Focus of the Appreciative Inquiry:
To have a group of 20 Foodservice Directors discuss and identify their experience with exceptional dining services and transfer that learning to their healthcare facilities.
Client Organization:
UHF Purchasing is a group purchasing organization that provides prime vendor contracts, product supply contracts and services to healthcare facilities through a national purchasing agreement. The majority of the participants worked in long term care facilities or small community hospitals through out the state of Wisconsin. The Food Service Directors meet quarterly to discuss trends and issues affecting the foodservice departments. The AIC consultant was invited in to create positive conversations around the dining experience and to teach the Foodservice Directors to train their staff in an appreciative approach.
Client Objective:
Specific goals:
- Build energy around training regarding excellent customer satisfaction
- Educate the Foodservice Directors on an appreciative approach to learning versus gap analysis
- Create a dialogue in which Foodservice Directors can share and learn from others in the Purchasing Group
What was done:
UHF Purchasing created a learning seminar “Breakfast for Champions” in which Foodservice Directors could get together for four hours. An interview guide was developed to explore in detail the elements that make up an excellent dining experience. The participants paired up for interviews and then shared with the group the stories and their key learning from the interviews. The participants identified themes and elements that contributed to their exceptional dining experience. The participants shared with each other how they could use a similar process for training their staff.
Outcomes:
- Collectively the Foodservices Directors created a list of elements for an exceptional dining experience
- Foodservice Directors were exposed to an appreciative process for training
For Further Information:
Contact: Roberta Peirick
+1 314-822-5104,
robpeirick@gmail.com