Try the 10/5 Way

11/23/2016

Now is exactly when we most need to gather our inner grit, heart, compassion and flexibility in order to respond to situations with intention and possibility, rather than reacting from fear in a familiar and habitual manner.
Robin Levy and Constant Hine, Positive Change through Grit and Intention

In an attempt to improve their organization in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana-based Oschner Health System tried an out-of-the-box experiment. In his best-selling book "Before Happiness," author Shawn Achor writes about the hospital's decision to try to "raise levels of happiness first." Oschner Health looked outside the usual medical literature and found a secret ingredient used by Ritz-Carlton hotels.

The 10/5 way "turns out to be the perfect example of how to transform an organization through positive inception. The 10/5 way involves just a few simple behavioral rules that all staff are trained to follow. If a guest walks by a Ritz employee within ten feet, the employee should make eye contact and smile. If that guest walks by within five feet, the employee should say, 'Hello.'"

Despite initial skepticism, this deceptively simple technique "completely transformed the shared reality at the hospital. Not only did this improve patients' satisfaction with care, it improved outcomes for the hospital," Achor explained. He urges his readers to "try implementing the 10/5 way in your office or household."

Kaplan - Problem Solve, Create and Innovate with our Robotics Classroom.

Learning Naturally - Inspirational Online Learning (www.learningnaturally.org)

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