By modeling Storytelling and Story gathering you can take down the barrier of it feeling overwhelming.īecome the best pollinator of Stories in your organization. Sometimes we make it harder than it should be. Regularly engage in Story rounds by simply asking a few questions: What do you LOVE about what you do? Tell me one thing you did to improve the life of another person this week? What’s one thing someone else did that made you feel special? Be a role model for others to see how easy it really is. Seek out Stories from different people, departments, and regions. When we practice Storytelling such as the dedicated time for Stories in my clinic, we can become more comfortable and when we listen we become more meaningfully Connectedīe the best Story gatherer in your organization. It’s okay to not feel natural, lean into the discomfort. If you want to change the culture, change the stories.” As leaders, we should practice Storytelling. I love the quote from Michael Margolis, “If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories. What A dvice do you have for Lab Partners? The times that give them Joy - I think that helps them reduce their risk for burnout, helps them Stage Experiences for each other and for our patients, and sends them home each day with these Stories on their minds and in their hearts to help them feel positive and inspired from their day. Through this Storytelling practice, our care teams are now Intentionally LOOKING to create and remember those special Moments. Then, we finish by asking each person to share their “joy bombs” - those special Moments that brought Joy to their work, large or small. What happened today that might we be able to do better tomorrow? Practicing, asking, challenging, and solving with each other on a regular basis has become a part of our culture. First, sharing any pain points of the day. We end our days with a two-step debrief practice.

This Story practice becomes a call to action for our team to show up in the narrative and care for and with patients in a meaningful way. We start each day at the clinic with reflection, reminding one another why we are here and sharing Stories of a few memorable Moments.

It helps teams focus on the privilege to care for friends, families, and neighbors.

In the clinical space, Storytelling is a powerful and learnable tool. How do you, as a leader and in your organization, use Storytelling as part of your Experience journey? They remind us why it matters that we make every Moment more special and meaningful. And our life Stories are anchored to those milestone Moments -those are the Stories we all tell and share. They are often major mileposts - before or after the diagnosis…the surgery…the birth. Some of the most transformative Stories we share - both tragic and wonderful - occur in health care. Storytelling and Story listening inspire us to become passionate about something or someone, and allows us to understand someone else’s Experience just by LIVING through their Story and the feeling. We are all Connected by Storytelling through history - it is in our DNA to Connect with one another and is core to our survival. Storytelling is a vital, innate skill for humans. What does the principle of Storytelling mean to you at your organization? This month, we are joined by our good friend and Experience exemplar Kyle Christiason, MD, Medical Director at UnityPoint Health, to understand how he has made Storytelling a vital component in his practice and why it matters.

Unity point lab