This week my focus is on the little things. When we compare organizations … about 90-95% of the makeup of the organizations are the same – the DNA is similar. Restaurants serve food, hospitals provide care, car dealers sell automobiles, stores sell stuff. The difference between a really awesome and special place and your normal run of the mill place is usually in the details. (“Steve, normal? That’s not so bad, could be worse or could be better, right?”)
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to go to a normal restaurant, school, hospital, or town. I don’t want a normal team to root for (50/50 win loss). I don’t want to go to a normal concert by a normal band. I don’t want to live a normal life.
I want to be great. I want the restaurant I visit to blow me away. I want each and every experience I have to be awesome. I want to live my life to the fullest. I want my health care center of choice to be the place that not only heals me, but makes me better, and shows me how to live in the healthiest manner possible. I don’t want normal.
“That’s a lot to ask for, Steve.” Yep. It sure is.
I was talking to some of our outstanding hospital auxilians last night. I was telling them that they are the first faces that our guests see. And the gift shop – not only does it fund a lot of cool things in the hospital – it is just really awesome. (Are you a member of the Iowa Specialty Hospital Clarion or Belmond Auxiliary? Lifetime membership costs $35 Clarion /$50 Belmond. We are working on a way to make it really easy for you to sign up.) I was talking about how Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics had a great week last week* and how it is because of the little things (and their smiling faces) that we are better than normal. Because we are better than normal, people seek us out from wherever they are. Because we are better than average, we grow and change, and will be around long after other hospitals cease to exist. Because we are better than normal, our communities get awesome care and great businesses. Because we are better than average, we all can work somewhere truly special.
*In this edition of the Pinnacle you can read about all the awesome stuff that has happened in just the last couple of weeks.
- Steve Simonin, President & CEO
