Culture Change RX

Send 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 uniq...

Send 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 st...

Send 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 chan...

Send 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 episod...

Send 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...

Send 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....

Send 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 systemat...

Send 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 o...

Send 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 outline...

Send 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...

Send 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 interdepar...

Send 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 emphasize...

Send 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, an...

Send 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...

Send 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 em...

Send 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 hi...

Send 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 ti...

Send 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 commitm...

Send 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 ha...

Send 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 emphasiz...

Send 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 organi...

Send 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-im...

Send 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 powe...

Send 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 exampl...

Send 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...