Human Experience: The Engine for New Beginnings (and High-Performance Cultures)

by Jason A. Wolf, Ph.D., CPXP

As we start the new year, I believe we stand at a new beginning for human experience. I have long been an unwavering proponent of the importance of organization culture. I believe culture sits directly at the heart of all that ensures the best in experience; be it in healthcare or beyond. It is why culture is at the very center of the definition of experience itself – the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care. [1]

This focus on culture has also inspired an evolution of thinking for healthcare. It has pushed a strategic realization from the idea that good process drives the best in outcomes, to a perspective that a healthy and vibrant organization culture serves as the clear foundation on which positive outcomes (and the processes that support them) are built and ultimately sustained. [2,3]

But organization cultures are not a static. They are influenced by how organizations are led, driven by the people that comprise them, buffeted by the world around them, and they require constant nurturing. In fact, with the dynamic nature of the healthcare ecosystem and the world today overall, cultures cannot be static. Rather they must be agile. And if we are to ensure experience excellence, we must be prepared to live in a constant state of transition – dynamic led transition.

With the dynamic nature of the healthcare ecosystem and the world today overall, cultures cannot be static. Rather they must be agile. And if we are to ensure experience excellence, we must be prepared to live in a constant state of transition.

Traditional change models for organizations have tended to be linear in nature, such as Lewin’s idea of Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze, [4] suggesting change gets you from one state to the next. William Bridges model of transition [5] suggests something similar, but I believe offers an opportunity for us to think differently about what it takes to sustain culture. Transitions start with endings, where you recognize and even grieve the loss of old ways of being, to the neutral zone, the place in which you adapt and plan from what was, to what can and should be, to new beginnings, where you embrace a new reality with commitment and purpose.

I believe that we can apply Bridge’s model to our work in healthcare today. Not as a linear process, but as a cycle we must lead with intention and consistency. In our world of relentless change and rapid evolution, we are on a constant journey of giving up the old, rethinking our ways, and creating new beginnings. And it is why I think human experience is the engine for new beginnings. Through it we can sustain the best in outcomes by creating agile and vibrant cultures that can thrive in today’s environment. So how do we do that? With a commitment to three fundamental actions we must ensure are a consistent focus in our organizations every day:

• Clarify purpose. We define clear purpose for our organizations that frame and support a shared sense of direction, a shared definition of what we look to provide, a clear understanding of what we seek to achieve.
• Develop leadership. We develop leaders – at all levels – who understand the importance of not only setting firm and clear direction, but also who also listen to those who work in their organization and are served by it – our staff and patients – and act on what they learn.
• Support people. We support people in our organization to lead in the moments and interactions they own, to act with alignment to our purpose, and to receive the care they need to achieve the outcomes we seek. Those who feel safe elevating their voices, who are willing to call for moments of change will lead us to new beginnings.

A commitment to human experience does not have to be complicated if we focus on aligning purpose, leadership, and people. That does not mean it is always easy. It takes work to lead systems in motion, to be willing to be in a constant state of transition, to purposefully look for new beginnings in today’s world. But if we can do these things well, we equip our organizations with the core ingredients for a powerful and agile culture. A culture that we know is the fundamental driver of the outcomes we seek. One that is dynamic and evolving and can lead us to a world of new beginnings.

As we step into the new year, change remains inevitable. We can either work to hold it back, or we can create engines of sustainability grounded in the ability to evolve, to grow, and to thrive. A commitment to human experience, the culture it fosters, the agility it inspires, the care it highlights, and the outcomes it will drive, is not a choice we can overlook.

In a world that is pushing back hard on the humanity of healthcare today, we will thrive through a commitment to these simple ideas. As we stand at the start of a new year, we must step forward with greater intention, at a more rapid pace than ever. If we seek to create engines for experience success, for our people in healthcare, our patients and families, and the communities we serve, then we must lead to new beginnings. And we can and will do so through an unwavering commitment to human experience. Here is to an amazing year ahead.

References

1. Wolf JA, Niederhauser V, Marshburn D, LaVela SL. Reexamining “Defining Patient Experience”: The human experience in healthcare. Patient Experience Journal. 2021;8(1):16-29. doi:https://doi.org/10.35680/2372-0247.1594
2. Wolf JA. Constructing rapid transformation: sustaining high performance and a new view of organization change. International Journal of Training and Development. 2011;15(1):20-38. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2419.2010.00366.x
3. Wolf JA. Transcending Paradox: Movement as a Means for Sustaining High Performance. Research in organizational change and development. Published online January 1, 2010:77-107. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/s0897-3016(2010)0000018007
4. Lewin K. Frontiers in Group dynamics: Concept, Method and Reality in Social science; Social Equilibria and Social Change. Human Relations. 1947;1(1):5-41. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100103
5. Bridges W. Managing Transitions. Da Capo Lifelong Books; 1991.‌