Author: John Weir

With over 27 years in Healthcare Environmental Services (ES), I lead with a belief that attitude drives outcomes. As a Regional Director at MultiCare Health System, I oversee multi-site ES operations with a focus on people-first leadership, infection control, and operational excellence. I champion a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) not as a slogan, but as a leadership principle. I believe positivity is contagious, and as a leader, I set the tone. Through consistent, uplifting communication, I create environments where ES teams feel empowered to be helpful, proactive, and proud of their impact. For me, development is a choice, and I invest in training, huddles, and coaching that energize teams, helping them thrive in their current roles and grow toward what’s next. My approach to high standards isn't theoretical, it's practical. Just like we notice when a hotel room is clean and fresh, patients and families immediately sense a space that’s been cared for. Through standardized protocols, team accountability, and a shared mission, I help create clean, safe, and healing environments that directly enhance patient experience and staff well-being. It's a privilege to lead teams that play such a vital role in the patient journey, and to help elevate the perception and performance of ES professionals across our system.

Confidence-Graphic

Recently I was given some feedback that I appeared too confident, and at the time while I did not purposely display such a demeanor the opposite would have been a little more appropriate, or at least, more expected. This is a good thing to be aware of.

I appreciate getting this feedback because it was valuable to understand the feelings of those I was meeting with. So in considering what was said, I gave some thought to confidence and can share this advice;

One of the fundamental tasks of any leader from the president to parent is to give people a sense of confidence: in themselves, in the group or team they are a part of, and in the mission itself. A leader must have faith in the people he or she leads, and inspire that faith in them. That faith must begin within themselves.

As Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the Harvard Business School writes in her book Confidence, ” Leadership is not about the leader, it is about how he or she builds the confidence of everyone else.” Confidence, by the way, is Latin for “having faith together.”

There is a self-fulfilling prophecy that applies here. Those who say, “We cannot do it” are probably right, just as those who say “We can.” If you lack confidence you will lose. If you have it, solid, justified confidence based on preparation and past performance, you will win. Not always, but often enough to win over setbacks and failures.

So if you lack confidence, re-evaluate your performance and consider times when you achieved success. Make yourself a student of leadership and build that confidence. Believe in yourself and look for opportunities to practice. You can gain confidence once you set out for it without allowing negative thoughts to get in the way.

Leadership Teamwork Success
Leadership Teamwork Success

“As the leader, your communication sets the tone for interaction among your people”

“Two are better than one… and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecc 4:9,12

I was considering my leadership and the team members that enabled me to be successful. At every hospital I can reflect on those who were the closest and greatest contributors to our success and my success as the leader. Certain people came quickly to my mind and remarkably, where I had the the ability to grow the most I had the strongest team. Where I could not fit in was where I had no team.

The history of America has many examples of strong leaders and innovative people who were risk takers, and achievers, those people were almost always part of teams. A Chinese proverb states that “behind an able man there are always other able men.” You can not do anything of real value alone.

There will be a follow up to this post…

“I am certainly not one of those who need to be prodded. In fact, If anything, I am the prod” `Winston Churchill.

I like this quote because I don’t want to be one who waits to be told, I force myself to take action, to learn something new everyday, and to gently but firmly prod others to do the same. I believe that we get what we give, so I love to give. I believe we get out of life what we put into life so I do these things to get more out of of life.

It is also true that action leads to more action so go out and give of yourself to your staff, and the people who work in your hospital along with you. In our business, which is a true service business, we can change a life for the better just about twenty three times a day. What is holding you back? Do you need someone to come along and give you a little prod? 

Healthcare_Cleaning__Cover_for_Kindle

 

When was the last time you were at your doctors office, or (and I hope not) at a hospital, and it was not as clean as you would expect? Unfortunately with the cleaning being demanding physical labor, it takes a good management team to bring out the best in cleaning results.

As one who believes your healthcare deserves having the cleanest space to be treated in I have worked with hundreds of cleaning staff and I know how to bring out the best. After all, I started in this business as a part time housekeeper and worked my way up the hard way.

The housekeepers of years ago have to know so much more then they use to the job has evolved into Environmental Services. With knowledge in basic microbiology, infection control, regulatory compliance, customer service and so much more needed to do their jobs today these hard working individuals deserve recognition and the best supervisors and managers.

I have written a primer for the successful housekeeping department called Healthcare Cleaning Success.  In this book I break down the essential steps needed for success in easy to understand modules. I wrote this book to help supervisors and managers in environmental services move beyond the ordinary and improve the cleanliness of their facilities.

So why did I ask if you have been to a facility that was not as clean as you expected? You can help by getting this book and giving it to your doctor, or to a hospital that you feel needs some help. I’m sure they would appreciate you caring enough to bring this to their attention. There is link to my book on Amazon on the right side of this page.

You should also ask your caregiver if he or she has washed their hands before treating you. They will appreciate that as well.

Hey if you like this post, please share it with someone or just let me know.

Yes, I received your messages and of course, I’m around. I’ve been to Colorado which is so very nice, and I already like more than California, but that is another story.

I’ve done a lot of writing and I’ll make sure that I post valuable stuff here at least once or twice a week.

Thanks for the email’s and take care.

 

do more with less

 

Environmental Services departments are constantly being challenged to “do more with less,” to give quality services with fewer resources, especially labor resources. Cleaning is a very labor intensive function and our largest costs relate to labor. A ES manager must constantly be looking for ways to improve labor productivity, either through improved tools or automated equipment, or investigating new methods for cleaning. Waiting until reductions are mandated will not give you enough time to investigate options and evaluate if they will work in your facility. I recommend you become active in professional associations like IEHA and AHE. Network with ES colleagues in other facilities is also an excellent way to learn about new techniques and systems that improve productivity.

Measuring productivity
The way we track and measure productivity often is the biggest barrier to achieving improvement. Many cleaning managers have a vague and incomplete view of what to realistically expect from their staff, so there is no way to know what areas are unproductive and certainly no way to measure the full impact of any changes.

To begin with, determine the exact amount of square feet the cleaning staff is working with. Of that total, how much is actually cleanable? Exactly what does it take in terms of labor, chemicals and equipment to clean that area? What steps do workers take to clean that area and how long does each of those tasks take to complete?

Managers need an accurate benchmark before they can make changes or comparisons. “Guesstimates” aren’t good enough.

One way to determine these benchmarks is to evaluate the different areas of a cleaning operation. Once managers know what goes into a task, how much time it should take and what the results should be, they can determine a range of areas where improvement should occur. Some employees may need more training while some tasks might call for altering or elimination.

Change management
A common stumbling block for many ES managers is that, once they’ve determined what needs improvement, they simply do not understand how to work with staff to make any changes.

Many times managers attempt to test a new, potentially time-saving tool or technique in their operations, but when employees resist, the managers give up. Managers either dismiss something because it takes too much effort to begin, or simply decide their staff is too stubborn to learn anything new.

Instead, explain the benefits of change in terms employees understand. Managers also need to distinguish between “different” and “wrong” when communicating changes to their staff. Many employees tend to view new ideas as wrong, unless proven otherwise, and subtleties such as this can make or break new procedures.

For instance, a new tool could help an employee work faster, possibly with less fatigue, and with better quality results. But the employee’s priority is to get through that shift, and a new tool means taking time to learn and adapt. Meanwhile, failure to use this new tool properly can add even more effort and time, making the change counterproductive.

A manager sensitive to the nuances of change knows it is essential to explain how this new method, though time-consuming at first, would eventually save the employee more time and create less fatigue. Taking the time to give a thorough explanation, and to listen to employee feedback, can produce favorable results faster.

Follow-up also is a must. If managers don’t ensure that workers are using new tools or methods properly, they could be erecting more barriers to change.

Often, employees create their own version of a task, mixing and matching what they prefer, or they revert back to the old way. Without constant tracking and retraining, managers might assume bad results mean the new method isn’t working or employees aren’t capable of adapting. In actual fact, the change they’ve implemented may not be in practice at all. This leads to false data that can skew benchmarking, making it harder to track a department’s inefficiencies.

This is a brief overview of productivity, measuring and implementing change. In the future I share some thoughts on capturing and reporting the savings.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

For most people, all they require from their toilet is that it flushes without blocking itself.

But now a new high-tech toilet has been launched which includes a heated seat, a massage function, and two ‘sanitizing nozzles’ which it claims eliminates the need for toilet paper.

It even includes a lid which automatically opens and closes for you. However, $10,000 (£6,000) for most people it will remain little more than a pipe-dream.

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”
— George Lorimer

determinatino wordle

Self-determination to refer to a characteristic of a person that leads them to make choices and decisions based on their own preferences and interests, to monitor and regulate their own actions and to be goal-oriented and self-directing.

Determination is not a skill that many people naturally have. It takes practice to get the strength of mind to keep pushing forward despite failures and negative occurrences throughout the day. Many people stop, give up, and do unproductive things after a setback occurs.

How To Be More Determined In Life

You can train yourself to be more determined and get things done. You can learn how to be more committed to tasks throughout your day, and it is surprisingly simple once you start taking action and just doing it. Yes it is as simple as taking determined action, noting the results and repeating determined action.

Get Your Goals Clear In Your Mind

First, create meaningful goals and get excited to reach them. You cannot have indecisive goals that you are not excited about and expect to be fired up throughout your day to do tasks without purpose. You should write down your goals and review them daily.

If you are determined to meet your goals, then you will be less likely to give up when the times get tough. Instead, you will stay motivated and excited about accomplishing your goals and this will keep you on track.

You can put images of your goal around your workspace or in areas where you will see them often. Images are a powerful reminder of what you are working for and where you are heading, and they can reproduce that feeling of excitement (that keeps you moving forward) every time you look at them.

You should also visualize the result of your actions. For instance, if you are building an online business, then you may want to visualize the joy and pride you will feel once it becomes successful. This will help you to keep taking steps towards your goal right now.

Make Determination a Habit

Get into the habit of just doing it, even if you don’t want to. For instance, if something goes wrong in the morning, and you start to feel down on yourself and the day ahead, it can be very easy to skip over important tasks. However, if you just do it, then you will build a pathway in your brain that says, “I will keep going even though I am upset.”

Once that pathway becomes strong, determination will be a habit, and you will automatically keep getting things done no matter what happens in your day. It will become a subconscious habit to keep pushing forward no matter what happens.

Advice from one of the greatest leaders and decision-makers
of our time: General Norman Schwarzkopf.
NormanSchwarzkopf
As a young man, Schwarzkopf worked as an assistant to a general.
At one point, the general was involved in a research project that the
Pentagon was working on. For five years, no decisions had been made
on how to implement the project. There were two options available, but
no one had been able to choose between them.
After an hour-long meeting about the project, the general simply stood up, pointed at one
of the options, and said, “That one!” After just one hour, he was able to make the decision
that no one had been able to make up until then.
Later, Schwarzkopf asked the general how he had made that decision in only an hour,
when everyone else involved in the project was so uncertain and there were reams and
reams of research that he hadn’t seen. The general told Schwarzkopf that, truthfully, no
one knew what the right decision was, but he knew that action needed to be taken. “The
option I chose will be right,” he said, “because we’ll put all of our resources into it and
make it right. Or, if it turns out to be wrong, we’ll discover that quickly and do what needs
to be done to go in the right direction.”

employee recognition

 

Survey after survey shows employees consider recognition as one of the top desires in any job. Yet those same surveys show little recognition is received. How much of a leaders success is hindered by their lack of recognition for the work their employees do.

People who feel appreciated are more positive about themselves and their ability to contribute. People with positive self-esteem are potentially your best employees. So do you take the time to let them know, or do you just hope they get the idea.

In my experience, employee recognition is scarce because of several factors. People don’t know how to provide employee recognition effectively, so they have bad experiences when they do. Recognition should be timely, specific and in public as much as possible. While “you did a nice job today” is a positive comment, it lacks the power of, “the report had a significant impact on the committee’s decision. You did an excellent job of highlighting the key points and information we needed to weigh before deciding.

They assume that one size fits all when they provide employee recognition. Saying thank you is nice to a point. Written thank you cards are a step up especially when mailed to the employee’s home address. Certificates of appreciation presented at department meetings are also appreciated by many, and can be motivating to the rest of the team. Awards can be another creative way to give recognition.

Finally, employers think too generically and don’t connect the recognition to a specific action, rather say things like “thank you for your hard work.” While the employee may work hard this is not seen as meaningful and rewarding to most, instead it comes across as shallow.

Use the myriad opportunities for employee recognition that are available to you. While salary, bonuses, and benefits are critical within your employee recognition and reward system – after all, most of us do work for money – think more broadly about your opportunities to provide employee recognition.

Most of us understand that floor finish performance is greatly enhanced by allowing adequate dry time. But, few people understand why this is so important and what mechanism is at work.
Floor finish contains many independent ingredients such as water, polymer, resin, wax, plasticizer, coalescing agent and defoamer that, when combined together, form a stable, milky liquid emulsion.

Once applied to a floor, most of the ingredients evaporate. What does not evaporate and is left on the floor is the N.V.M. ”solid‘ portion of the finish (polymer resin and wax plasticizers).

For best results, this evaporation process must be complete before another coat is applied.
When a floor finish does not dry thoroughly and is re-coated, moisture gets trapped between the coats. A uniform, tightly knit film is never achieved. The results can be graying floors, excessive black marking and scuffing, dirt penetration, sticking furniture and difficult buffing.

Two closely related elements of dry time are coat thickness and relative humidity.
Thin coats work best with floor finish because they dry quickly and more uniformly. Persons applying floor finish seem to wait about the same time between coats whether they are thick or thin, so thin coats have a big edge here.

Humidity also affects floor finish dry time. Remember, a lot of water must evaporate for a coat of finish to dry. High relative humidity means that the air is saturated with water. This, in turn, means that the water in the floor finish has nowhere to evaporate. Dry times for a finish can take 30 minutes (on average) to two or more hours.

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Happy Environmental Services and Housekeeping week to all the very hard service workers in our industry.

In a department comparison test we:

Serve more people on a daily basis

Save more lives through infection control

Clean up the health care environment than any other

Talk with more patients each day

Handle hundreds more pounds of materials

Report more maintenance items

and the list goes on…

Thank you for all the hard work day after day. Without you, our hard-working staff, we would be nothing. I’m proud to work with such awesome individuals.

 

 

superpapermario_joke

I’m sorry that I have been inconsistent, or non-existent in updating this website over the past few months. I’m working on so many things I’ve put my time in other areas. Soon I will be adding new content, longer posts that have greater emphasis in learning, team building, and inspiring your staff to greatness.

Remember you can still use the search function to look for information that you need.

John