5 Business Tips You Can Learn from Hospitals
Over the past few days I have spent way too much time in hospitals. However, on the up-side, I discovered that hospitals are an interesting source of business advice.
Although hospitals are not usually profit-generating organizations, a lot of the activities they undertake are analogous to those in profit-centric companies. For example, there are many departments, all of which have to work together towards the same ultimate goal: make the patient well. In a traditional businesses, you may also have many departments working towards the same ultimate goal: selling more stuff. To achieve their aims, both hospitals and businesses require communication, systems, and sometimes even creativity.
Here are five business tips you can learn from hospitals.
1. Share information
It surprises me that in this era of fast networks, databases and cheap storage that the different departments in the hospital don't necessarily share information. We had to tell and re-tell to every doctor we met the background story as to why we came to the hospital. This would have been okay if they were just fact-checking, but their questions and follow-up questions revealed that they really didn't know this information beforehand. Why didn't someone enter it into a central database as part of our file for each doctor to read? This would have saved time and reduced our frustration level.
Business Tip: Make information available across your business units so that everyone is always on the same page.
2. Patients are people, too
This one probably requires several text-heavy pages, but I'll try to boil it down to a single paragraph. Patients are people, not numbers. People don't appreciate being shuffled from one department to another for seemingly meaningless reasons. People don't respond well to gate-keepers who treat them like they are on a mission to disturb the staff from doing their jobs. People have lives and families, so they don't like their time being wasted (if the appointment is for 1 pm, the appointment should take place at (at least approximately) 1 pm, not 3 pm). Lastly, dismissive answers won't make people trust you.
Business Tip: Smile at your customers and treat them with respect. Customers won't feel comfortable doing business with you if they feel they don't matter.
3. Dress for the occasion
Doctors wield an incredible amount of power, making decisions that affect their patients' lives. It is difficult to put your faith in experts who dress like they are about to go on a safari or are about to lounge by the pool.
Business Tip: Dressing appropriately instills confidence in your customers that you know your business. Proper presentation can encourage a perception that you are the best, that you are an expert.
4. Your customers are not experts
Let's face it, many people who end up at the hospital (especially under emergency conditions) might very well be bewildered, confused, and disoriented. It's a traumatic experience. Now throw really long, foreign-sounding technical words at patients and expect them to comprehend their meaning and implications. Doctors need to take the time to explain the situation and to encourage the patients to ask questions. This will increase understanding and trust.
Business Tip: Take the time to talk to your customers. Explain what they need to know in easily understood language. Avoid using jargon. This builds trust and loyalty, resulting in repeat business.
5. Be positive
Hospitals can be a depressing place. Patients are often worried and they focus on the negative aspects of their experience - it's unexpected, disruptive, painful, and there is so much uncertainty. It's really nice when hospitals invest in creating positive experiences - colorful decor, outside areas, play equipment for kids, convenient parking.
Business Tip: Aim to make shopping in your store, or doing business with your company a positive experience. Try to say "do" instead of "don't" and "yes" instead of "no". For instance, instead of displaying a "No checks allowed" sign, put up a more positive sounding "We accept cash and credit card payments" sign.
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Although hospitals are not usually profit-generating organizations, a lot of the activities they undertake are analogous to those in profit-centric companies. For example, there are many departments, all of which have to work together towards the same ultimate goal: make the patient well. In a traditional businesses, you may also have many departments working towards the same ultimate goal: selling more stuff. To achieve their aims, both hospitals and businesses require communication, systems, and sometimes even creativity.
Here are five business tips you can learn from hospitals.
1. Share information
It surprises me that in this era of fast networks, databases and cheap storage that the different departments in the hospital don't necessarily share information. We had to tell and re-tell to every doctor we met the background story as to why we came to the hospital. This would have been okay if they were just fact-checking, but their questions and follow-up questions revealed that they really didn't know this information beforehand. Why didn't someone enter it into a central database as part of our file for each doctor to read? This would have saved time and reduced our frustration level.
Business Tip: Make information available across your business units so that everyone is always on the same page.
2. Patients are people, too
This one probably requires several text-heavy pages, but I'll try to boil it down to a single paragraph. Patients are people, not numbers. People don't appreciate being shuffled from one department to another for seemingly meaningless reasons. People don't respond well to gate-keepers who treat them like they are on a mission to disturb the staff from doing their jobs. People have lives and families, so they don't like their time being wasted (if the appointment is for 1 pm, the appointment should take place at (at least approximately) 1 pm, not 3 pm). Lastly, dismissive answers won't make people trust you.
Business Tip: Smile at your customers and treat them with respect. Customers won't feel comfortable doing business with you if they feel they don't matter.
3. Dress for the occasion
Doctors wield an incredible amount of power, making decisions that affect their patients' lives. It is difficult to put your faith in experts who dress like they are about to go on a safari or are about to lounge by the pool.
Business Tip: Dressing appropriately instills confidence in your customers that you know your business. Proper presentation can encourage a perception that you are the best, that you are an expert.
4. Your customers are not experts
Let's face it, many people who end up at the hospital (especially under emergency conditions) might very well be bewildered, confused, and disoriented. It's a traumatic experience. Now throw really long, foreign-sounding technical words at patients and expect them to comprehend their meaning and implications. Doctors need to take the time to explain the situation and to encourage the patients to ask questions. This will increase understanding and trust.
Business Tip: Take the time to talk to your customers. Explain what they need to know in easily understood language. Avoid using jargon. This builds trust and loyalty, resulting in repeat business.
5. Be positive
Hospitals can be a depressing place. Patients are often worried and they focus on the negative aspects of their experience - it's unexpected, disruptive, painful, and there is so much uncertainty. It's really nice when hospitals invest in creating positive experiences - colorful decor, outside areas, play equipment for kids, convenient parking.
Business Tip: Aim to make shopping in your store, or doing business with your company a positive experience. Try to say "do" instead of "don't" and "yes" instead of "no". For instance, instead of displaying a "No checks allowed" sign, put up a more positive sounding "We accept cash and credit card payments" sign.
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Follow on Google+: +Yossi Karp
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Great post. I think point number 1 is a big key. I know exactly what you mean in terms of hospitals not sharing information across departments. Another industry that could benefit from this, particularly in Israel, is banks. In Australia, you can go into any branch of your bank in the country and do any transaction you like - I believe you can even go into a branch that is not your home branch and close your account! In Israel, there is very little you can do outside of your home branch, and I'm led to believe that a major reason for this is a poor information sharing system.
ReplyDeleteJust because you are a pediatrician, it doesn't mean you have to dress like a child (or a clown).
ReplyDelete