Cleveland Clinic
How the Power of TED* dramatically improved employee engagement at one of America's most respected hospitals.
The Challenge: Employee Engagement
One of the largest and most respected hospitals in the United States, Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center that integrates clinical care with research and education. A key part of their mission is to further professional development — integral to this is the Cleveland Clinic Leadership Experience.
Headed by Chris Nagel, Director of Team and Leadership Development, the program provides training, facilitation, and coaching to develop the capacity of team leaders serving the Clinic's 50,000-person workforce. It helps leaders develop the broader mindset and self-awareness that enable them to boost team engagement and work more efficiently in a complex and changing environment.
The results of one of the Clinic's regular caregiver engagement surveys highlighted the need for improvement in certain segments of the population. Among the top contributors to the low scores were stress, communication, and trust. Action was needed to address these issues and re-engage those who had given low scores.
"When I started reading The Power of TED*, my first thought was, 'I don't really have much drama, I'm good.' By the time I finished the book, I realized drama was everywhere in my life, including at work."
Key Issues
- Stress
- Communication
- Trust
Context
Caregiver engagement surveys highlighted the need for improvement in specific workforce segments.
The Response: TED* and the 3 Vital Questions
The leadership development team was tasked with designing a curriculum that would build team leaders' skills and create the conditions for change. A five-month Engagement Leadership Series was launched for a small group of leaders and their managers.
Chris knew the issues identified by the survey were a common source of workplace drama, and that the unique TED* framework for shifting from drama to empowerment would be a great tool.
TED* principal facilitators David Emerald and Donna Zajonc were brought in. They introduced the TED* principles, along with the use of the 3 Vital Questions, to a group of engagement coaches — bringing the TED* work to life with a deep dive on how to put it into practice.
In fact, Chris thinks these practical "hows" are the most striking thing about TED* — and what keeps it from falling into "flavor of the month" oblivion.
"We see people acting differently, talking to each other differently, and coming up with different outcomes than they did before."
The Results: Engagement Up — By a Lot
Score improvement rate
Of participants identified for improvement increased their scores in the next survey
Leaders reached
Clinical and non-clinical, from frontline supervisors to directors across the organization
Program duration
Engagement Leadership Series with ongoing follow-up cohorts since 2011
To verify what seemed to be the case anecdotally, a comparison was done of before and after survey results for those who went through the Engagement Leadership Series training. Average cohort scores went up across the board.
Team dynamics have changed for the better, reflecting the changes team leaders have experienced. Approaching their teams from a place of empowerment, rather than drama, heads off conflict and promotes collaboration and creativity. It even improves efficiency — as Chris puts it, 'Choosing not to be in drama saves time!'
TED* continues to be a vital part of the Cleveland Clinic Leadership Experience. For many participants, TED* has become second nature — a kind of self-awareness that stops them from going into drama by asking one of the 3 Vital Questions or finding an alternative behavior.
Recently, four leadership behaviors were introduced organization-wide: 'I lead through change,' 'I foster teamwork,' 'I develop myself and others,' 'I demonstrate character and integrity.' Chris found that TED* links to all of them. The 3 Vital Questions are now being used to develop training materials around each of these behaviors.
"TED* facilitators are not your typical consultants — and that's why this has worked so well. They are truly partners. They are not selling a product, they're sharing a passion. And that makes all the difference."
Ready? Let's talk.
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