“This is a container ship. You are getting it to turn 180 degrees... that doesn't happen overnight; it’s little bits over time”.
In Part B of our deep dive into civility with Renee Thompson, we move beyond identifying "near enemies" to the practical framework of sustaining culture change. We explore why "tattling" to a manager is a symptom of a weak culture and how to empower employees to have "healthy workforce conversations" directly with one another. Renee breaks down her "top-down, bottom-up" approach, emphasizing that while leaders are responsible for the department's culture, the entire team must be equipped with the language to protect it.
From bypassing the "lizard brain" with pre-prepared scripts to understanding why psychological safety has nothing to do with comfort, this episode provides the evidence-based system needed to eliminate bullying and sustain a professional clinical environment.
Turning the Container Ship: Understanding that culture change usually takes about six months to "turn the corner" and a full year to implement fully.
The Top-Down, Bottom-Up Framework: Why you must strengthen the executive level while simultaneously empowering frontline teams with data and tools.
Data Over Assumptions: Using organizational, leadership, and team quizzes to find exactly where your behavioral gaps are.
The Curiosity Hat: How to respond to an eye-roll or a huffed sigh by simply "naming the behavior" and asking, "Are you okay?".
Bypassing the Amygdala: Using scripts to give your prefrontal cortex a "ready-to-go" response so you don't freeze, clobber, or run away when faced with negativity.
Honesty and Respect: The "willingness" script—how to set boundaries by saying, "I am willing to continue this conversation as long as you are willing to communicate with respect".
Psychological Safety vs. Accountability: Why safety means being willing to speak up even when you are incredibly uncomfortable.
The Interprofessional Challenge: Recognizing that incivility is a "human issue," not just a nursing one, and must include physicians and allied health to be successful.
You will walk away with a toolkit of scripts and principles (like "Notice, Question") that allow you to confront disruptive behavior without losing your cool. You’ll learn how to stop "batting the ball across the fence" and start building a relationship-based culture of coaching and feedback.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] Intro: The Container Ship Analogy.
[00:02:00] Data and Evidence: Why you can't make assumptions about your department.
[00:05:00] The Framework: Top-down, bottom-up, and everything in between.
[00:07:00] Using Quizzes to find your organizational weak spots.
[00:08:00] Naming the Eye-Roll: How to wear the "Curiosity Hat".
[00:10:00] The Science of Scripts: Bypassing your Amygdala.
[00:13:00] Honesty and Respect: Stopping the "talk behind the back" cycle.
[00:16:00] Why even the CEO needs a coach.
[00:21:00] Psychological Safety: Speaking up when you're uncomfortable.
[00:24:00] Breaking the Silos: The Interprofessional Strategy.
Resources
Healthy Workforce Institute Resource Page: Free webinars, podcasts, and "How to Protect Yo
Join Us in Brisbane CBD on the 25th of March for a Full Day workshop with Leaders in Healthcare to name your challenges and set strategies to stop the haemorrhage of good clinicians from your teams.
Find out more information at Better Every Shift
"Is nursing turnover eroding your bottom line? Stop managing the crisis and start leading the culture. Book a Strategic Consultation at bettereveryshift.com.au/consultation to turn your clinical culture into a measurable business performance indicator."
