Engaging their leadership team (not just their CEO) with a Sandler Training coach has been one successful ingredient in Hospice of Chattanooga’s renewed focus on strategy. Today this beloved nonprofit serves 20% more families in the region than their previous year.
Nearly one year ago, Tracy Wood began an incredible journey as the head of Hospice of Chattanooga. With a 250-person team that spans 18 counties and has an operating budget of just north of $30 million, she knew the gravity of guiding the beloved 35-year old nonprofit through a rapidly shifting marketplace was a daunting task.
Hospice of Chattanooga serves many incredibly important roles during some of the most sensitive times of life for the people whom they serve. Excellent service doesn’t happen by accident, so it was vital for Tracy to develop and communicate a plan for greatness to each member of her large team. From her nursing staff to the administrative staff, it was crucial for her to have the right people on the team and equip them to succeed properly.
The challenge facing Tracy and Hospice of Chattanooga rings true across nearly every industry, spanning from for profit and nonprofits: When my team is on the front lines of delivering a successful product to my consumers, how do I ensure that that service is consistently excellent? The wisdom that Tracy showed sounds simple, but is profound in an increasingly busy world: being successful at anything requires a plan. Without a plan, success, at best, becomes a happy accident that only happens intermittently. However, with an effective plan, proper goals can be set with benchmarks to gauge success. It allows you and your team to hone their skills and empowers them with accountability by identifying strengths, correcting weaknesses, and organizing growth.
As the CEO, Tracy did more than simply engage in Sandler Training herself—she considered the impact so important that she engaged members of her leadership team to also take part in the sessions to properly create cultural excellence. Through Sandler’s Management and Leadership course for business executives, Tracy and her Hospice of Chattanooga team have become more effective at diving in to truly focusing on their tip-of-the-spear value proposition: serving their clients by living up to their “Five Star Performance Goals.”
Because of Hospice of Chattanooga’s amazing service that they provide for their clients, they’ve achieved the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Home Care Accreditation, the industry’s highest possible rating. Not only has their team made new strides in becoming an integral community partner through their external projects like the Before I Die Wall that inspired Chattanoogans to create “bucket list” type goals for their lives, but their renewed focus on strategy has allowed their team to serve 20% more families in the region than their previous year. Sandler Training is honored to have them as a part of our mentoring team!
You might also be interested in:
