Reading is a great way to fire up thoughts and ideas. It ignites passions. It is amazing how the brain automatically converts an article into “what does this mean for me, and how I can apply it?”

Our minds have been awakened and our passions ignited by things we’ve read, and we want to share some of the best with you.

Online

Satisfaction vs. Loyalty
February 12, 2005
Scantron – Survey Services Expert Articles

William Bleuel of Scantron clearly explains the difference between “satisfied” and “loyal.” The belief that “all satisfied customers are loyal customers” is a “basic flaw” that companies must realize if they truly want to cultivate and benefit from loyal customers.

The Wrong Patient                                   
June 4, 2002
Annals of Internal Medicine – Academia and Clinic

This article follows a real situation in which a series of seemingly minor mistakes leads to an invasive procedure being performed on the wrong patient. This potentially life-threatening mistake resulted from lack of communication, poor teamwork, and a “culture of low expectations”.

Surgeons’ Tone of Voice: A Clue to Malpractice History
July 2002

Nalini Ambady, Debi LaPlante, Thai Hguyen, Robert Rosenthal, Nigel Chaumenton, & Wendy Levinson. Surgery, Volume 132 Issue 1, p. 5-9
In this article, Ambady and colleagues conducted research which indicated that healthcare professionals who were warm and humorous suffered fewer lawsuits filed against them than cold or impersonal healthcare professionals.

That Personal Touch; Taking Care of Your Customers is the Most Important Job of All
Charles Lauer. Modern Healthcare, Vol. 37 Issue 8, p. 24

Charles Lauer discusses the basic rule of success, “take care of the customer.” He believes that the healthcare industry has “plenty room for improvement in terms of patient satisfaction.”

Reinventing the Patient Experience: Satisfying Customers can Lead to Continuous Growth
Tequia Burt, Healthcare Executive. Vol. 21 Issue 3, p. 8-14.

Tequia Burt explains that “patient experience is critical in today’s healthcare marketplace” because patients are savvy consumers who want both quality health and service.

If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 ½ Things You Would do Differently

Fred Lee. Bozeman, MT: Second River Healthcare Press, 2004

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.
Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, & Al Switzler. Hightstown, NJ: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Good to be Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t.
Jim Collins. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2001.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown and Company: 2000.

Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable.
Patrick Lencioni. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, 2002.

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life.
Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander. Penguin Group: New York, NY, 2000.

In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies.
Thomas Peters & Robert Waterman. Warner Books, Inc. : New York, NY, 1982.