RL Cooper Associate's Organizational Huddle™, based on the New Sciences, is a solution-focused circle of representatives from various departments or job classifications dedicated to making positive changes within short time-frames to improve interdisciplinary teamwork and customer satisfaction. The huddle is not a meeting; it is an ongoing process that quickly resolves issues, prevents problems from escalating, builds outstanding teams, and develops a culture of accountability that achieves and sustains improvements in service excellence.

Benefits/Outcomes:

• Over 2,000 problems resolved and prevented since inception of process in 1999
• Proven to enhance customer satisfaction (a client realized an over 20% increase in their Press Ganey patient satisfaction score)
• Significant increase in professional satisfaction
• Development of team spirit through interdisciplinary collaboration
• Enhanced knowledge and appreciation for others roles and challenges
• Promotes individual and group accountability through an Organizational Huddle™ tracking process.
• Excellent retention strategy
• Develops an organizational culture that appreciates speed, support, and open communications
• Rated as a Grade A best practice by The Advisory Board Company
• JCAHO recognizes this process as an excellent performance improvement methodology
• Enabler in the achievement of Magnet Status and Baldrige Award

As stated in the December, 2002 edition of the Health Care Manager
publication, Article titled: The Organizational Huddle Process - Optimum
Results Through Collaboration...

“Every organization can benefit from implementing The Organizational Huddle Process. The costs associated with this initiative are minimal, and there are tremendous benefits. Unlike many communication and team-building programs that are one-time events that often return marginal long-term results, this process by its very nature promotes communication, collaboration, focus, speed, and results.”

What Participants Say About The Organizational Huddle

“The strength of the huddle concept in healthcare is that it plays to tactics-making decisions on the field in real time. Like the world of sports, the ability to lead while under fire far surpasses strategy sessions spent around calm table dialogue. I have found that the huddle identifies problems, facilitates operational decisions, and builds trust.”
    - Richard Birrer, M.D. - President & CEO,
      St. Joseph's Healthcare System

"Since we began the Huddle, we have identified and favorably resolved over 100 issues, and our patient satisfaction scores have risen dramatically. In addition, morale has improved and staff have become more engaged in decision making and problem solving activities that effect their work environment."
    - Peter Lorenzo, MS, RPh
      Director, Medical Department
      Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry

“We have had tremendous success in reducing the average length of stay throughout our facility, while improving our compliance with national quality of care indicators. I have no doubt that The Organizational Huddle Process(TM) was instrumental in achieving these results.”
    - Thomas R. Brunelle
      Executive Vice President/Administrator
      Bon Secours Community Hospital

"The Huddle has improved our executive staffs awareness of chronic energy sapping problems that lay under the surface bothering people but never coming to the forefront. This awareness has enabled us to focus resources and attention to assist in some real easy win-win scenarios. More importantly, we have built relationships, trust, and teamwork. We are now modeling this approach to communication at all levels of the organization."
    - Kathleen Lynam - Vice President, Patient Care Services
      Good Samaritan Hospital
      Bon Secours Charity Health System

“The huddle is by far-one of the best methods we have used to identify and solve important operational snags quickly.”
    - Rose Nagle-Girgenti - Director, Education and
      Community Health
     St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center

“While the huddle is best known for the timely resolution of patient care and system issues, the working relationships developed there enhance, ensure, and encourage long-term organizational success.”
    - Mary Ellen Meara, Nurse Manager
      Medical Intensive Care Unit,
      St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center

“We made a commitment at all levels, to adopt the fundamental principles of effective communication of the huddle process; honesty, respect and accountability. This has absolutely enhanced our effectiveness as a team as we can communicate more directly and respond more rapidly.”
    - Peggy Martino, Program Director
      Cardiology/Medicine, Greenwich Hospital

“The Critical Care staff have completed training of the huddle technique. It is my impression that this is a useful technique in dealing with issues on the units in a quick, direct and straightforward manner. It facilitates patient care.”
    - Quinton Friesen, Sr. Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
      Greenwich Hospital

“The huddle is a great forum to air out issues that have to be dealt with right there and then. It has also helped us to work better together with other members of the interdisciplinary team. What we need now is to bring in the medical interns and residents. There are many issues related to communication that could be resolved at a huddle. That is our next step in the process.”
    - Mamie Page, Staff Nurse
      Intermediate Care Unit, Greenwich Hospital

"The beauty of the huddle is it provides an opportunity for excellent interaction at a retreat setting with carry through back at the workplace. The two together allow for a process of positive change to occur."
    - Steven Shelov, M.D., Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
      Maimonides Medical Center

“We have accomplished so much since we started the Huddle process, and we were able to cut out multiple meetings from our busy schedules.”
    - Theresa Sellers, Nurse Manager
      Telemetry Department, Community General
      Osteopathic Hospital (Pinnacle Health System)

“We have solved many problems in the last eight months and have developed a better working relationship with other department managers.”
    - Kim Orfanelli, Nurse Manager
      Orthopedics Department, Community General
      Osteopathic Hospital (Pinnacle Health System)

“The huddle has created a great sense of accountability for fast problem resolution, increased employee morale and excitement with the process, and an appreciation for the challenges others face within the organization.”
    - Marchene Noel
      Director, Human Resources
      Interfaith Medical Center

Mr. Cooper is the author of the book Huddle Up - Creating And Sustaining A Culture Of Service Excellence. Copies are available through the publisher Xlibris Corp. at 1-888-795-4274 ext.276 or www.Xlibris.com.

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