Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) is a not-for-profit, community-hospital system located in North Central Arizona in Yavapai County. Two acute-care hospitals, comprehensive outpatient services and a network of provider clinics make up the YRMC suite of services. The workforce of nearly 2,000 employees is focused on our Vision of a Total Healing Environment.
Our use of Extended DISC® helps us achieve our Vision and supports our Values of Respect, Integrity, Accountability, Commitment and Quality. We looked to Extended DISC® in 2001 as a platform to improve communication, understanding and work relationships among our then employee base of about 600. As the organization has grown, the principles behind Extended DISC® and the personal growth that comes from understanding those principles have contributed to our success as an organization.
Initially, the Extended DISC® training was only offered to leaders in the organization. Once a leader attended a training session, he/she would inevitably ask that staff be able to take the class. We offer the training through a four-hour traditional class session. It is the most popular class we offer through the Education Department. In 2015, we were able to enter into an unlimited license agreement with Extended DISC® and opened up the class to all employees. To date, more than 725 employees and leaders have attended the class.
The concepts behind the training first promote an understanding of a person’s own behavioral style, then how to identify the behavioral style of others, and ultimately how to adapt your style to better communicate and work with others. A favorite story involved two managers who were not working well together. After attending Extended DISC® training, they sat down and discussed how their different styles were conflicting in their expectations about how tasks were accomplished. The end of the story was a strong working relationship and friendship that evolved. In essence, this story has repeated many times over at YRMC and illustrates the impact of the program.
Extended DISC® is a great partner from the perspective that they are responsive to every inquiry and request we have. Their support documents help us deliver a great training. The initial train-the-trainer was in-depth and delivered in a way that prepared our trainers to be well-informed and able to answer student questions.
We are looking forward to offering advanced levels of Extended DISC® training in the near future and to make use of the Team Profiles, Work Pair Profiles, and more tools that Extended DISC® offers. Until then, we continue to offer the core class to packed audiences that absorb and use the concepts and skills that ultimately help support our Mission, Vision and Values.
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