4 Healthcare Marketing Leadership Lessons from the Golden State Warriors
I’m getting tired of blogs with titles like, “3 lessons your hospital can learn from Starbucks/Amazon/Disney/insert any other multi-billion dollar behemoth corporation.”
That’s because it’s unrealistic to compare your hospital to a corporation.
Sure, you could argue that your hospital is a business, but realistically, if you’re a 112-bed hospital in rural Missouri, how are you — the marketer manager — going to create big shakeup in how your hospital does business?
Answer: You’re not.
But what you can do is change how your own communications team functions. And if you’re looking for a role model for the best team out there, take a look at the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
Here’s how they’re playing together — and how your team should, too:
Keep the joy
Sports Illustrated tries to figure out what makes the Warriors so special. Is it culture? A community? A consortium?
Former player Andre Iguodala, said, “It’s a flow. With a cadence, a rhythm, a boom, boom, boom. We understand.”
It’s hard to define what the Warriors have that no other team does, but here’s something to consider: If you watch the Warriors play, they’re having fun. They make everything look effortless. Everybody is doing their best.
The takeaway: Lighten up the mood in your office. Let people bring in their pets for a day, hand out free burritos for lunch and celebrate success in a big way. You want employees to wake up and say, “Wow, I’m excited to come to work today for XYZ.”
There’s no reason to panic
Even when things don’t go well, the Warriors play through their mistakes. You’ll never see their coaches yell at them from the sidelines. That’s because their coaches know that in high-pressure situations, yelling at someone never does anybody any good. Instead, it’s better to huddle together and devise a plan to fix the problem.
The takeaway: Your hospital will inevitably have a crisis at some point. But instead of losing your cool, think about how your staff can work together on the problem. And remember, even in those “Oh @$#! moments,” pay attention to the tone of the emails you’re sending to staff. Don’t say something you’ll regret the next day.
Let your best employees shine
The Warriors give Steph Curry room to sparkle and shoot.
“(Michael) Jordan doesn’t need anybody teaching him to score, just as Curry doesn’t need anybody teaching him to shoot,” Sports Illustrated explains.
Sometimes, the best coaching is the absence of coaching.
The takeaway: If you’ve got an all-star employee, don’t micromanage him or her. An all-star employee has an internal drive and wants to live up to their personal best. Your job is to give them all the tools and resources to set them up for success.
Have fun with your competition
Here’s how an opposing player talks about an upcoming game against Curry.
“You’ve got to be physical with him…We just got to take the fight to him…We’re hungry for a win. It’s a must-win game for us.”
But the Warriors don’t approach games with this kind of jargon-induced do-or-die battle talk.
“We just like to play,” said former assistant coach Luke Walton.
The takeaway: You’re all about “differentiating” yourself from the competition, but remember: We’re all in healthcare together. So, the next time you see a clever social media post or hear a great TV spot from your competition — send them a congratulatory note for a job well done.