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Disney Style Management: Not Child's Play
Healthcare and Disney seem to be a strange combination, but
there is a common link. Nancy Singh highlights how Wockhardt Hospitals,
Bangalore is using the Walt Disney management principles for operational excellence
 What
is the similarity between Mickey Mouse trying to entertain kids at Disneyworld
and a nurse attending a patient? They are both trying to make their end-user
happy. Taking a cue from this correlation, Wockhardt Hospitals Group looked
beyond the joyrides and tried to emulate the management strategies that went
into creating the magic of Disneyworld.
Says Dr Lloyd Nazareth, Chief Operating Officer, Wockhardt Hospitals Group,
"The Disney model focuses on little moments in time which create great
experiences. Perfect these moments and you create the 'magic'. Hospitals are
lucky as all staff have hundreds and thousands of these moments with the customer."
He claims to have realised the values of these model through intensive reading.
The concept of converting tragic moments to magic moments is in relation to
handling an irate customer through a formal service recovery mechanism. This
customer can often be a great ambassador for the organisation. "In the
Disney model, poor service to a customer who expects so much is termed 'stepping
on people's dreams' and the goal of the team handling service recovery is to
convert these tragic moments into 'magic moments," confides Dr Nazareth.
The model revolves around three things- people, process and
technology. Whilst in India it may be not very well known as a concept, this
model has been widely acknowledged and practised in the West.
| With the concept of corporate healthcare now creeping
into India, managers are seriously taking note of operational excellence.
In the West this model has been widely adapted and successful as well for
decades. Possibly the best example of how Disney conceptions translate to
healthcare is a suburban New Orleans hospital. East Jefferson General Hospital
has been focusing on customer service since 1989. CEO Peter Betts first
visited Disney to study its service and people management strategies and
explore how those strategies could produce a better healthcare operation.
The Hospital has been learning and adapting the Disney methods ever since.
The East Jefferson team decided that their primary objective was to provide
'care and comfort.' These became the focus of every succeeding decision.
Contained within that goal were the principles of providing service, demonstrating
'courtesy and respect' and creating a 'satisfying experience' for each patient
and family member. With funding on hand for new construction, Betts and
his team made a dedicated effort to adapt another important Disney practice
-of separating 'on-stage' and 'off-stage' from the customer perspective.
The hospital's new 1,28,000 square-foot outpatient porch was designed specifically
with the on-stage/off-stage concept in mind. The Hospital also quickly adopted
what they termed 'Our House.' Disney guests never see the hustle and bustle
that goes on behind the scenes as it disrupts the guest experience. 'Our
House' meant keeping public areas clean, free of equipment and debris, and
operating with ease. 'Off-stage' at East Jefferson was the area where team
members could relax or conduct the not-so-visually appealing business that
produce the quality service experience 'on-stage.'
Like Disney, every person hired to work goes through
a meticulous screening process. They are familiarised to the 'care and
comfort' value, the dress code expectations and the commitment to excellent
service for customers. One in 10 job aspirants who goes through the screening
process each year is actually successfully hired.
The Magic Expands
The success of East Jefferson spread the word quickly.
In the years following the transformation, other healthcare organisations
began looking to the Disney model for people management and skill excellence.
Missouri Hospital set out its own 'guestology' by holding in-depth focus
groups with families and patients, as well as business leaders. The end
result — an increased emphasis on staff sensitivity and courtesy,
privacy for patients and better explanations or communication to patients
about the care they receive.
A hospital in Virginia found that introducing television
in every room significantly reduced frustrations of employees and patients.
They also discovered that even simple items like extra pillows and blankets,
juice, and ice — gave far greater levels of overall satisfaction
amongst the employees and patients. One New Jersey medical centre keeps
a patient satisfaction scrapbook and encourages regular employee contributions.
Staff members are asked to share patient satisfaction stories in meetings.
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It is estimated that more than 3,000 healthcare professionals have visited the
Disney Institute over the years to study the leadership, management and service
strategies of the Disneyworld resort. In fact, healthcare professionals constitute
a solid 30 per cent of Disney Institute professional enrolment.
Healthcare and Disney
 "Customers
remember the end of their encounter more vividly than the beginning"
- Dr Lloyd Nazareth
Chief Operating Officer
Wockhardt Hospitals Group
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A closer look reveals many practical and important connections
between what Disney does and what the healthcare industry needs today. To begin
with, healthcare organisations are keen on learning how they can emulate the
success enjoyed by the world's number one vacation spot. "People cherish
the special moments they experience there-that's what they take home and that's
what brings them back," says Vishal Bali, MD & CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals
Group.
Whether customer loyalty, people management or leadership, the Disney model
managed to shine, overcoming many challenges. With increasing competition and
complexity the healthcare industry now faces similar challenges. There are almost
22,000 beds on Disney property. Every day, they take thousands of guests through
the check-in/check-out process. On an average, the guests stay for three to
four nights, and they expect clean rooms. Even the issues they face in customer
service are similar to healthcare. For instance, constantly addressing the issue
of long wait times for attractions, especially during the summer months. Additionally,
says Bali, "People spend a lot of money at such a place. Hence, the company
has to ensure an excellent value for money. The healthcare industry also faces
enormous challenges in this area."
But the major correlation is the unmatched example of customer service that
Disney provides. The bottom-line is that both are service oriented. The best
state-of-the-art technology in the world cannot replace good service. Disney
knows how to treat people as they want to be.
Rule of Five
The best practice at Disney is that it calls all its customers 'guests' and
endeavours to learn what these guests want, think, need and feel when they visit.
This is the first lesson that Wockhardt Hospitals Group has tried to implement.
"Of course, here in a healthcare scenario we do not call them guests. We
impress upon our employees that they are in a service industry and they should
treat their patients like guests," says Dr Nazareth. Wockhardt has tried
to integrate five main principles from the Disney model to improve operational
excellence.
Lesson number one is 'Finish Strong'. "It is the last impressions, not
the first ones that stay in customers' memories. Customers remember the end
of their encounter more vividly than the beginning," says Dr Nazareth.
This leads to principle two— Get over bad experiences early. This is because
people tend to experience unpleasant events first so that they can savour the
pleasant ones that follow. Hence in a healthcare set-up, this includes unpleasant
news, discomfort, and long waits in line. "This avoids dread and prevents
these experiences from dominating the customer's memory of the entire encounter,"
Dr Nazareth explains.
The third principle adapted is segmenting pain and combining pleasure. Painful
and unpleasant events should be conducted in as few sessions as possible so
they pass quickly for the patient. The idea here is to break pleasant experiences
into multiple stages and blend unpleasant ones into a single stage. Dr Nazareth
cautions, "The patients should not be kept uninformed or given the bad
news only at the end."
The fourth principle is of building customer commitment through choice. Patients
are happier and more comfortable when they are given choices or control over
a process. For example, a blood donor prefers to choose which hand he donates
blood from. A patient likes to have a say in meal selection. "The most
important factor is to pay attention to detail as it is these very minute details
that make a difference," says Dr Nazareth.
Then follows the fifth strategy— 'Stick to Ritual'. People find comfort,
order, and meaning when activities are repetitive or familiar. A hospital is
not a place anyone prefers to be at. Hence when actions are routine or repetitive,
especially during long-term stays, the patient is more comfortable. "Ritual
can be created in extremely simple functions like sponging, medication checking,
morning visit by head nurse," suggests Dr Nazareth. "The Disney model
is also a reflection of servant leadership. It's the inverse pyramid where the
guest/patient is at the top while the CEO is at the bottom," he says.
One of the main strategies in customer delight is to convert every desired outcome
into a desired behaviour. "This model is a continuous endeavour everyday
to create 'special' moments and it needs to be ingrained in the psyche of every
individual involved in an organisation. It does involve full commitment of time
and is not a 'one and done' fix. It is certainly hard but definitely rewarding,"
says Dr Nazareth.
When it comes to investment, these principles are more time and training intensive
but do not require large amounts of money, he insists.
Disney and its 'Guestology'
One of the most important aspects in 'guestology' is etiquette. It starts the
moment a guest calls in to make reservations and continues until he returns
home. Everything matters and no concern is considered too small, as the impression
that guests leave with includes everything they see, feel, hear, smell, perceive
and think during their stay. The employees at Wockhardt are taught soft-skills
and phone etiquette to make the customers / patients comfortable, including
basic issues like dealing with a patient who calls a hospital for test results.
There are regular checks to see whether they are transferred to various departments
and to ensure that the call receivers are knowledgeable and empathetic towards
patient needs. Certain other things like whether the lobby is clean or not are
considered as well. "These aspects are crucial for ensuring that customers
have the ideal experience in a healthcare facility," says Dr Nazareth.
The significant element in the Disney guest service experience is the crucial
point of interaction with its employees or 'cast-members.' These cast members
smile and make eye contact. They are also eager to answer questions, and are
well-informed about the entire Disney operation. One of the important aspects
in better patient service delivery is its human resource, the backbone of the
organisation. "Disneyworld invests time and money in earning the dedication
of employees. Investing in the welfare and happiness of employees motivates
them to create wonderful experiences for guests," says Dr Nazareth.
In the end, it is the employees who make or break the success of a healthcare
organisation. As Dr Nazareth says, "No service excellence model is complete
without a formal measurement system for service quality. HR needs to establish
a system which recognises and celebrates service excellence." Job satisfaction
often translates directly to how employees treat patients and families. This
kind of satisfaction is relatively easy to accomplish. Often employees want
a few simple things, such as a private dining area, or better access to supplies,
or recognition for their achievements. Wockhardt continuously tries to motivate
its employees and consistently values and recognises their contributions through
a monthly award where the best employees are applauded for their efforts.
Thus, as the healthcare industry continues to encounter sensitive and complex
issues, practitioners will continue to search for ways to make the healthcare
experience more effective for patients and families. Disney World is inspiring
testimony to the fact that if done with sincerity and loaded with zest, many
tragic moments can be indeed converted to magic moments. At a time when machines
are increasingly replacing man, the healing touch of a human hand is what makes
all the difference. It is just a matter of sheer will power and belief in giving
the customers/ patients the 'treatment' that they deserve not just from the
machine but from the man himself!
nancy.singh@expressindia.com
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