of goal-setting. Sue explains how setting and achieving goals not only helps organizations reach targets but also elevates the behavior, performance, and contributions of individuals and teams. By engaging employees in goal-setting, leaders create a pathway to cultural transformation—turning “this is how we do things around here” into “this is how we do things better.” Through a story of a community hospital’s housekeeping department, Sue illustrates how goals can shift cult...
Duration: 00:22:01Culture Bytes: Culture Change in an Envelope: Thank You Notes
Sep 24, 2025Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Capstone’s Cofounder & CEO Sue Tetzlaff shares a Story That Inspires about one of the simplest yet most effective leadership tactics: writing thank you notes. She emphasizes that appreciation should not be a one-off initiative but a regular, heartfelt practice. Leaders who consistently recognize employees connect their efforts to organizational impact, fostering motivation and loyalty. This short episode serves as both an encouragement and a practical reminder for leaders to embed recognition into their daily leadership routines.
Recognition isn’t a program—it’s a cons... Duration: 00:12:29Staff-Led Community Outreach That Works (Halle Pardun)
Sep 17, 2025Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff engages in conversation with Halle Pardun (full time hospital Marketing Director and part time Capstone Coach) about the importance of community mindedness in community hospitals. They discuss the role of an employee-driven community team, employee volunteerism, intentional marketing strategies, and their Quest for Excellence initiative aimed at improving and growing healthcare services. Halle shares insights on how to effectively engage employees and the community, the significance of word-of-mouth campaigns, and plans for furthering their community outreach.
Engaging employees leads to fresh... Duration: 00:34:30Culture Bytes: From Standouts to Standards: Service Patients Can Count On
Sep 10, 2025Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Capstone’s Cofounder & CEO Sue Tetzlaff discusses the critical importance of service excellence in healthcare. She emphasizes that exceptional patient experiences should be safe, satisfying, and consistent across all interactions. Drawing parallels with the hospitality industry, particularly the Grand Hotel, she illustrates how high standards can be achieved through organization-wide commitment, employee engagement and leadership. The conversation also addresses the challenges of variation in service delivery and the need for a standard-dependent culture to ensure that every patient can count on receiving exceptional care.
... Duration: 00:30:30Beyond Semantics: Mission and Vision as Strategic Force (Michelle Franklin)
Sep 03, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change Rx, Sue Tetzlaff engaged in conversation with Michelle Franklin, CEO of Sullivan County Community Hospital in Sullivan, Indiana, to discuss the importance of mission, vision, and values in the context of a community hospital. They explore how these elements evolve over time, particularly in response to organizational growth and community needs. Michelle shares insights from her experience as CEO, emphasizing the significance of engaging stakeholders in the process and ensuring that the mission and vision are actively lived and communicated within the organization and the community.
... Duration: 00:29:50Culture Bytes: Financial Uncertainty & Company Culture
Aug 28, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the impacts of financial uncertainty on workplace culture, particularly in healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the importance of trust in leadership, employee engagement, and the need for transparency and education to navigate financial challenges. Tetzlaff shares strategies for overcoming these challenges, including the implementation of systems like goal cycles and employee-driven teams, to foster a healthier organizational culture and improve financial outcomes.
Financial challenges are often top of mind for employees.Trust in leadership is essential during times of uncertainty, crisis, or challenges... Duration: 00:13:56Under Construction: How One Organization is Reimagining Rural Healthcare (Theresa Sullivan)
Aug 20, 2025Send us a Message
Building a new healthcare system isn’t just about construction—it’s about forward-thinking, people-centered transformation that fulfills a deep commitment to excellence in caring for the community.
In this episode of Culture Change Rx, Sue Tetzlaff interviews Theresa Sullivan, CEO of Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake, Washington, about the transformative journey of building a new healthcare system. They discuss the importance of community engagement, strategic planning, and the involvement of healthcare professionals in creating a healthcare environment that prioritizes patient experience and service excellence. Theresa shares insights on the...
Duration: 00:32:34Culture Bytes: Practical Moves for a Toxic Office Makeover
Aug 13, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the critical aspects of transforming toxic workplace cultures, emphasizing the importance of local leadership, team dynamics, and individual behaviors. She outlines strategies for addressing toxic cultures, including the role of leadership in modeling positive behaviors, the shifting of team dynamics, and the necessity of addressing individual toxic behaviors. The episode culminates in a call to action for front-line leaders to take responsibility for their important role in creating a thriving workplace culture.
Leadership is local and has a direct impact on the... Duration: 00:26:0075 Years Strong: How SMH Leads with Culture and Community (Sara Giles)
Aug 06, 2025Send us a Message
A positive organizational culture is reflected in employee interactions with the community.
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff speaks with Sara Giles, the marketing director at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, about the evolution of community engagement and employee relations within the organization. They discuss the importance of building relationships, the impact of employee contributions, and the strategic alignment of community events with local needs. Sara shares insights on the SMH Cares program, which incentivizes employee participation in community initiatives, and highlights the hospital's commitment to fostering a positive organizational...
Duration: 00:31:24Fix the Team at the Top (Courtney Kloehn)
Jul 30, 2025Send us a Message
Senior leadership team dysfunction in one or more of five specific areas can undermine the success and speed of leading organization-wide improvement and growth initiatives.
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff and Courtney Kloehn discuss the critical importance of strengthening senior leadership teams within healthcare organizations. They explore the common dysfunctions that can hinder effective leadership and provide actionable tactics for improvement. The conversation emphasizes the need for cohesive teamwork, strategic focus, and continuous development to foster a positive organizational culture. Key categories for leadership improvement are identified, along with practical steps...
Duration: 00:38:28Culture Bytes: The Alignment Advantage: Strategy, Systems & People That Work Together
Jul 23, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the critical issue of misalignment within healthcare organizations. She shares insights from her experience founding Capstone Leadership Solutions and outlines a framework for achieving great strategies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of creating alignment through team structures, effective leadership, and achievement systems, while also addressing the barriers to change. Sue encourages healthcare leaders to adopt this framework to enhance organizational culture and performance and ultimately long term viability and success.
Misalignment is a significant issue in healthcare organizations.Capstone’s framework for ac... Duration: 00:14:24Culture Bytes: Ready to Lead a Safer, Stronger Team?
Jul 17, 2025Send us a Message
Leverage the leadership practice of rounding to strengthen psychological safety, just culture, and high reliability.
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of high reliability, just culture, and psychological safety in healthcare leadership. She emphasizes the significance of strengthening relationships through rounding, effective questioning, and the need for follow-up to build trust within teams. The conversation highlights practical options for leaders to engage with their employees in conversations about the culture of safety and high reliability.
Access the resource document (3 Options for Psychological-Safety related Rounding Questions) referenced in...
Duration: 00:18:09Culture Bytes: The Formula Behind Your Hospital’s Future: Fading or Rocket Fuel?
Jul 09, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the challenges and strategies for leadership in healthcare organizations, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond the status quo to foster growth and community impact. She introduces two contrasting formulas for organizational success: the fading formula, which leads to deterioration, and the rocket fuel formula, which focuses on investing in people, service, and quality to drive growth. Tetzlaff shares her experiences and insights on strategic planning and execution, urging leaders to prioritize foundational pillars for sustainable improvement.
The strategic formula you follow matters: the “Fading Formula” lead...
Duration: 00:23:13Culture Bytes: Crisis-Proofing Culture Through Trusted Leadership
Jul 02, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of trust in senior leadership, particularly in the healthcare sector. She outlines two main categories of trust-building activities: everyday actions and responses during challenging times. She provides real life examples and practical takeaways for leaders related to strengthening trust and teamwork, even in the face of uncertainty and fear.
There are two categories of trust-building activities in leadership: our everyday actions and our responses to episodic crises.Our day-to-day trust-building activities should not be neglected during times of crises.Trust can be diminished... Duration: 00:20:40Culture Bytes: Doing It Well. Doing It Often. How Real Change Happens
Jun 25, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change, Sue Tetzlaff emphasizes that efforts to elevate both competency and consistency are crucial for effective culture change and improvement. Competency relates to the quality and standards of practice, while consistency pertains to the frequency and application of those practices. The conversation explores how there are differences in how improvement teams and/or leaders approach increasing competency versus how they approach gaining more consistency. Ultimately, by focusing on both competency and consistency, an organization is aiming for a culture of continuous improvements that can be both measured and...
Duration: 00:20:37Culture Bytes: Lead a Movement. Leave a Legacy.
Jun 18, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of initiating movements within healthcare organizations to create lasting and impactful change. She emphasizes that true revolutions require more than incremental improvements; they demand a collective effort around a shared purpose. Tetzlaff shares insights on how to mobilize people, the significance of leadership, and the necessity of data in driving change. She also highlights successful examples of movements and the importance of celebrating the “first followers” as the movement builds momentum.
The Experience Initiative: Part 4 – A New Path Forward (Ben Davis, CEO)
Jun 11, 2025Send us a Message
In this fourth of a series of planned quarterly episodes on Culture Change RX, host Sue engages with Ben Davis, President and CEO of Glencoe Regional Health, to discuss the ongoing transformational initiatives within his rural healthcare organization. As they mark the completion of the first year of Glencoe’s “Experience Initiative,” they explore the concept of the 'whirlwind' in daily operations, the necessity of grit and perseverance in navigating change, and the significance of investing long term in people to foster a culture of growth and excellence in patient care.
Investing in peo... Duration: 00:28:39Culture Bytes: The Cultural Bottom Line: Is Your Organization in the Red?
Jun 04, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores the concept of being 'in the red' culturally within healthcare organizations, drawing parallels to financial health. She discusses key indicators of cultural health, the impact of employee disengagement, and the necessary components of a cultural turnaround. Emphasizing the importance of strong leadership and long-term commitment, Tetzlaff encourages organizations to assess their cultural status and take action to foster a thriving workplace environment.
Data is essential for understanding cultural health and guiding improvements.Key indicators of cultural health include turnover rates and employee... Duration: 00:15:58Culture Bytes: Lessons from Organizations That Get Culture Right
May 28, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores the long-term nature of culture change within organizations, particularly in healthcare. Using analogies of soup and dye in water, she goes on to emphasize the importance of commitment, competency, and consistency in fostering a positive culture. Tetzlaff outlines four key elements necessary for effective culture change and warns against the pitfalls of short-term initiatives and always-changing directions that fail to create the desired positive and lasting impacts.
A vibrant culture is distinctly different from a lukewarm one.Organizations often switch strategies too... Duration: 00:16:19Culture Bytes: Avoiding Stagnation and Recklessness: Strategy Execution That Works
May 21, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores the critical relationship between culture and strategy execution in healthcare organizations. She introduces a strategy execution matrix that categorizes organizations based on their planning and execution capabilities. The discussion emphasizes the importance of aligning culture with execution to achieve organizational growth and success. Sue shares insights on how organizations can avoid stagnation and recklessness in their execution efforts, highlighting the significance of disciplined planning and follow-through. The episode concludes with success stories and a call to action for organizations to assess their execution...
Duration: 00:17:24Culture Bytes: How Overwhelm Undermines Leadership – and the Way Out
May 14, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of effective leadership in healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the need for leaders to focus on proactive leadership activities. By categorizing their time into three buckets—whirlwind, management, and leadership—leaders can better allocate their efforts to achieve meaningful results. The episode concludes with a call to narrow focus and leverage time for greater impact in leadership roles. Healthcare leaders often feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day chaos.
Categorizing activities into “the three buckets” helps prioritize focus.Proactive leadership leads to better o... Duration: 00:17:31Culture Bytes: The Key to Progress? Stop Starting Over.
May 07, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of cycles in healthcare organizations, emphasizing the need for a structured framework and execution systems to achieve long-term improvement and transformation. She highlights how continuous systems and cycles can lead to sustained growth and better results, ultimately strengthening healthcare organizations and their communities.
Employee Engagement: Start with Listening, End with Impact (Christin Tenbusch)
Apr 30, 2025Send us a Message
Culture Change RX host Sue Tetzlaff converses with guest Christen Tenbusch of Covenant Healthcare about employee engagement examples and impact. They discuss the evolution of employee experience and patient experience, the empowerment of staff through focus groups, and the significance of creating a safe space for dialogue. Christin shares insights on flipping the hierarchy to empower staff, the impact of language in leadership, and the challenges of recruitment and retention in the healthcare sector. The conversation also touches on effective onboarding strategies and the necessity of engaging the C-suite in these initiatives to...
Duration: 00:30:44Culture Bytes: Change Management That Works: 3 Practical Moves
Apr 23, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the complexities of leading change within healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the importance of understanding resistance, effective communication, and the need for a structured approach to change management. Sue shares practical tactics for leaders to implement, including anticipating resistance, communicating the reasons behind changes, and the necessity of studying and adjusting post-implementation. The conversation highlights the significance of creating an agile culture to combat change fatigue and achieve high reliability in healthcare settings.
Leading change is a core leadership practiceResistance is a... Duration: 00:24:09What Crisis Taught Us: Innovation, Engagement, and Grit (Jessica Nuutinen)
Apr 16, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue and Jess Nuutinen discuss the impact of crises on healthcare innovation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jess shares her experiences as a nurse and leader, highlighting the importance of adaptability, teamwork, and community support in navigating challenges. They explore how partnerships and innovative solutions emerged from necessity, and the ongoing need for healthcare to embrace change, engage staff, and improve patient care.
Innovation often arises from necessity during crises.Partnerships with local organizations can enhance healthcare delivery.Rapid changes in healthcare require effective communication... Duration: 00:28:41Culture Bytes: The Missing Link to Healthcare Excellence: Behavior Change
Apr 09, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the critical role of behaviors in workplace culture, particularly within healthcare organizations. She shares insights from her experiences facilitating discussions on creating a 'utopia' in healthcare, emphasizing that behavior change is essential yet challenging. The episode outlines the importance of establishing clear behavior standards and offers practical strategies for maintaining these standards within organizations, including commitment events, campaigns, giving and receiving feedback, and hiring practices.
Behaviors are crucial for transforming organizations.Creating a utopia in healthcare requires clear behavior standards.Behavior... Duration: 00:23:47Maximize Leadership Training: Tactics You Probably Overlooked (Julie Coneset)
Apr 02, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue and Julie Coneset discuss effective strategies for ongoing leadership development in healthcare organizations. Julie shares her extensive experience in creating impactful training programs, emphasizing the importance of mandatory attendance, setting clear expectations, and fostering engagement through relevant and interactive learning experiences. They explore the significance of feedback, creativity in logistics, and the role of internal peer champions in enhancing leadership training. The conversation highlights the importance of establishing a distraction-free learning environment via established ground rules to ensure effective engagement during training sessions.
Clear... Duration: 00:23:47Culture Bytes: From 'Too Big' to 'Game-Changing': Rethinking Goal-Setting
Mar 26, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the concept of high reliability in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of setting ambitious goals. The conversation delves into the challenges of goal setting, the significance of a growth mindset, and the systems necessary for fostering high reliability organizations. I highlight the upcoming Healthcare Executive Forum, where healthcare leaders will explore strategies for achieving high reliability and continuous improvement.
Setting ambitious goals can drive organizational improvement.Leaders and employees can often feel that big goals are impossible goals and a set up for failure... Duration: 00:16:16A Leadership Event That Changed Everything (Tami Chambers)
Mar 19, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Tami Chambers discuss the transformative journey of leadership development at Grant Regional Health Center. Tami shares her experiences as a first time senior leader and the impact of the two-day leadership immersion program facilitated by Capstone Leadership Solutions. They explore the importance of structured leadership practices and continuous learning. Tami emphasizes the significance of the nine core leadership practices that make up the “leadership bundle” and how they have shaped her approach to leading. Her experience with the leadership bundle practices, and her belief in their value, motivate her...
Duration: 00:31:12Culture Bytes: Silence, Anonymity, and the Fear of Speaking Up
Mar 12, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the critical concept of psychological safety within healthcare organizations so that employees feel safe to voice their concerns and ideas and freely provide feedback and input. This episode prompts leaders to consider: Are your employees hiding behind anonymity? If so, this episode outlines practical tactics for leaders to foster psychological safety, including embracing both anonymous and identified feedback, responding to feedback effectively, modeling vulnerability, and celebrating employees who speak up. The conversation highlights the journey towards a culture of trust and continuous improvement i...
Duration: 00:17:14From Event to Execution: Making Leadership Learning Count (Courtney Kloehn)
Mar 05, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Courtney discuss the importance of team learning and networking at events like Capstone’s annual Healthcare Executive Forum. They explore how attending such events can lead to actionable takeaways, enhance camaraderie among executives, and provide valuable networking opportunities. The conversation emphasizes the need for simplifying complex topics for practical application, especially in small and rural healthcare organizations. Courtney shares her experiences and insights on maximizing the return on investment from learning events, highlighting the significance of having a plan for applying new knowledge back in the workplace.
...
Duration: 00:29:55Connecting Employees with Our Brand Promise (Amy Yaeger)
Feb 26, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Amy Yaeger, Director of Strategic Marketing and Business Development at Astera Health, discuss the importance of connecting brand promises to employee experiences across the employee lifecycle. They explore various strategies for onboarding, employee engagement, and communication, emphasizing the need for transparency and celebration of achievements. Amy shares insights on rebranding efforts and the significance of maintaining excitement and engagement within the organization. The conversation also highlights the value of building an alumni network to foster ongoing relationships with former employees.
Culture Bytes: Leading Change: Communication, Training, and Campaigning
Feb 19, 2025Send us a Message
Want to improve your organization? Effective communication, training, campaigning, and meetings can help.
Great organizations define and implement effective communication strategies.Clarity around key terms enhances communication efforts.Training is distinct from communication and focuses on skill development.Campaigns support ongoing learning and engagement.Meetings should prioritize goals and projects over communication.Regular communication reduces stress and misinformation.Employee-driven teams can enhance communication efforts.In this episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the importance of improving communication within healthcare organizations. Key terms such as communication, training, campaigning...
Duration: 00:24:27Stay or Stray? How Total Rewards Impact Retention (Carol Breen)
Feb 12, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Carol Breen, founder and principal of Sedona Partners, a human resources and rewards consulting firm, and show host, Sue Tetzlaff, discuss the concept of “Total Rewards” in the workplace. They explore the framework of Total Rewards, which includes compensation, benefits, learning and development, and organizational culture. The conversation highlights the significance of understanding your organization’s rewards systems and emphasizes the efforts to continually improve them. Carol shares insights on navigating pay equity issues and the role of recognition in keeping employees satisfied and committed to their organizations.
The total... Duration: 00:36:38Culture Bytes: From Average to Exceptional: Building a Strong Core in Healthcare
Feb 05, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the transformative work of Capstone Leadership Solutions in small and rural healthcare organizations. I highlight the significant improvements in employee and patient experiences achieved through a structured approach that focuses on leadership development, employee involvement and engagement, and foundational solutions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a strong organizational core built on the strategic pillars of people, service, and quality, and how these elements contribute to sustainable growth and long term success in healthcare.
Employee-driven teams can contribute to significant organizational change... Duration: 00:20:56Authentic Leadership in Action: Lessons from Rural Healthcare (Greg Opseth)
Jan 29, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode, Greg Opseth, a former Chief Nursing Officer and now Chief Operating Officer in rural Iowa, shares his insights on the importance of authentic leadership in healthcare, particularly in rural hospitals.
Greg shares his experiences and emphasizes the need for a safe and enjoyable work environment.
They explore strategic planning, employee involvement, and the unique culture of night shift workers.
Greg also highlights the significance of community engagement through volunteering and the mission of Highland Medical Staffing in supporting rural healthcare facilities.
Culture Bytes: Building Resilient Teams: The Magic of Well-Being Rituals
Jan 22, 2025Send us a Message
In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of promoting well-being within healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the need for leadership models that incorporate well-being as a core commitment and introduces the concept of resilience rituals—self-care routines that help individuals maintain their health and energy. Sue outlines practical strategies for creating effective rituals and routines, both individually and as groups, to enhance overall well-being. She also highlights the challenges of establishing new habits and offers tips for overcoming these obstacles, ultimately encouraging leaders to implement well-being strategies within th...
Duration: 00:20:13The Experience Initiative: Part 3 – A New Path Forward (Ben Davis, CEO)
Jan 15, 2025Send us a Message
In this third installment of our quarterly series, I catch up with Ben Davis, President and CEO of Glencoe Regional Health, to check in on The Experience Initiative—a transformative effort aimed at improving patient access and elevating experiences for patients, residents, and employees.
Ben shares how employee-driven teams are driving engagement, the challenges of managing change, and the essential role structured communication plays in keeping teams aligned. We also discuss the importance of committing to a vision and staying the course, even when progress takes time.
If you’re l...
Duration: 00:36:38Culture Bytes: Ditch the Drag - Make Executive Meetings Work for You
Jan 08, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of shaping up weekly executive team meetings to enhance collaboration, decision-making, and organizational progress. Drawing from over 30 years of healthcare executive experience, she emphasizes the need for a clear purpose, strategic agenda, and continuous improvement in meeting effectiveness. The episode also highlights resources available for executives to optimize their meetings and drive impactful outcomes.
1-on-1s Done Right: Build Culture, Performance & Relationships (Dr. Rob Lion)
Jan 01, 2025Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Rob Lion discuss the significance of one-on-one conversations in fostering a positive workplace culture. They explore how these interactions can enhance relationships, provide valuable feedback, and ultimately improve individual and organizational performance. Rob shares his insights on best practices for conducting effective one-on-ones, emphasizing the importance of preparation, intentionality, and creating a safe space for open communication. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to prioritize these interactions to demonstrate their commitment to valuing their team members.
Work should fuel the human... Duration: 00:41:06How Attitude and Words Create Ripple Effects in Healthcare Culture
Dec 24, 2024Send us a Message
Episode Insights and Takeaways:
Empathetic leadership is essential for employee engagement.Recognition can energize staff and improve morale.The person you report to significantly affects your work experience.Listening to employees is vital for organizational success.Building connections with staff enhances teamwork.Thank you notes can change lives and improve relationships.Summary:
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue and Jean Scallon discuss the critical role of attitude, communication, and leadership in healthcare. Jean shares her extensive experience in behavioral health leadership and emphasizes...
Duration: 00:34:12Culture Bytes: Build a Leadership Improvement Strategy: 3 Targeted Tiers
Dec 18, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in leadership, drawing from her extensive experience in healthcare leadership and improvement. She outlines three tiers of leadership improvement focus: individual leaders, senior leadership teams, and the entire leadership team. Sue emphasizes the need for systematic processes and models to strengthen leadership effectiveness and the impact of leadership on organizational culture. She also touches on the role of coaching and emotional intelligence in leadership development, encouraging organizations to assess their leadership improvement needs for the upcoming...
Duration: 00:22:22How Rural Hospitals Build Leaders and Approach Change
Dec 11, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Shelby Guevara, a Chief Nursing Officer in rural Iowa, shares her insights on leadership in healthcare, particularly in rural hospital settings. She discusses the importance of building trust and empathy among leaders, engaging frontline staff in decision-making, and the significance of understanding one's purpose in leadership. Shelby emphasizes the value of promoting from within and creating a supportive environment for leaders to grow and develop. The conversation highlights the challenges and rewards of leading in healthcare, especially in fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Culture Bytes: Insider Insights into Capstone's Culture Transformation Success
Dec 04, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff provides a behind-the-scenes look at the activities and timeline of organization-wide transformations. In particular, Sue discusses the approach of Capstone Leadership Solutions in transforming organizational culture within healthcare settings, all targeted on long term and continuous improvement and growth. She outlines the importance of leadership development, employee engagement, and a phased approach to implementing change. The conversation highlights the impact of these transformations on patient satisfaction and overall organizational effectiveness, particularly in small and rural healthcare organizations.
Make Your Strategy Visible and Effective – Here’s How
Nov 27, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, host Sue Tetzlaff speaks with Jason Douglas, founding partner at Frontier Strategy Partners, about his extensive experience in rural healthcare. They discuss the importance of culture in healthcare organizations, the implementation of lean management practices, and the development of a True North strategy that focuses on people, process, and planning. Jason shares insights on how to engage staff, improve patient experiences, and the critical role of financial stewardship in rural healthcare. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of culture, patient care, and financial health in creating successful...
Duration: 00:35:06Culture Bytes: Crushing Silos: One Tactic Every Leader Needs to Know
Nov 20, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff overviews the what, why, and how of a tactic for breaking down silos and building collaboration between departments in a healthcare organization. Sue explores the negative impacts of departmental silos on efficiency and patient care, and emphasizes the need for collaboration across departments. Sue introduces interdepartmental rounding as a practical strategy to enhance collaboration, improve relationships, and gather valuable insights. She highlights the significance of cross-department recognition in fostering a collaborative culture and encourages leaders to actively work on breaking down silos...
Duration: 00:19:12How Employee Teams Improve Patient Satisfaction
Nov 13, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Capstone Coach Kevin Stranberg discuss the importance of employee-driven teams in enhancing patient experience in healthcare. They explore how data can be tied to patient experiences, the role of leadership in fostering a positive work environment, and the significance of communication and teamwork. The conversation emphasizes the need for synergy between employee engagement and patient experience, highlighting real patient stories and the impact of first impressions. They conclude with a reflection on the passion required to work in healthcare and the continuous journey...
Duration: 00:40:03The Art of Meaningful Employee Evaluations
Nov 06, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue engages in conversation with another member of Capstone’s coaching team, Julie Coneset. They discuss the intricacies of performance appraisals and the importance of transforming them from mere tasks into meaningful leadership practices. They explore the significance of preparation and planning, creating valuable conversations, understanding employee goals, and the role of self-evaluations. The conversation also addresses the pitfalls of overrating employees and the necessity of honest feedback. Julie shares insights for new leaders and the challenges faced by interim leaders. They emphasize the importance of continuous feedback throughout the ye...
Duration: 00:33:32Company Values: How a Purple Wall Changed Everything
Oct 30, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue engages in conversation with Matt Streeter, Chief Financial Officer for North Country Healthcare (NCH), and interim President/CEO of NCH affiliate Weeks Medical Center, to discuss the critical role of mission, vision, and values in cultural transformation within rural healthcare. They explore how these elements guide decision-making, inspire staff, and shape organizational culture. Matt shares his experiences in developing value-based behavior standards (including the “purple wall” story) and emphasizes the importance of employee engagement in this process. The conversation also highlights the significance of commitment to these standards and how...
Duration: 00:39:45Culture Bytes: Confidence in Senior Leadership is Critical
Oct 23, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance and impact of trust and confidence in an organization’s senior leadership. The episode explores the complexities of trust, its foundations, and how it can be built and maintained through consistent actions and relationships. Sue emphasizes that trust is essential for organizational growth and employee engagement, providing insights and strategies for leaders to foster a trusting environment.
Trust is a complex, multi-dimensional concept.Improving trust can be challenging but is possible.Trust is a core human need.High tr... Duration: 00:22:16Fuel for Further Growth
Oct 16, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Capstone transformational coaches Sue Tetzlaff and Courtney Kloehn delve into the complexities of giving and receiving feedback, particularly in healthcare settings. They discuss the importance of authenticity, trust, and continuous improvement in feedback dynamics. The conversation emphasizes the need for leaders to provide constructive feedback to even their highest performers, to continue fostering a culture of growth and development. Techniques such as the start-stop-continue approach to asking employee rounding questions are highlighted as effective ways to solicit and act on feedback. The episode concludes with a reminder that feedback is...
Duration: 00:37:24Culture Bytes: A Feedback-Rich Work Environment
Oct 09, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of feedback in healthcare organizations, emphasizing its role as a superpower that enhances individual and organizational performance. She outlines the necessity of creating a feedback culture where giving and receiving feedback is normalized and seen as an act of caring. Sue shares practical tips for effective feedback, including being specific, asking for permission, and maintaining a positive ratio of compliments to call-outs. The episode encourages leaders to model feedback behaviors and highlights the benefits of fostering an environment where...
Duration: 00:21:53Part 2 - The Experience Initiative: A New Path Forward with CEO Ben Davis
Oct 02, 2024Send us a Message
In this second of a series of planned quarterly episodes on Culture Change RX, host Sue engages with Ben Davis, President and CEO of Glencoe Regional Health, to discuss the ongoing transformational initiatives within his organization. They explore the challenges and successes of implementing structured teams, the importance of data-driven decision-making, and the upcoming commitment event aimed at fostering a new organizational culture. The conversation highlights the significance of leadership development, employee engagement, and the long-term vision necessary for sustainable change in healthcare settings.
Episode Insights and...
Duration: 00:37:47Culture Bytes: Exploring Failure - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Sep 25, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the impact of failure on future progress and workplace culture in the workplace in the context of organizations striving to achieve big goals. She explores the idea of “intelligent failure,” as coined by Amy Edmondson, where undesired results occur in new territory. Sue emphasizes the importance of appreciating the gain of what has been achieved and/or progress has been made even when falling short. As well, encouragement to gain the lessons when analyzing the gap between desired and actual outcomes. She highlights the negative cons...
Duration: 00:28:36Culture Bytes: Introduce with Impact - Managing Up
Sep 18, 2024Send us a Message
In this Solo Byte episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses a communication tactic, “managing up,” that has a positive impact on both the employee experience and patient experience. Managing up is a communication tactic where your introduction positions others or other organizations, people, or services in a positive light to increase confidence, trust, and put others at ease. She emphasizes the importance of “managing yourself up” when introducing yourself. Managing up can be used in various healthcare settings, such as shift handoffs and patient transfers. It is a valuable tool for both clinicians and non-clinicians.
Culture Bytes: Building Engaged Teams and Committees
Sep 11, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses how to utilize teams as a way to foster employee engagement. She emphasizes the importance of creating teams with a compelling purpose and empowering them to fulfill that purpose. Sue also highlights the benefits of utilizing a team structure in organizations, where teams are aligned with strategic priorities and work on organization-wide improvements. Additionally, she suggests repurposing staff meetings as improvement meetings to actively engage employees in the improvement process.
Culture Bytes: Unpacking Workplace Negativity: Strategies for Change
Sep 04, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the impact of positivity and negativity in the workplace. She explains that negativity is natural and ingrained in our brains as a way to protect us, but it can be problematic in relationships, teams, and workplace cultures. Sue emphasizes the need to balance negativity with intentional acts of positivity and offers up easy- and quick-to-implement tactics that have been shown to increase the experience of positivity in the workplace.
Negativity evolves as the predominant vibe in a relationship, team, department, or entire organization when there isn’t... Duration: 00:25:12Culture Bytes: Unpacking "Flavor-of-the-Month" Change Failures
Aug 28, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the all-to-common phenomenon described as “flavor-of-the-month” which are, in essence, failed change initiatives. She acknowledges that humans are resistant to change, even when they recognize the benefits. Sue explains the concept of diffusion and the need for a majority of employees to adopt the new way before it has staying power. She emphasizes the simplicity, yet importance, of ongoing reminders and recognition to support the adoption of change.
6 Elements of a Culture of Excellence
Aug 21, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Jeff Standridge, an expert in organizational behavior and leadership, engage in discussion about the key aspects of a strong culture. Standridge outlines six elements of a culture of excellence: strong leadership, clarity and focus, engaged and committed teammates, empowering communication, 100% accountability, and organizational agility. He shares examples of organizations that have successfully implemented these elements and seen significant improvements.
Every organization has a culture, whether it is recognized or not.Positive cultures are associated with faster revenue growth, higher profitability, and better customer satisfaction.Weak cultures lead... Duration: 00:34:45Culture Bytes: Many leaders aren’t really leading
Aug 14, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the concept of the leadership bundle and its importance in the organization's future success. She explains that leadership is about activities that make something better for the future and recommends defining and practicing a bundle of core leadership tactics. Sue emphasizes the need for leaders to focus on proactive, positive, and results-oriented practices rather than getting caught up solely in supervisory or management tasks. She also highlights the benefits of adopting a leadership bundle at both the individual and organizational level.
Support Staff Recruitment and Retention
Aug 07, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Julia Green discuss Access Community Health Center’s successful efforts to retain, develop, and recruit medical support staff. Julia discusses the adoptions of the TeamSTEPPS framework for improving communication and teamwork. They also talk about the importance of behavioral-based interviewing, onboarding, and career pathways in retaining and developing staff. Julia shares the positive impact these strategies have had on their organization, including increased staff engagement, improved patient care, growth, and higher retention rates.
Culture Bytes: Friendly Faces, Friendly Places: Caring Starts in the Hallway
Jul 31, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the importance of hallway hospitality as one of the recommended 12 positive communication standards to be adopted by healthcare organizations. Hallway hospitality is the simple act of saying hi in the hallway and creating a friendly and caring atmosphere. Sue emphasizes the impact of consistent greetings and acknowledgments in creating a positive impression and improving the overall culture of the organization. She provides strategies for implementing and reinforcing hallway hospitality, such as declaring it as an organization-wide standard, using top-of-mind tactics, and recognizing and celebrating the...
Duration: 00:18:52Employee Training Reimagined
Jul 24, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue converses with Julie Coneset, a Capstone Transformational Coach on the topic of organization-wide employee development efforts. Julie shares her experience of leading the employee training team at a community hospital and the importance of employee involvement in orchestrating these training initiatives. They discuss the benefits of having a diverse team and the impact of training topics aligned with key strategic priorities, including the wellbeing of the staff. Julie provides recommendations for setting up an employee training team, including the number of events, format, and involvement of leaders. They also...
Duration: 00:32:58Culture Bytes: 4 Categories of Silo Busting Actions
Jul 17, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the concept of silos within organizations. Silos are groups within an organization that are focused inward and loyal to their own rather than the organization as a whole. Silos can exist between different departments or divisions, hierarchical levels, generations, geographical locations, and/or categorical roles. Silos hinder collaboration, efficiency, and workflow, and can create a perception of disorganization to patients. Sue provides four categories of actions to decrease silo behavior and promote collaboration: “uniters,” empathy and understanding activities, appreciation activities, and learning together.
Investing in Leaders: A Pathway to Organizational Excellence
Jul 10, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue interviews Michelle Franklin, the CEO of Sullivan County Community Hospital, about their journey to developing leaders in their organization. Michelle shares how they started their leadership development efforts in earnest after experiencing disappointing employee engagement survey results. They implemented leader training which focused on core leadership practices such as improving communication, one-on-one employee rounding, and interdepartmental collaboration. The organization has seen a transformation in their culture and engagement levels, and they have received awards for staff engagement. Michelle emphasizes the importance of regular leadership training and creating a culture...
Duration: 00:37:205 Hacks from 40 Years as a Leader
Jul 03, 2024Send us a Message
Jane McLeod, co-founder of Capstone, shares five of her top 10 “leadership life hacks” borne out of her 40+ year career.
Culture Bytes: 3 Leadership Training Traps
Jun 26, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the to-dos and not-to-dos for creating a learning culture in healthcare organizations, specifically focusing on leadership development. She emphasizes the need for internal ownership of the learning system and the involvement of a steering team to develop and onboard leaders. Sue also highlights the importance of continuous learning and the role of anchor events and the designation and development of internal experts in the process. She stresses that leadership training should not be optional and that leaders must be accountable and supported to implement the...
Duration: 00:17:00The Experience Initiative: Part 1 A New Path Forward
Jun 18, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff interviews Ben Davis, President and CEO at Glencoe Regional Health (GRH), about their newly launched Experience Initiative. Ben plans to be a quarterly guest on the podcast to chronicle the approach, progress, successes, and challenges of this initiative. During this first episode, Sue and Ben the early months of the partnership between Capstone and GRH centered around continually improving the employee experience, patient experience, and patient access. They also talk about the importance and role of employee-driven teams and the leadership team in driving the success of this...
Duration: 00:34:38Culture Bytes: Trust Builds as We Deliver on Plans and Goals
Jun 12, 2024Send us a Message
In this Culture Byte solo episode, Sue discusses the importance of trust between executives and employees in the workplace. She emphasizes the need for both task trust and relationship trust and highlights the impact of individual executive behavior on the perception of the entire team and organization. She explains how defining and delivering on plans and goals can build trust and maximize momentum in an organization. This episode highlights actual data from a hospital that adopted Capstone’s Framework for Achieving Great Results which resulted in significant improvements in many aspects of the or...
Duration: 00:17:24Time Well Spent: The Power of the 5P Model
Jun 05, 2024Send us a Message
Sue welcomes back Courtney Kloehn, an experienced healthcare executive and Capstone coach, to the podcast. In this episode, Sue and Courtney introduce the 5P model of time, priority and energy management, which includes prioritizing, planning, performing, pausing, and pivoting. They emphasize the need to be thoughtful in how time is used and to focus on high-priority tasks. They also discuss the importance of starting and ending meetings on time, managing email effectively, and delegating tasks. The episode concludes with tips on restoring energy and the importance of building proactivity into processes.
<...
The Service Culture Journey
May 29, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue welcomes Teresa Feidt, a healthcare executive and Capstone coach, about patient experience and service cultures in healthcare. They discuss the importance of creating a positive service culture in healthcare organizations and share examples of exceptional service experiences. Teresa emphasizes the need for employee-driven teams, behavioral standards, and accountability in improving patient experience. They also discuss the role of service recovery and the importance of building relationships and trust within the organization. Overall, the conversation highlights the connection between employee experience and patient experience in creating a culture of excellence...
Duration: 00:33:41Culture Bytes: From “Working Short” to “We Show Up For Each Other”
May 22, 2024Send us a Message
In this solo Culture Byte episode, Sue shares a story about how setting goals helped a department change its culture and behaviors. The department focused on reducing absenteeism and created a social contract to achieve this goal. They recognized and rewarded employees with perfect attendance, tracked attendance on a graph, and even created a challenge for a whole pay period of perfect attendance. As a result, absenteeism decreased, patient satisfaction with cleanliness increased, overtime went down, and teamwork improved.
Episode Insights and Takeaways
Setting department g... Duration: 00:15:02Improving Culture and Care With a Goal Cycle
May 15, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue and Kevin discuss the connection between setting and achieving goals and organizational culture. They emphasize the importance of goal setting in driving culture change and employee engagement. Kevin shares his experience with implementing a goal cycle at Tamarack Health and how it has transformed the organization. They also discuss the role of accountability and ownership in the goal-setting process and the impact of goals on patient care. Overall, they highlight the need for a systematic approach to goal setting and the positive effects it can have on organizational culture.<...
Duration: 00:36:17Teamwork Boosters: Belief, Connection, and Consistency
May 08, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue welcomes Capstone’s Co-Founder Jane McLeod, to discuss the importance of teamwork and how it can maximize momentum in an organization. Jane shares examples of fostering teamwork, such as COO Brian Rauzi's Team 90th and highlights the key elements of effective teamwork: belief, connection, and consistency. They emphasize the need for leaders to inspire belief in the team's goals, foster a sense of connectedness among team members, and consistently align teamwork with all aspects of the organization. They also discuss the benefits of teamwork, including improved patient outcomes and in...
Duration: 00:31:48Culture Bytes: Shift From Chaotic to Consistent Communication
May 01, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue discusses the communication challenges faced by leaders and employees in organizations. She highlights the problem of communication not being received by the intended recipients, leading to frustration and confusion. Sue introduces the concept of 'splatter' as a common mistake made by leaders, where they try to communicate important information through multiple channels, resulting in a moving target and information overload. She emphasizes the need for a specific and consistent communication plan, with one channel and timing for each type of communication. Sue provides an example of a hospital CEO...
Duration: 00:15:173C Method: A Prescription for Combating Workplace Bullying
Apr 24, 2024Send us a Message
Dr. JoNeil Conley shares her experiences and lessons learned in nursing leadership. JoNeil shares some personal examples of bullying stories which led her to researching bullying and developing the 3C Method to guide organizations to decrease and address incivility. The conversation emphasizes the need to be proactive and courageous as individuals and organizations when it comes to having and upholding standards of conduct.
The conversation explores the 3C model for addressing toxic behavior in the workplace: code of conduct, collecting objective data, and having courage.
Episode Insights and...
Duration: 00:33:32Better Behaviors, Better Workplaces
Apr 17, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue welcomes Courtney Kloehn, a Capstone transformational coach, who shares her experience in her organization, where they tackled the project of defining and aligning their standards of behavior with their core values. The conversation highlights the importance of consistency in reinforcing behavior standards and the challenges and opportunities in changing and merging organizations.
Episode Insights and Takeaways
Standards of behavior are essential in healthcare organizations to define and align behavioral expectations with core values.
Leaders need to take ownership of the s... Duration: 00:36:30Culture Bytes: A Trust Deficit Will Hamper Momentum and Undermine Progress
Apr 10, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue discusses the impact of trust, or lack thereof, between the administrative team and the board of directors. She draws on examples from her experiences as a senior executive in healthcare and highlights the need for trust between the board and the executive team to facilitate more effective decision-making . . . and speeding up the timeframe to achieving the desired results. She suggests two tactics to build trust: changing the definition of 'old business' on the board agenda and creating a well-designed strategic plan.
Episode Insights...
Duration: 00:14:02Be Your Best . . . Trustee, Leader, Employee
Apr 03, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue interviews Charisse Oland about her experiences and lessons learned in healthcare leadership and governance. Charisse highlights real world examples of strengthening leadership and governance as pathways to creating stronger organizations, including improving results and a more positive and thriving workplace culture. The conversation emphasizes the need to focus on positive behaviors and reinforce them, rather than dwelling on what went wrong.
Episode Insights and Takeaways
Engaging employees in conversations about what the values mean in their daily behaviors is crucial.Focus... Duration: 00:37:10Employee-Driven Improvements, Communication, & Training
Mar 27, 2024Send us a Message
In this episode, Sue welcomes Julie Coneset, a Capstone transformational coach, who shares her experience in healthcare and human resources, emphasizing the importance of organizational culture. Julie discusses the transformational journey her organization went through, starting with the departure of a CEO and the implementation of a new culture. She highlights the role of employee-driven teams in identifying opportunities for improvement, communication, and training needs. Julie emphasizes the need for open-mindedness and listening to new ideas, as well as creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their suggestions.
Episode...
Duration: 00:33:26Culture Bytes: The Readiness Myth
Mar 20, 2024Send us a Message
In this short solo episode of Culture Bytes, Sue discusses the concept of readiness for culture transformation in healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the importance of continually strengthening the strategic pillars of people, service, and quality, and highlights that this work should always be a priority. Sue explains that instead of assessing readiness, it is more relevant to assess the change challenges that organizations will face in achieving their improvement goals. She also emphasizes the need for commitment to these core strategies and the potential consequences of not prioritizing them.
A Winning Approach: Fueling Growth and Forging Excellence
Mar 13, 2024Send us a Message
Community hospital CEO Dan Rohrbach shares highlights from a decade-long journey of growth and improvement at Southwest Health.
He emphasizes the importance of balancing speed and staff well-being, managing through crisis, investing in culture, and the value of external expertise.
Gain valuable insights on attracting top talent and elevating your organization’s reputation through cultural investment
Episode Insights & Takeaways:
Growth and Culture Accelerators: Nimble Planning and Continuous Learning
Mar 06, 2024Send us a Message
Adopt a nimble strategic planning approach that is actionable and adaptable, and then uncover and overcome learning needs in order to set people up for success
Episode Insights & Takeaways
In this episode, Sue and guest Doug Morse discuss the importance of strategy and culture in healthcare organizations, particularly in rural healthcare. Doug emphasizes the...
The Role of CFOs in Culture Change
Feb 28, 2024Send us a Message
Net revenue grows 69.4% in 3 years - CFO credits culture change.
Episode Insights and Takeaways
Culture is dynamic and constantly changing, requiring intentional efforts to shape and improve it.Deliberate culture change can lead to significant improvements in financial performance and other measures.Data, celebration, and leadership are key factors in successful culture change initiatives.In this episode, Sue interviews Matthew Streeter, the Chief Financial Officer for North Country Healthcare. Throughout the episode, Matthew emphasizes the dynamic nature of culture and the need for intentional culture change. He shares examples...
Duration: 00:37:38Cultural Insights from the Bedside to the Boardroom and Back
Feb 28, 2024Send us a Message
Fostering collaboration among diverse teams and organizational tiers.
Episode Insights and Takeaways:
Assigning goals and creating employee-driven teams can enhance employee engagement and ownership.Building relationships and truly listening to employees are key to effective leadership and culture change.Rural healthcare provides unique opportunities for community engagement and a sense of purpose.
In this episode, Sue welcomes Capstone’s Co-Founder Jane McLeod, as her guest. They discuss their love and passion for rural healthcare and the unique opportunities it provides. Jane shares her journey fr...
Culture Bytes: Strengthening Healthcare's Intangible Forces
Feb 28, 2024Send us a Message
Healthcare organizations are complex entities and consist of both tangible and intangible elements, all of which can be strengthened
Episode Insights and Takeaways
Growing and thriving organizations intentionally design and improve the intangible aspects of their organizationDon't leave culture to chance; deliberately change and improve itSimilar to the consideration paid to designing physical structures and work processes, executives can give thoughtful consideration to designing the culture.Just because you can’t touch it or see it, doesn’t mean you can’t design and improve itIn this s...
Duration: 00:10:36