Creating a Culture of Honor at Your Practice

With a growing emphasis on utilizing technology in practice, it can be easy to let the fundamental building blocks of a productive and positive workplace fall by the wayside. Despite the rush to keep up with the newest digital products and services, one of the primary roles an organizational leader holds is the ability to build a strong company culture, said Tom Osteen, the chief information officer for the California Dental Association and its subsidiary companies.

"Our job as leaders is to deliver organizational capability," he said. There are three basic tenets upon which this business capability can be delivered: systems (or technology), processes and company culture. "It's more important now than ever to focus on changing the culture versus just focusing on new systems or new processes to deliver business value," Osteen noted. It is important to build a strong and productive culture at the intersection of technology and operations, and creating and maintaining this foundation is critical to a healthcare organization's ongoing success, he said.

Osteen will offer details on crafting a culture of honor and how this can, in turn, provide positive long-term results and create a satisfying healthcare-related workplace at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition being held Feb. 29-March 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His session, "Leaders Lead: Building a Culture of Honor in Your Workplace," will take place the afternoon of March 1 at 4:00 pm.

Osteen recently discussed his session and key takeaway points with Physicians Practice.

 Physicians Practice: What are the characteristics of ethical leadership in a healthcare-related workplace?

Tom Osteen: The key characteristic is consistent demonstration and celebration of positive core values, some of which are integrity, courage, service, teamwork and respect. These are key to a company's success and they also serve as the foundation for honor.

PP: What are the ripple effects of a healthy company culture?

TO: There's no question at all that a positive work environment drives higher employee satisfaction. This supports business growth across the board and eventually leads to a successful company.

PP: If people want to start instituting this kind of positive work environment in their workplaces today, what is one thing they can do?

TO: First and foremost, lead with honor. We all have the opportunity in our roles to lead in some fashion every day, and so it all starts with leading with honor. This is done by demonstrating honor in your leadership and your interpersonal interactions. We should encourage it across the board, and we should acknowledge and celebrate it.