As the Wall Street Journal noted in a recent issue, CareerBuilder.com kicked off a national ad campaign during the Super Bowl. Given that they worked with the ad agency of Nike and Coke, the ad cut through the clutter of Super Bowl ads. The more important issue is what happened the next day, when CareerBuilder flashed the tough-love message as workers moved through their day. Signs commuters saw on their way to and from work had messages like, “If you don't like your job then maybe you should get another job."

So, what can we do in healthcare to make sure that our organizations remain good places to work? HCA fielded a ground-breaking study to determine the characteristics of high performing hospitals. Not surprisingly, the study found that patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction are highly correlated.

The study identified the “Seven Truths of High Performance”:

1. Visionary leadership
2. Consistent and effective communication
3. Select for fit and ongoing development of staff
4. Agile and open culture
5. Service is job one
6. Constant recognition and community outreach
7. Solid physician relationships

While all of these are key to building and sustaining a culture where employees want to work, I want to focus on one – “Service is job one.”

Medical City in Dallas, TX (the hospital that was profiled in the study) puts patients first –and all health care workers are responsible for delivering on this promise. This message is clearly communicated on a regular and consistent basis. One element of success of this “patient first” philosophy is a culture that embraces having fun.

So as we move into the new year, I want to challenge all of us to bring service to the top of our complex agendas – in a way that is fun. What examples of fun customer service have you experienced or implemented in your organization? Click below to share your examples.