This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Dear Colleague,
As we move deeper into the holiday season, the idea of service becomes even more meaningful. December’s B Excellent skill, What Does it Mean to S.E.R.V.E.?, invites us to reflect on what it truly looks like to serve others with intention, compassion and reliability.
This theme aligns naturally with the spirit of the season, a time when generosity, gratitude and caring are at the forefront of our minds. It also reflects who we strive to be as a healthcare organization: people who step forward to support one another, uplift our teams and create a safe, healing environment for those we serve.
This week’s Better Begins With Us tips
1, What Does it Mean to S.E.R.V.E. #4: The R in S.E.R.V.E. – Reliable Collaboration
This week’s first tip focuses on what it means to reliably collaborate with others – a skill that strengthens trust, reduces friction, and helps teams work efficiently, especially during the busy holiday season. Reliable collaborators:
- communicate clearly
- respond promptly
- engage in shared problem-solving
Call to action: The next time you receive a request from a colleague, apply one of the “timely response” techniques mentioned in the tip. Then observe how your colleague responds to your timeliness.
2, Cultivating a Culture of High Reliability: Advancing Safety Through Culture
Featuring Ballad Health’s own Dr. Amit Vashist, this tip explores practical ways we can strengthen psychological safety and reduce problems caused by power imbalances within our teams. It emphasizes the importance of:
- Clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and expectations for all team members
- Creating an environment where open and honest conversation is encouraged
- Using feedback loops that keep everyone aligned
Call to action: Practice openly discussing safety with your team. Use encouraging language to share concerns or describe personal strategies that support a safer culture. Ask colleagues what aspects of your daily work enhance or diminish safety. Afterward, reflect on the insights you learned from this conversation.
Celebrating 1 million B Excellent tips watched
We’re proud to share that Ballad Health has officially surpassed 1 million B Excellent tips watched – a milestone made possible by your commitment to growth, teamwork and our culture of excellence. To celebrate, every team member can select one (1) complimentary B Excellent-branded item from the online storefront.
When ordering, use this link to access the storefront and be sure to enter the promo code onemillion at checkout to receive your item at no cost.
B Excellent Podcast Holiday Special
Don’t miss the latest episode of the B Excellent Podcast – the Holiday Special. In this episode, go behind the scenes with the podcast crew – Josh, Aaron, Taylor, Tucker and Toby – who reflect on the origins of the show and revisit some of their favorite interviews, moments and pieces of advice from across the year. It’s a great listen if you’re looking for inspiration, a few laughs and some meaningful reminders during this season of reflection. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on the Practicing Excellence app.
This holiday season invites us to focus on generosity and teamwork by supporting one another through reliable collaboration and open conversations about safety. Each interaction helps shape a stronger, safer culture at Ballad Health.
