Today™s healthcare market is changing before our eyes. Each of us is facing an aging workforce, pressure to streamline process and reduce costs, and complexity in patient care that has never been seen before. In the midst of all this, leaders are struggling with creating and maintaining superior work cultures. Today's leader is both a daily operations master and a long-term visionary who is working harder than ever before. How, then, is this jack-of-all-trades to add creating a superior work culture to their ever-growing list of responsibilities?

The challenge is to change the way we think about our roles. Leaders on the cutting edge understand their major focus should be to become the Chief Retention Officer. The most successful leaders figured out long ago that by focusing on employee satisfaction and growth, most operational challenges will fall into place. The simple fact is that a satisfied and motivated work force will do what is right to deliver the utmost in quality, patient-focused care on a consistent basis.

Creating a superior work culture is not as difficult as it may seem. First, the leader must understand that creating this culture is their work, not an addition to the list of things to do. When the leader is constantly focused on what is important to the team, they in turn, will focus on what is important to the success of the unit. It all starts with the right people.

Develop a list of traits and behaviors that team members should bring to the table. Many leaders look for people who can manage change, have a compelling vision, are risk takers, and manage diversity. The qualities on your list will be different based on your unique needs, but these suggestions may help to get you started.

The leader must look within to determine if he or she is a role model of these behaviors on a consistent basis. If not, the leader has some growth to do before working on developing the culture.

A key step is the internal assessment of the team. This step is about getting the right people on the right bus, in the right seats, and generally headed in the same direction. The leader will be making tough decisions about who should stay and who should go. Not everyone will fit in the new culture, and that's ok. Once you have the right people, the job is easy.

Together, you and your team create a shared vision and ensure that everyone understands your purpose the reason your team exists. With the right people and a shared vision and purpose, you have the rock solid foundation for a superior work culture.

Jeff Doucette can be contacted at jeff.doucette@duke.edu