Mercy Health Partners, Northwest, OH

"In just 18 months, Mercy Health Partners (MHP), a seven-hospital system serving Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, has hosted six Leadership Development Institutes (LDIs) for 350 leaders and reaped significant gains. Mercy Hospital of Willard, for example, currently has 0% nursing turnover.

MHP believes the quarterly LDIs create results because they standardize communication and expected actions across diverse facilities. Table exercises and seating break down barriers (e.g., seating randomly instead of by facility) and encourage colleagues to know each other more personally. Training and team spirit translates into aligned behaviors back at the workplace. MHP's LDIs engage leaders in ways that previous training hasn't, to drive for results by connecting actions and goals to mission and values.

For example, they create consistency in leadership behaviors across the system. As a result, leaders respond the same way to tough questions from employees instead of giving potentially dozens of different answers. Everyone uses the same strategies and tools to
recruit, retain, and develop staff for alignment organizationwide.

"Everyone has an important role to play at the LDI," says MHP's CEO Steve Mickus, who is intimately involved in the planning and execution of every training session. "Mine is to identify the expected outcomes, bring everyone together, and role model how to be an adult learner on-site."