Core Value Principles of ATD

Facebook stalking, our technologies are increasingly controlling our lives instead of our controlling the technology.

A survey of more than 500 employees showed that technology accounts for about 60 percent of workplace distractions—through email, social websites, and even the time it takes to toggle between applications. About 45 percent of the respondents kept at least six items open simultaneously, and 65 percent said they used more than one device in addition to their main computer. According to the study, two out of three people communicate digitally with someone else, at least sometimes, while attending an inperson meeting. Most respondents also said that they sometimes stay connected after work hours, during vacation, and while in bed. As technology and interruption become increasingly prevalent, the negative consequences of not paying attention become more pronounced. These distractions are causing healthcare organizations to miss hundreds of opportunities to win the hearts and minds of patients who value attention—and ATD. When workplace distractions go unmanaged, an organization has a difficult time transitioning from a good company to a great one. ATD is like the glue that strengthens the bond between an organization and its patients. Every transaction carries with it the artifacts of this bond.

1. Nothing ignites the senses like an organization’s ability to take care of the details, especially in an unexpected way. As patient demands become more complex and disappointments become the norm, a company’s ability to obsess over details makes the patients’ experience unforgettable. If a healthcare organization wishes to separate itself from its competitors, there is no better way to do so than by displaying a passion for details. 2. Abolish the distinction between what the patient might or might not notice. A company should pursue a commitment to all aspects of its services, even when such aspects of a service may not be noticeable to all or some patients. Certain details of a service may be noticeable only to a handful of an organization’s patients, such as the uniquely curious, the technologically savvy, the digitally fluent, or the otherwise super gifted. 3. Excellence in communication is one of the hallmarks of ATD. A company should pursue a commitment to ATD in all aspects of its services, especially in its communication, internally and externally. Healthcare

organizations communicate with their patients, potential patients, and healthcare partners, through advertisements, websites, brochures, emails, service outreach, letters, etc.). ATD should also be on display in all these many avenues of communication between the organization and its customers. 4. Service should be personalized to reflect the unique needs, circumstances, and characteristics of each patient. Even when the service is the same, every patient is unique and should be treated as such. Each patient is a product of a series of unique and sometimes complex experiences which, in turn, inform their expectations and perspectives. This mindset demands a unique approach to ATD because it integrates the uniqueness of the patient with the uniqueness of the service provider to create a unique patient experience. 5. Manage and control workplace distractions. A company should pursue a commitment to ATD in all aspects of its services by vigorously fighting the forces of workplace distractions in the multiple ways they are manifested. Companies create or permit the practices that make ATD impossible or difficult to embrace. 6. Healthcare leaders’ role in creating and sustaining a culture of ATD cannot be overstated. Every healthcare leader sends signals to subordinates that affirm and reaffirm their belief (or lack thereof) in the patient experience. These signals over time form the foundation of an organization’s culture. When an organization’s sensibilities are awakened to the little things that can be missed, the big things are automatically brought into focus on their radar. Conversely, when the focus is mainly on the big things, the little things may be missed. This is not necessarily the result of reckless indifference; it is often because the company’s culture values and rewards mainly the big things. It is also based on how a company defines success. 7. Everything matters! Everything comes into focus! Every gesture, every touch, every smile, every word, every eye contact, every shift, every associate, every time, and every day. Our senses are constantly being fed by the myriad things and situations we encounter. We decide; we choose how we respond to what we see, hear, touch, smell, or feel. Our senses give us an opportunity to uncover layers of details in our daily encounters. 8. Empathy allows us to feel and anticipate the pain of others, to see the invisible, and to hear the unspoken. The more we feel, see, and hear, the more likely we are to value the precious details that matter to