Mastering Management "Three good things" program adds zest to hospital gatherings

DENVER — Hosting a holiday party or picnic that is entertaining and uplifting can be very inspirational for the hospital team.

To accomplish the goal, Denver's University Hills Animal Hospital uses a "three good things" theme to seal a party's success, explains Dr. Nancy Willerton.

Here's how it works:

One month before the party, a questionnaire is distributed to each hospital employee. They are asked to write three good things about every other member of the staff, doctors and owners included. The ballots are returned to the practice manager. If there are 20 individuals on the staff, the practice manager will have about 60 attributes for each person. From this input, a certificate titled "The Things We Like Most About______" is created for each staff member. The certificates are rolled up, tied with a ribbon and randomly chosen by each employee attending the function, who in turn reads it aloud to the attendees.

It is a "fun-for-all" as everyone tries to guess which person is being read about. These parties are remembered for the entertaining and often hilarious, uplifting, frequently euphoric celebration of the great attributes of the people who work on our team, Willerton adds.

"We found that staff members take their certificates home and share them with their family members," Willerton says. "I doubt if many are ever thrown away, and I would not be surprised even to see one framed and displayed on a staff member's wall."

To download a description of the program, the staff questionnaire and the certificate, visit www.vlg.us and click on VLG in the News.

Tip from:

Dr. Nancy Willerton

University Hills Animal Hospital

Denver