HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY CHANGE AN ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE
Olender-Russo suggests that in light of the complexity of individuals, working groups and organizational dynamics, long lasting change must be process-dependent rather than peopledependent. Change should evolve based on feedback from what succeeds for an individual organization and to identify influential individuals who can serve to champion the shift:
The I2E2 Formula for Lasting Change
I2E2 offers 4 elements necessary and critical for success:
I1
I2
E1
E2
Inspiration
Infrastructure
Education
Evidence
The I2E2 Process first requires that participants envision the desired outcome. If possible, this should be a clearly articulated shared vision.
I1 – Inspiration – A culture of regard consists of offering esteem for and recognition of the significance of nursing, empowers nursing practice and facilitates goal attainment. Selfexploration helps caregivers to reconnect with their values and why they chose to become a health care professional. This helps workers to value the required cultural change more than the comfort of the status quo.
I2 – Infrastructure – A culture of regard must be embedded within the organization’s strategic plan, vision, mission and values and into individual roles, practices, orientation procedures, position descriptions, standards and systems in order to facilitate change and ensure its continuation. Core competencies must include interpersonal effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
E1 – Education – Awareness and understanding of the appropriate dynamics of professional working relationships is critical to situational triggering of learned responses to inappropriate behavior. Role-playing positive interactions and corrective behavior for negative interactions provides learned behaviors that can be practiced and triggered as required.
E2 – Evidence – It is critical to track and report increasing levels of staff and patient satisfaction along with decreasing levels of absenteeism, orientation costs and medical errors in order to reinforce the new cultural footprint and the value of change. Establishing a statistical benchmark in the beginning against which to measure progress is a priority.
(See Olender-Russo L (2009) Creating a Culture of Regard: An Antidote for Workplace Bullying.
Creative Nursing 15, 75-81.)