1. ACT WITH INTEGRITY.
Demonstrate doing the right thing in all your actions and all your decisions, especially when no one is looking. Acknowledge and own your mistakes, clean them up and make appropriate corrections. Integrity is not a part-time job.
14. HONOR COMMITMENTS.
There’s no better way to earn people’s trust than to be true to your word. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings and promises. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others promptly and agree on new conditions to be honored.
2. COMMUNICATE TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
Know your audience. Communicate in words and images that they can easily understand. Speak simply. Avoid using internal lingo, acronyms or industry jargon. Use the simplest possible language to communicate your message.
15. TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Innovation doesn’t come from playing it safe. It comes from a thoughtful and intentional willingness to try the unconventional. Use sound judgment to make smart decisions.
3. DELIVER UNBELIEVABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Put simply, we exist for no other reason than to serve our members. Each department and employee plays an important role in serving our members — some directly and others indirectly. Everyone has a customer. Unbelievable service and customer satisfaction are key to our overall continued success. Seek to understand their needs and then deliver unbelievable customer service.
16. KEEP THINGS FUN.
Remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Joy and laughter bring us closer together and make us look forward to coming to work each day. Laugh every day — be part of creating a happy environment.
4. COLLABORATE.
Share information and work together within your department and across department lines. Learn to ask yourself, “Who else needs to know this?” Collaborate internally and with our members to find better solutions. Collaboration generates better ideas than working alone. Be a team player and support the TAC mission. Be inclusive.
17. LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
The best way to influence others is through your own example. Don’t wait for others to change. Be the change you want to see.
5. LISTEN GENEROUSLY AND TO UNDERSTAND.
Be present and engaged. Quiet the noise in your head and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Create open space for others to express themselves without judgment. Listen generously, giving others your full attention, without the distraction of phones and emails. Listen with care and with empathy and from the other’s perspective. Listen to understand.
18. MAKE QUALITY PERSONAL.
Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do. Always ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” Everything you touch has your signature or picture and makes a statement about you. Make sure it’s a statement of excellence.
6. PRACTICE BLAMELESS PROBLEM-SOLVING.
Blame has no place in a high-performance organization. Fix mistakes by focusing on solutions, not on whose fault it was. Use each situation to learn, and then apply that knowledge to improve our processes to reduce the likelihood of repeating the same mistake. Get smarter with every mistake.
19. TREASURE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE OUR REPUTATION.
We’re all caretakers and beneficiaries of our image and reputation at all times and in all situations. Consider how your actions affect our collective reputation, and act in a way that brings honor to TAC.
7. ASSUME POSITIVE INTENT.
Operate from the assumption that people are good and that the intent behind their actions is positive. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Act out of the belief that faith and trust create better relationships and generate better results than do doubt and cynicism.
20. TREAT PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY.
Interact with people in a way that honors their self-worth and respects their value as unique individuals. Demonstrate kindness and compassion. Learn to walk in others’ shoes and to think from their perspective. Understand their needs and respond in a way that provides reassurance and support. Focus on what’s right for them, rather than on what you would want or what you think of their communication.
8. BE ACCOUNTABLE.
Act like you are an owner in the organization. Ownership accountability means holding yourself to account, holding others to account and the willingness to be held to account. Own being a model for the culture.
21. RESPECT CONFIDENTIALITY.
Counties, their staff, families and medical professionals share information with us because they need and trust us. Honor that trust by keeping their information in confidence and taking appropriate steps to safeguard how and where it’s used. The same is true for information about TAC and your teammates.
9. PRACTICE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND APPRECIATION.
Catching people doing things right is more effective than catching them doing things wrong. Regularly acknowledge people for the qualities that you appreciate in them — in all directions throughout our organization.
22. THINK SAFE. WORK SAFE.
Know and practice the safety procedures for your job. Watch out for the safety of your teammates as well, for you are your brother’s keeper. Never take shortcuts that compromise your safety or that of your teammates. This extends to making it safe for people to speak up, honestly, without fear of damage or reprisal.
10. BE RELENTLESS ABOUT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
"Because we’ve always done it that way” is not a reason. Constantly evaluate every aspect of your job to find ways to improve. Share what you learn so that others can benefit from best practices as well. Be a "lifetime learner." Continually invest in your own education, both formally and informally. Never stop improving your technical and personal skills. Excellence is a journey, not a destination.
23. FIND A WAY.
Take personal responsibility for making things happen. Be a creative problem-solver and respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Don’t make excuses or wait for others to solve the problem. Make it happen.
11. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE’RE A TEAM.
You are part of a team as diverse as the 254 counties we serve. Never forget that our diversity is our strength. Take time to get to know those with whom you work, internally and externally. Strong relationships are the foundation of a successful organization, and they enable us to work through difficult issues and challenging times. Stand for and support each other’s success. Look for the best in each other, and provide rigorous support, including honest and direct feedback. Remember everyone brings their own unique skills, talents and insights that ultimately translate into team success.
24. BE PROCESS AND PERFORMANCE DRIVEN.
Focus on using good processes that are in line with our values, as this will yield strong results over time. Work the processes we have, and always look for ways to improve those processes or find better ones. Embrace metrics to better understand how you’re doing and how you can improve your performance. Hold yourself accountable for achieving results. Always keep impact on the organization in mind, an “enterprise-wide” perspective.
12. FIX PROBLEMS AT THE SOURCE.
Address issues by discovering the root cause rather than simply tackling the symptoms by going directly to the person accountable. It’s better to invest time in developing a long-term relationship and solution, rather than simply putting on a “Band-Aid." Communicate what you learn so that others don’t make similar mistakes. Learn from problems and use your knowledge to create systems that prevent mistakes and problems.
25. SERVICE IS 360.
We serve each other, our customers and ourselves when we serve the community. Demonstrate making a difference.
13. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
Learn to gather the facts before jumping to conclusions or making judgments. Be curious about what other information might give you a more complete picture. There’s always more to the story than you think. Learn to ask questions and know the facts before you decide or act. There’s no better question than, “Why?” Never stop asking it.
26. STRIVE FOR A HEALTHY WORK/LIFE BALANCE.
Coordinate your time between work, family life, community activities, emotional/spiritual well-being and physical fitness. Take time off regularly to recharge your batteries. Support each other in making healthy choices. Keeping a sense of perspective and regularly recharging lead to better performance. Spend quality time with family and friends. The healthier you are, the more you'll thrive personally and professionally.