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“No Jerks Rule!”

A crucial factor in defining a culture is to clearly state behaviors which are expected from all employees. The “No Jerks Rule” has been stated by the CEO of Doctors Hospital of Sarasota which has been named one of the 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare for the sixth year in a row by Becker’s Hospital Review. They clearly instruct employees to treat others as they would like to be treated. The payoff is “We continue to be recognized as a great place to work due to our continuous efforts to ensure a positive workplace environment, and due to the high level of engagement of our staff.” said Bob Meade, President and Chief Executive Officer.”

What does it take to not only be nominated, but to maintain a place on this distinguished list? Although not rocket science, it takes consistent attention to details that work to create an environment where people choose to stay. In discussions with Theresa Levering, VP of Human Resources at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, our conversation focused on the many small things that start with two very important elements, hiring the right people and then maintaining communication with them to ensure they feel a part of the team. Theresa stated that they go through a structured 5-part hiring process that focuses on “cultural fit” in addition to technical skills. “The technical skills get them to the interview,” then they are assessed as to whether they have a fit which is right for the culture at Doctors Hospital.

After a new employee has been hired, the onboarding process starts before orientation with a call from the Director of Nursing to welcome the new employee. Then the CEO or COO open orientation by welcoming everyone and Theresa says, “Congratulations, you made it. We are incredibly selective about who we let into our family.” At orientation, they are “buddied up with a preceptor” who helps them get acclimated to the workplace, and to answer any of their questions.

There is a 30-day check-in during a breakfast or lunch in which the new employee is encouraged to share their experience. This is where Theresa said they discuss things that the employee struggled with such as where to find the departmental phone book so they have an easier time reaching their colleagues in different areas of the hospital. There is then a 90-day evaluation with the director of nursing where employees are asked “if they have the tools to do their work.” Senior leaders are required to get to know their employees and what is going on in their personal lives, and are also encouraged to touch base monthly with every employee. Doctors hospital of Sarasota also uses “Stop Light Reports” based on employee feedback, in which leaders report what changes have been accomplished (green,) what changes are in process (yellow,) and what changes cannot be made and why (red.)

Organizations which make Becker’s list are committed to fulfilling missions, creating outstanding cultures and offering competitive benefits to their employees. They also encourage professional development among employees to create tomorrow’s leaders through recognition programs, mentorships and benefits to make an employee’s life easier. These are many of the reasons that Doctors Hospital of Sarasota repeatedly makes it on Becker’s 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare.

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Beth Sears provided her time and expertise to assist us in resolving a difficult and emotionally charged situation regarding our next work season in Africa … Beth was able first to empower us to honor the fact that there was major conflict in our thinking and helped us define a process to deal with the differing opinions. … In our final meeting, it was amazing to see the most entrenched and angry member of the group changed their demeanor. We came to a fine resolution and are a stronger body because of the experience. Beth deserves much credit for guiding and encouraging us and giving us the tools to meet our challenges. I recommend her work without hesitation.
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Beth has been working with our organization this year and the results of her work have been nothing short of remarkable! Beth’s warm and engaging personality lent itself …to quickly garner a level of trust that allowed for significant input from the staff – all of which has been valuable in promoting new levels of communication and accountability within the team itself. This has been an especially enlightening experience for our team and one that has brought with it insight and skill building well beyond what I initially imagined when we embarked on this journey. I can say with confidence, respect, and gratitude that Beth Sears is a coach, mentor, educator and consultant all in one incredibly valuable package of professionalism. I encourage you to consider enlisting her expertise as you seek support in taking the next best step for your organization. You will be glad you did!
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The courses you presented were wonderfully presented and had an immediate effect on my staff. It was evident from the beginning that these are topics you believe in and were able to communicate honestly and effectively with us. Every participant from SIDDSO had positive things to say about the program and most importantly how well you presented it. Based on your seminar and all the positive feedback I heard, I will be recommending your services to others who ask me about effective training that may help other organizations in this area. I also hope we will be able to use your services again in the future.
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Beth Sears provided group coaching to our accounting staff and we were very pleased with her approach and the results. She set the stage by interviewing each staff member to identify issues … then closely worked with the staff over the next month to raise the bar on communication. Each person who participated said that coaching helped them grow as an individual, not just at work. I’m confident you’ll find the investment in your staff to be as worthwhile as we did.
Claire Fisher | CEO | Fisher Associates
Beth conducted communication training for our front-line supervisors and was very thoughtful in her approach by collecting information on our goals for the training. As a 3-shift facility, she accommodated our various shifts, and even a major snowstorm did not stop her from delivering the training. The feedback from our managers/supervisors was the program was excellent. They learned and had fun doing it. The sessions were very interactive and relative to our business and incorporated company specific examples which helped base the training in reality. Beth was very professional and positive, and I would recommend her for any type of communication training!
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Her demeanor and her style put everyone at ease and the conversations start to flow and with Beth’s direction we started moving in a positive direction.”
James Sydor | President | Sydor Optics, Inc.
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Beth is easy to work with and really cares about helping people improve their interpersonal communications. Her straightforward and direct manner was not only effective but pleasant at the same time. You didn't have to guess at what she is trying to convey, good or bad.
Michael Naselaris | Director of Business & Corporate Development | Sydor Optics, Inc.
I am thoroughly comfortable recommending Beth Sears to work with your company. Her analysis of the opportunities for improvement; obtaining valuable input from employees and her ability to work within all levels of a corporation is unmatched. Her integrity is beyond reproach.
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Beth managed to turn what I envisioned as another dreary training session into, not only an educational awakening, but an eye opening enlightenment of what may be to come and how we might better deal with the future. Keeping the group openly engaged with material that we all were currently involved with opened opportunity for each of us to better understand some different perspectives with not only those we supervise, but also with all who we interact with on a daily basis.
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Steven M. Chizuk | Director of Budget | Erie County Medical Center Corporation
Beth Sears has been an adjunct faculty member with Cornell University’s ILR School since 1993. During this time, she has taught a wide variety of college credit courses and training sessions related to workplace communication and interpersonal behavior…Thanks to Beth’s teaching skills, hundreds of working people in Upstate New York are now better able to manage their anger, interview for new positions, resolve interpersonal conflict, lead groups, and convey their intended message. In my 25 years with ILR extension, I have never worked with a more effective instructor than Beth Sears.
Linda H. Donahue | Senior Extension Associate | Cornell University ILR School
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with our members. We are so grateful to have a caliber of talents such as your self enhance our slate of programs.
NHRA Board, Rochester, NY
I have found Dr. Sears to be ethical, sincere and focused on the honesty it takes to follow through with a quality service from concept to completion. She is a professional and is able to be compassionate for the purpose of presenting the best product available.
Kenneth Siegel | Deputy for Prison Programs | Rural Opportunities, New York Division
Ms. Sears has an uncanny ability to listen, and to analyze a situation – her suggestions were organized, straightforward and on point. I am very grateful for her assistance and would not hesitate to recommend her services to any company or individual seeking conflict resolution or effective communication training.
Barbara Bird | Senior Program Manager | VESID Facilitated Application Program
You got rave reviews on our evaluations – overwhelmingly rated “excellent" in every category. Comments included: • Beth is awesome! Great lady – time well spent! • Very down to earth and refreshing. • The class exceeded my expectations
Joan Collins Lambert | Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed watching you work on Wednesday morning at Locust Hill. I don’t see very many people as accomplished as you are working with a group of total strangers and keeping them as fully engaged as they were this morning. Both Jim and I agree we would be privileged to have you work with us at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Mike Cook | Founding Partner | Vital Works, Inc.
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