In “Identifying Toxic Culture in Your Practice,” Hayley G. Boling, MBA, COE, CEO of Boling Vision Center, INSIGHT Surgery Center, INFOCUS Optical Lab, and HGB Consulting, provided insight on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a toxic culture. In this follow-up to that article, she provides an 8-phase roadmap that offers practices a clear, tactical path to culture transformation, and also shares Boling Vision Center’s success story.
This was discussed in her presentation on Friday, “The Culture Cure: Heal Your Practice With Team Retention, Patient Trust & Profitability.”
Ms. Boling, who is also a certified practitioner for various culture tools, processes, and surveys, relayed the following steps.
How to Begin the Culture Cure Journey
1. Assess the Culture
- Use tools like OCAI, Denison, eNPS, and culture mapping.
- Ask: “What do we believe? How do we behave? What do we value?”
2. Define Desired Culture
- Cast a vision of the ideal work environment and employee experience.
- Ask: “What would it feel like, look like, sound like to work in that culture every day?”
3. Map the Culture Transformation
- Start by designing a 30-day action plan using SMART goals (long-term strategy, beyond the 30-day action plan, is also part of the full transformation process).
- Be sure to identify early potential friction points to address and define quick wins to build momentum.
4. Activate the Change (7C Framework)
- Commit
- Clarify
- Create Consensus
- Communicate
- Copy, Coach, and Correct
- Reach Critical Mass
- Carry On with Consistency
5. Ignite Buy-In and Empower the Team
Form cross-functional small groups ("Change Circles") to give team members a voice and feelings of ownership in shaping the desired culture.
6. Fuel the Momentum
- Celebrate progress (not just perfection).
- Reinforce values through stories/anecdotes, shout-outs, and shared wins.
7. Measure Results
- Track meaningful KPIs: engagement, retention, patient satisfaction, productivity, outcomes, etc.
- Review impact and adjust approach using real-time feedback.
8. Sustain the Change
- Integrate culture into hiring, onboarding, training, recognition, communication, and performance reviews.
- Cast the vision continuously, using symbols, stories, and rituals to reinforce it.
And perhaps the easiest concept to remember, Ms. Boling said, is this visual reminder:
"Be a thermostat, not a thermometer. Don’t just take the temperature of the cultures in your life—set it." In short … BE INTENTIONAL!
Boling Vision Center’s Success Story
“Boling Vision Center is living proof that intentional culture design works—and that it is worth every ounce of effort,” relayed Ms. Boling.
She said that one of the practice’s guiding principles is: “If you do not develop your corporate culture, it will develop itself. Corporate culture doesn’t happen by accident, and if it does, you’re taking a risk.” – Monique Winston
The practice’s journey began, Ms. Boling said, with aligned leadership and a bold decision: “We will no longer leave culture to chance.”
“By uniting around a clear cultural vision and inviting our team into the process, we’ve cultivated a workplace where trust, clarity, and excellence thrive,” she said.
According to Ms. Boling, some of those outcomes include:
- Exceptionally low turnover and high team engagement
- A culture of psychological safety and collaborative communication
- Consistently high patient satisfaction and strong community trust
- A daily experience where purpose, passion, and performance align
“When we prioritize our culture with intentionality and focus (our “secret sauce”), we don’t just retain our team—we elevate them,” concluded Ms. Boling. “We care deeply for our people, and in turn, they care deeply for our guests/patients—with integrity, compassion, and excellence. And honestly? It doesn’t get much better than that! OM