When the Message does not Communicate the Message in Healthcare
This week’s article is not so much based on RCA principles but on the decisions that senior leaders make and the consequences of those actions. I always highlight from an RCA perspective the impact of the messages and communications from senior leadership down through the organization and the possible negative consequences. But this takes the cake… or the donut, if you will.
Saw an article today about the University of North Carolina’s decision to remove the name of their newest (7-month-old) corporate sponsor off of their UNC Children’s Clinic. That corporate sponsor… wait for it…
“Krispy Kreme”
Now, I am surely no marketing genius (my strengths are more in the training and RCA world) but could anyone associated with the organization see past the $$$$ to know that this was not a good idea? In today’s money driven society there are reasons that sponsors are invited, and in most cases these are due to a lack of funding and a desire to continue doing good deeds and good work. But sometimes the word “NO” is very much underutilized.
What message was sent to all those Doctors and Nurses? To all the parents bringing their children for care to the clinic? Is it the health, care and safety of their young loved ones? Or is it something else? I certainly don’t want to be treated for a clogged artery in the “Beef it’s What’s For Dinner Cath lab”, or be treated for a peanut allergy in the “Peanut M & M’s Allergy Center.”
Now if you read the full article the name was tied to a fund-raising race and the Clinic and UNC’s dedication to it. But always remember that what you perceive the message to be may not be what is received. I have worked with investigations where too many times the Administration says one thing and a totally different message is received. From an RCA perspective in the diagram below you will see that the Administration/Management interview circle is dotted… in TapRooT® circles that means an assumption or unknown.
From a data gathering perspective, this means that I need to compare what Administration/Management believes/says/communicates is what is understood by the masses. To understand if the true message has reached those who need it. And in the case of this article I believe that they totally missed the mark with all the right intentions. Let me know what you believe in the comments below.
If you would like to know more about TapRooT® or if you have any questions you can contact me at skompski@taproot.com or you can find out about our public course offerings at:
