Journal of Sacred Work

What does it take to transform a charity that’s already performing well into an organization that delivers Radical Loving Care consistently?

Over the past two years, in partnership with the Healing Trust, Alive Hospice has recognized this challenge and accepted it. What have been some of the keys to their success?…

Here are some of the phases Alive Hospice has been through. Ask yourself where you think YOUR organization is today:

1) Current Reality: Under Jan Jones leadership, Alive Hospice has refused to accept a status quo that, in the eyes of many looked pretty good. In 2004, Jan told our team at the Trust, "I know we’re doing a good job. But good isn’t good enough for our patients, visitors and staff. We need to move to the next level." This kind of CEO courage is essential to excellence. The comfort zone of the status quo is deeply seductive. Alive Hospice wasn’t ‘broke’ why fix it? But the better question is: We’re doing well, how could we do great?

2) Vision: In order to improve, leadership teams need to develop a clear vision – a picture that reflects enough detail to be useful, enough reality to be achievable, and enough challenge to be exciting. The  hospice team settled on a simple and charming vision. In a retreat at the Trust, the phrase: "surround people with love" emerged. Does this mean patients? "It means everyone," the team responded: "Visitors, caregivers, the community – everyone we deal with. We want to surround them with love."

3) From Current Reality to Vision: Countless organzations get stuck at this stage. They become paralyzed in strategic plans that look great on the flip chart, even better in the power point slides, but never see the light of day outside the board room. In an effort to create a CULTURE that would surround people with love, Alive Hospice attacked the drivers of culture. With leadership from Vice Presidents Debbie Baumgart, Karen York and new COO Edie Rimas, the team systematically strove to change its systems.

   a. Hiring: The organization turned to behavior-based hiring. Moving beyond resume-hiring, key questions to prospective employee-partners became: How do you give loving care? What drew you into work that calls for compassion? and, What are examples of extra things you like to do to help your fellow caregivers?

   b. Orientation: This area has been transformed through Karen York’s efforts to implement the loving care IIF Strategy (Information, Inspiration and Fun.) Moving beyond information dumping, orientees are now treated to an inspiring and fun-filled experience that introduces them to their new work in the best possible way.

   c. Annual Reviews: Still in process, Alive Hospice is implementing a variation on the Fire-Light Window described in both Radical Loving Care and the new book, Sacred Work. Key review elements balance Compassion with Competence under the banner of loving care.

   d. Training: Also under Karen York, education and training is informed by principles of Radical Loving Care. Circle groups meet to engage in conversations that help staff understand: 1) what it means to give compassionate care balanced with competence, 2) How to deal with compassion fatigue, 3) How to be sure staff is doing good self-care.

  e. Staff Leader Changes: A key transition in culture began when Debbie Baumgart took responsibility for leading Residence Care as well as Home Care. A committed and passionate caregiver, Debbie has established high standards that call direct caregivers across the system to bring forth the better angels to deliver superb care.

  f. Fun: Many people sterotype hospices as grim places where everyone is walking around with their heads down. Attend one of the quarterly staff meetings at Alive Hospice and you may see the CEO dressed in a cheerleading outfit and waving pom poms, leader dressed in Sumo wrestling gear for a light hearted set of matches, or ten dollar bills being handed out as a gift from an anonymous donor. Fun helps balance. And the staff at Alive Hospice knows how to have fun in ways that are respectful and build staff morale.

   Other initiatives continue as we speak. Meanwhile, kudos to Jan Jones and her team for the way patient care at Alive Hospice continues to become among the best examples of hospice care anywhere in the nation. Patient & employee satisfaction has strengthened and Alive Hospice is growing rapidly with the acquisition of a suburban hospice program and the opening of a new 16-bed unit at St. Thomas Hospital.

   So much of this positive growth is a tribute to what a charity can do when it shakes off the cloak of the status quo and takes on the challenge of Radical Loving Care. Please share with us some of the things YOU are doing to lift your charity from good to great AND add your comment (below).