The Healthy Workplace Nudge

Chapter 13How They Did It: Creating Ecosystems of Care

If there is one “secret” of effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective executives do first things first and they do one thing at a time…There are always more important contributions to be made than there is time available to make them…Therefore, there is always a time deficit.

—Peter Drucker

Just as mountain peaks Rainier, Hood, and Shasta dominate the Cascade Range, some companies always stand high above the rest. The coming chapters will reveal the extraordinary success stories from a few companies. More importantly, you will discover their secrets. The most common trait separating them from the foothills is their focus on a few essential principles and habits. You will see they maintain a strong discipline rooted in a deep understanding of their own character, vast ecosystems, and people. You will identify, perhaps for the first time, the few fundamentals that can transform not just your wellness efforts but your company.

Incredibly, while these companies kept a fanatical focus on a few simple attitudes and practices, they each took very different roads to getting there. Each company understood the unique elephant it rode and how to nudge the beast to stay on the path.

The Cleveland Clinic: Clarity, Focus, and Simplicity

In 2004, soon after Toby Cosgrove became CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, he saw the writing on the wall. Despite being one of the premier medical institutions in the world, the health of its employee ...