In a big and busy hospital like Kingston General Hospital, it's not easy for front line staff to get away from their areas to attend the traditional “town hall” sessions with the CEO, and most people don't like speaking their mind and asking probing questions in a big group setting. So earlier this summer, CEO Leslee Thompson decided to try something new. Over the course of two months, she dropped in on 19 departmental and unit level meetings and had the chance to talk with over 500 front line staff in person.
“I love being out and about talking to people across the organization and these neighbourhood visits are yet another way to stay in touch with what's going on and to hear from people directly,” she says. “It was fabulous to be able to have an actual conversation and look people in the eyes while sitting around a table together.”
Thompson called the gatherings "neighbourhood visits" and they lasted about a half-hour. Thompson's aim heading into each of them was to share the achievements and accomplishments of the organization over the past year, to talk about our big priorities moving forward, and to create some meaningful dialogue. “Our mission states that we are a community of people, dedicated to transforming the patient and family experience and I think of the many diverse areas of the hospital as neighbourhoods within that community,” she says.
Thompson says she always learned a lot during the discussions that followed her short presentation. She also answered well over 100 questions, which is a lot more than she would ever get in a typical town hall session.
“The staff in my unit were certainly very happy she came to our meeting,” says Derek Wallis, Manager of Central Processing Services (CPS). “It was the first time in anybody's memory here that a CEO came down to our unit to talk about corporate goals and to engage in that conversation.”
Central Processing Technician Jackie Turner was at the meeting and enjoyed the format. “I was impressed that she showed such an interest in our area and in what we do to contribute to patient care at KGH,” says Turner. “She asked good questions and that sparked good conversations that continued on even after she left.”
Thompson says she's planning on holding another round of neighbourhood visits, starting in January or February, to share the latest corporate news and keep the conversations going.
“I'm looking forward to them already because I leave those meetings feeling very energized and inspired by the interest people are showing in the organization and the work they are doing,” she says. “It highlights for me, and I hope for others, that we are all in this together.”
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