How to get employees to think like CEOs (and love their jobs)
To inspire constant improvement, a Pittsburgh children’s hospital urged its employees to act like they ‘own the zone.’ Then it made sure to act on their ideas.
Editor’s note: This story is taken from Ragan Communications’ distance-learning portal Ragan Training. The site contains hundreds of hours of case studies, video presentations and interactive courses.
The president of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh likes to tell his employees how he dropped by a dry cleaner one day two minutes after closing.
A teenage employee saw this late-arriving customer through the window—and ran the other way, relates Josh Madore, internal communications manager the renowned health care facility, which is part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
But an older gentleman emerged from the back. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I’m the owner. Come on in.”
Owners behave differently, Madore says in his Ragan Training video, “Get employees to love their jobs: Make them the CEOs.” They take greater responsibility. They care more deeply about the success of the organization.
Which brings up the question: “If you were the CEO, how would you do your job differently?” Madore asks.
Act like the top dog.
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