Question

An organization has hired an outside consultant to evaluate a series of errors. The analysis reflects that several serious errors have occurred more than once. A review of investigative notes reflects that the focus has almost exclusively been on individual performance. Several employees have been disciplined or terminated as a result of the errors. The consultant makes a recommendation to refocus the organizational culture to a Just Culture. You have been assigned as project leader for this project. What steps would you take to begin this process?

Answer 1

Just culture is basically a type of organization culture in which any type of mistake is considered to be the fault of the organization as a whole. An individual employee is not blamed for any failure. This type of organization culture propagates risk taking ability of the employees and encourages them to think out of the box. Moreover it evolves the organization as a learning organization. Just culture will be quite appropriate in a healthcare organization. This is because in such an organization, the employees are working hard to facilitate the lives of the patients. So the work environment is high on risk. Giving the leverage to the employees, by not blaming them for any failure, helps in letting them work in a pressure and stress free setting and hence their performance will have better accuracy.

To facilitate the transition of the current organization culture of the healthcare company, to a Just Culture, following preliminary steps can be taken:

• The primary stakeholders of business can meet and discuss the objective of this transition
• The benefits of the Just Culture for each job level as well as overall organization must be projected
• The risks associated with this transition change must be addressed comprehensively
• Employees need to be included in this change process. A townhall meeting can be conducted in which details about the change and the benefits of Just Culture must be shared with the employees
• Doubts and inhibitions of employees must be solved so that the employees will emerge as the facilitators of the change process
• The management must make sure that the data of the healthcare as well as patients is well protected in this transition phase
• Every employee must have a designated role in the change process
• Middle level managers will supervise the transition process
• Top level management will look after solving the issues which may act as roadblock in this transition process