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The NHS has a story capable of inspiring staff but fails to take advantage of it, according to former John Lewis chairman Sir Stuart Hampson.
He told the NHS Confederation conference in Manchester that the John Lewis Partnership has grown in recent years not only by paying a profit-based bonus to every member of staff, but also through effective employee engagement. The partnership has as its purpose "the happiness of its members, through their worthwhile and satisfying employment," he said. "It's got to be a job well done."
This has led to some customers saying they had never been disappointed by John Lewis. "It is a culture I believe can be copied by the National Health Service," Hampson said.
As an example of corporate pride, Hampson recalled the rushed opening of John Lewis's out-of-town store in High Wycombe. Hearing of problems, staff from other shops travelled to the new store on the Sunday before it opened to help clean and prepare it. "They said, it's our shop, our customers, our reputation, we're not going to have it anything other than ready to open," he said.
The John Lewis Partnership has in recent years paid its staff an annual bonus of between 8% and 24% of salary. While profit-sharing is not an option for the NHS, Hampson believes the sector should be helping staff take pride in their organisation. "I believe most people want to feel proud of where they work," he said, noting that most handle their staff through a department with the label "human resources". "People strive for association," said Hampson, as football fans show. "Do we want them to feel they are simple mercenaries?"
As well as providing inspiration through its history, an organisation can allow staff more autonomy in how they work, Hampson said, and cited the example of Waitrose allowing shelf-stackers to make choices, and therefore take pride, over how their shelves are presented.
The attitude of the staff inevitably filters through into the public's perception of an organisation, he added: "You can't be your locality's favourite organisation if the employees don't feel the same."
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Comments
21 June 2012 2:49PM
Whether a retail environment, a hospital or the NHS, employee engagement is the key to driving better results across ALL measures. The secret is that engaged employees deliver discretionary effort, which leads to higher levels of service, productivity and quality, which in turn lead to more satisfied customers, and in the case of companies, higher sales, profits and ultimately stock price. There have been many studies done in the health arena that shows engaged doctors and nurses lead to fewer mistakes, and better health outcomes. Employee engagement should be top of mind for all organizational leaders.
Kevin Kruse
NY Times Bestselling Author
www.KevinKruse.com
21 June 2012 3:37PM
NHS Employers, which supports employers in the NHS has an extensive set of resources on its webstie www.nhsemployers.org/staffengagement
This includes examples and case studies from NHS organisations that are engaging with their employees. The NHS can learn from John Lewis but already has good practice of its own to share. In addition, there are small number of employee owned enterprises operating in the healthcare sector and these have a good record on employee engagement
21 June 2012 9:28PM
I walk into John Lewis's and there is a sort of sparkling opulence about it. As I enter, I am greeted a discreet hum of softly spoken voices. It's full of beautiful things, for a start, that are tasteful, well-designed, well-presented and above all clean and new. There is a well-heeled sense of ease about the customers too. And I have choice (well, as much choice as my bank balance will allow). I can choose the elegant Dartington glassware or the 400 thread count crisp white Egyptian cotton sheets, or perhaps some luxury perfume or a state-of-the-art television. If I want to ask about a product, a knowledgeable, well-trained member of staff somehow appear to be readily at hand and, apart from the pre-Christmas rush, when I am ready to make my purchases I wait only a few moments before they are nicely wrapped and the kching of the cash-till releases me to glide back out of the shop, feeling all the benefits of a satisfying dose of retail therapy.
I also walk, far too often, into my local hospital. Having stressed for up to half an hour trying to find somewhere to park I get past the concrete benches marooned in a sea of fag ends, try to ignore the insufferable canned voice warning me to not enter if I've suffered from diarrhea and vomiting or flu-like symptoms in the last 48 hours (if I ever meet that man in real life I swear I will try to refrain from killing him) I enter the foyer of the outpatients' department, which seems full of rather fed up people waiting (hours) for hospital transport, or struggling to push ailing and infirm relatives in those ridiculous hospital transit wheelchairs that only work if you pull them backwards. The place looks drab and filthy. Most people look poor, badly dressed, ill (this is a hospital after all) and depressed (this is the NHS after all). I hope I don't need to us the loo while I'm there - I know from previous visits that the toilets are so filthy they wouldn't pass muster at Glastonbury. I try to ignore the dismal charity stall selling utter tat, and negotiate my way past the dispensary where people wait up to an hour to get their prescriptions, and where the seating is so insufficient that people are standing around and spilling glumly into the corridor.
If I'm lucky the lift is working. I arrive at my designated clinic. There is someone behind a counter who I suppose is meant to be a receptionist and who in another universe would see me as a customer. I stand while she chats to her colleague. I stand a bit longer (even though my medical problems make standing very painful). They seem to be having difficulty operating their computer system so I wait, still standing. The phone is ringing unanswered and is really starting to get on my nerves. I had actually, despite the parking problems, managed to arrive on time, but by now I've been standing there for 10 minutes without even a glance from the receptionist.
Eventually she decides to acknowledge I'm there.
"You all right there?" she asks.
"No I am not all right here," I reply. "I had an appointment at 2pm and I have now been standing here for 10 minutes".
She fiddles around some more on her computer.
"You're meant to be in Clinic 14," she says.
"But my letter says Clinic 4" I point out.
"All Clinic 4 appointments have been moved to Clinic 14." No-one bothered tell the patients though. Clinic 14 turns out to be 10 minutes walk away, which is a bit challenging for someone who can barely walk. There is no porterage service.
Eventually, in great pain, I reach Clinic 14 which is at least clean and new. However, they haven't provided enough seating so lots of people are having to stand.
Four hours later I eventually emerge. In that four hours I've had 10 minutes of "quality time" with a doctor who examined me, discussed diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options. He is clearly highly trained and knowledgeable, but by 5.30 pm both he and are to weary and exhausted for the consultation to feel in any way satisfactory. In his case he has at least another half dozen patients to see, so it's clear that although he's professional he really doesn't have time to answer all my questions.
At least I don't now have to go and queue for blood-tests or medications, which has happened on previous visits.
What can the NHS learn from John Lewis? I think the main lesson is that if you spend more money - a lot more money - on everything from staff pay and training to decor to cleanliness to prompt service - everything is much more pleasant and works much better - and yes, I expect the staff would indeed be more motivated.