Aligning to Modernize the Mission while Preserving the Legacy

Over the course of 20-plus workshops and through a significant survey effort, we collected the feedback of more than 4,600 employees representing all levels of the enterprise. In addition, we worked closely with the system’s “cultural guardians” – a team that included leadership, marketing, communications, HR and a group of longstanding employees with a deep sense of the organization’s identity.

The development team benchmarked that initial internal feedback against external perception about the system and its competition in order to clearly define the organization’s differentiating characteristics. Triangulating in this way allowed us to find the ideas – and ideals – that defined the health system’s mission, vision and values, and then craft specific language to express them.

We brought our recommendations to the decision makers to review and refine. Next, we began rolling out the new mission, vision and values sequentially to each layer of the organization. Convening leadership and providing ample space for them to discuss recommendations allowed the team to build consensus and work collaboratively toward a successful launch.

The mission/vision/values rollout has been well-received. Meanwhile, the experience marked the first convening of system leadership to collaborate on a single aim. The organization pushed through its traditionally bureaucratic approach and reached consensus on content and launch. Now, an already high-performing health system is elevating its internal and external perception, strengthening its brand and its ability to deliver high-quality care.