Compliance with Joint Commission's LD.03.01.01 - Culture of Safety
Leadership Standard - Required Elements of Performance

Work Doctor's Policy/Code Writing Facilitation

A good Policy (code of conduct) is the cornerstone of a civil workplace. It sends the right message that destructive interpersonal misconduct is no way to run a successful, sustainable business in the long run. It ensures both the correction of current, and prevention of future, intimidating and disruptive behaviors.

Behavioral change through policy compliance is an impersonal process preferred to confronting hyper-aggressive offenders. Decisions about who shall confront, how, when and where are not required when Policy violation allegations are rigorously investigated. No one person is responsible; the Policy protects the organization systemically.

The Client organization assembles a diverse policy-writing group with several disciplines represented. Work Doctor facilitators then lead the group through a proprietary design process to create the Policy. Though Work Doctor supplements the process with illustrative terminology, the internal group creates an idiosyncratic Policy based on institutional uniqueness. The writing process is nearly as important as the resultant product. It ensures the best fit for that particular workplace and ownership of the commitment to an abuse-free culture for patient safety.

Based on the seriousness with which JCAHO is treating bullying misconduct, the new Policy should stand alone as a unique document, as a supplement to, not a replacement for, existing anti-violence and anti-harassment policies. When complete, the organization's custom policy will include: definitions of intimidating and disruptive behaviors, illustrations specified, the differentiation from obnoxious but not safety-threatening conduct, the ranking of negative behaviors ranging from egregious unlawful deeds to less acute antisocial tactics, preservation of managerial prerogative when not exercised abusively, the introduction of new managerial responsibilities to curb abusive conduct of peers and direct reorts, prohibitions against retaliation for alleging violations (this is #3c on the Joint Commission list of suggested actions,) and safeguards against misapplication of the policy.

Clearly there would be zero-tolerance provisions for instances of physical violence or criminal behaviors. (This is #3a on the Joint Commission list of suggested actions.)

Our unique and in-depth expertise regarding behavioral change in organizations enables us to anticipate pitfalls that sabotage policies crafted by less capable consultants. Our involvement with legal aspects of bullying also assures Clients of satisfactory compliance with future laws.