Brand is driven by culture, content, and connections. Let’s begin today with culture: How does your Brand get expressed in your culture?
Culture is really about how you treat people within the boundaries and purposes of your mission. Building culture has two indispensable parts.
I. Defining “Your Way” of doing things.
“Your Way” expresses itself in service behaviors. Of course, there are certain non-negotiables – your facility must be safe, tasteful, clean, with no smells. Your staff must be technically and professionally competent. But what are the things that make you distinctive?
For example, do your people care enough about your clients to know some details about each one before they come to your facility or before you enter their home? What do your customers and their families and friends feel when you enter their home? When they walk into your facility? When they engage with someone from your campus either in person or on the phone? From admissions to daily interactions to discharge, what do these experiences communicate to clients about themselves?
- Do they feel that they’ve been welcomed as a friend, or that they’ve interrupted someone who’s busy?
- Do they feel that their thoughts—whether positive or critical—are respected? Taken seriously? Enjoyed?
- Are family members confident that they can trust—truly trust—their loved ones’ care to you, or is there a nagging, perhaps unconscious, concern?
This is all about your staffing and customer service.
But defining your culture is not enough. Even carefully implementing your culture is not enough.
II. Sustaining “Your Way” of doing things.
You must also sustain your culture. Your corporate infrastructure must include an ongoing learning management component.
Who regularly instructs your supervisors and holds them accountable to your cultural standards (things like how to confront someone if their behavior is inappropriate)? What helps your staff see their work not just as a job or a career, but as a calling? Who helps your team understand that everyone who works in your organization is involved in the healing process?
You must keep the culture conversation alive. Without one or more people diligently encouraging and training staff to consistently implement your cultural values, the culture will gradually but inevitably change in ways you may not want.
We will talk about the content component of your Brand in our next article. In the meantime, if you have questions or want to learn more about the importance of brand, and how culture, content and connections work in helping you achieve your sales and marketing goals, please contact us at dhart@movecommunications.com.
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