Read an Excerpt: From a Q&A with the President of Jackson + Coker, Tim Fischer
In Gravitude, Mark Bowling offers his own philosophy on gratitude and leadership, as well as a wealth of insights from other accomplished executives and entrepreneurs. One such contributor is Tim Fischer, the President of Jackson + Coker, who shares his experiences in a Q&A with Mark. This Q&A rounds out Chapter 4. In it, Tim shares his perspective on how a company’s culture of gratitude can positively impact both its employees and the broader community.
Who Is Tim Fischer?
Tim Fischer serves as the President of Jackson + Coker which is one of the nation’s largest healthcare staffing firms. Jackson + Coker specializes in the placing of doctors and advanced practitioners in locations that critically need healthcare coverage. Prior to Tim’s tenure in the medical staffing field, he enjoyed a successful career in IT staffing, where he discovered a deep sense of fulfillment from helping people through his work. This carries into his work now at Jackson + Coker, about which Tim says, “The company I work for allows me to align my personal values with our company values.” This alignment of values is one of the keys to enjoying and cultivating a workplace culture that appreciates and inspires its employees.
Let’s learn more from Tim Fischer by diving into the Q&A.
Read an Excerpt
“Q: Jackson + Coker is known for its strong culture of gratitude. Can you explain some of the ways this works in practice?
A: Any of our team members can walk 30 feet or less and have a gratitude card station where they can handwrite a note to a coworker to share their gratefulness. Weekly, our team meetings start with an expression of gratitude from coworkers to their respective team. We also have an online system where employees can recognize any peer for their special contributions, earning them points redeemable for gifts. In our organization, we talk about how the more you express gratitude, the more your life is fulfilled. By using these different approaches, we’re removing as many barriers as possible for our employees and the organization itself to express gratitude on a regular basis.
Q: Do your employees feel they must participate in all the fun and gratitude-based activities that go on in the office?
A: We never want our people to feel they have to take part in anything they don’t want to. When we hand out Halloween candy to foster kids, employees don’t have to join in if they don’t want to. But along with a culture of gratitude, we also have a culture of accountability. We have great people that do their jobs with excellence, or they don’t last. We tell them that if they don’t want to join in on the fun and other activities, it’s okay—they can be comfortable with that. But they do have to rally around our mission and purpose as a company. That is not up for debate.”
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To read the full Q&A with Tim, which includes his thoughts on cultivating gratitude with external partners and how the country would change if more organizations prioritized gratitude, grab a copy of Gravitude. The book also features contributions from other accomplished executives and entrepreneurs, providing an assortment of wide-ranging perspectives that may resonate with you and your company’s ethos. Don’t miss out on these invaluable insights that can transform your work culture, organization, and most importantly, the lives of the people who work there, for the better.
If your organizational culture is an example of Gravitude in action, please contact me. I would like to feature your story in future blog posts.
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