Category: News

Is improving patient experience a priority in your organization? Virtually all leaders in health care I talk with answer with a resounding “yes.” But this question also prompts reflection. How much of a priority is improving patient experience? Does our stated philosophy drive our everyday practice, especially in what we reward … and what we penalize? First, we need to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that the vast majority of dedicated healthcare professionals provide exceptional, compassionate experiences for patients and families every minute of every day. Especially in light of the COVID-19 crisis, their dedication and bravery cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, there are a small number of caregivers who fall short, either unknowingly or intentionally. Patients remember these lapses in compassion vividly and they talk

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. On-edge. Discouraged. As frontline staff’s emotions and state-of-mind have changed during the pandemic, healthcare leadership strategies to better support staff should change and adapt, too. For staff on the frontlines, the public’s feelings of restlessness, economic uncertainty, frustration, and anger exacerbate their stress. This contributes to burnout. For leaders, acknowledging that your employees are being verbally abused by some of your customers is the first critical step in better supporting them. Because what they are experiencing has changed, healthcare leadership strategies to support them have to change. Following are five healthcare leadership strategies managers can adopt to better support the “heroes” who are, in many ways, becoming the frontline victims of the frustrated public they are trying to serve. Talk openly and frequently

Nothing in recent memory has turned the world upside down for work teams like the coronavirus pandemic. Issues have varied by industry, but managing remote employees has been one of the most common challenges for bosses. While employees working remotely initially claimed to love the convenience, I’ve heard many admit that they increasingly long for the connection and companionship of colleagues. And for companies – especially those that thrive on creativity, innovation and collaboration – the loss of energy created when people work alongside one another is a growing concern. But is it physical proximity alone that fosters teamwork, collaborative innovation and better results? Hardly. Research has shown us that specific leadership practices foster engagement and empowerment. By adapting these core leader practices in managing

Sadly – and maybe predictably – the parades, pan-beating, headlight-flashing and banners have all faded as the pandemic has worn on. And what remains? Health care professionals continuing to put their own lives in jeopardy – both physically and emotionally – to care for patients, especially in a handful of states where rapidly rising COVID-19 cases are pushing hospitals to capacity. Throughout this crisis, one group of soldiers has been working behind the scenes to help navigate turbulent waters and to adapt strategies on an almost daily basis: frontline managers. And because organizational recovery will be slow, leadership during COVID-19 will not get easier any time soon. In many ways, the middle manager’s job is a thankless one. As the name accurately describes, they are

Health care organizations are formulating pandemic recovery plans from the coronavirus crisis, and how to ramp up volume is understandably a top priority. But this unprecedented crisis has taken a toll on more than just the income statement and balance sheet. The very fabric of organizational culture has been stretched — and in some cases torn — by the emotional, physical and financial burden inflicted by COVID-19 and the tsunami effect it has had on the industry. Paying attention to organizational culture is essential for a successful, comprehensive comeback. Here’s our Top 10 list of strategies to help the people in your organization — not just the bottom line — recover successfully. 10. Cascade leadership check-ins. As the shutdown and crisis has worn on longer

Among many emotional moments during the pandemic, the public’s outpouring of support for health care professionals has been among the most moving. Few positives have come out of this tragic time, but dedicated health care professionals being lauded by their communities is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, the public’s appreciation for healthcare workers may be short-lived. Smart leadership teams are focused on effective employee engagement ideas to sustain their teams during this trying time. While support from the outside is heartwarming, experience tells us that gratitude and support expressed from inside is more important. Smart leaders are looking for employee engagement ideas that will have a lasting impact on workplace culture after the current crisis has passed. Now is the time for health care leaders

Has there ever been a single management practice that has promised to solve more problems than rounding? Especially in the realm of patient experience improvement, leadership teams often turn to various interpretations of rounding — including “purposeful rounding” — as the silver bullet to turn around lagging CAHPS scores. More often than not, they are disappointed. So, is leadership rounding an ineffective strategy? Hardly. But like so many management principles, the magic is in the why and how we implement the practice. Rounding has been tagged with many different monikers, including LEAN’s “gemba walk” and Hewlett and Packard’s “management by walking around.” But more important than what we call the practice, all successful, purposeful leadership rounding approaches have one thing in common. They are about

“Another meeting?!” It’s a frustration we hear often, especially in health care provider organizations. And for good reason. Meetings are often held for the wrong reasons, are poorly planned and can be just plain boring. But when they are inclusive, open and well-planned, department staff meetings can be one of the most powerful places to cultivate teamwork and trust across and with a team. Like so many long-standing, accepted management practices, the magic and key to success is in the how and why we deploy them. First, if managers believe that the primary purpose of a team meeting is to share information, they will likely continue to be disappointed in the lukewarm reception they get from their staff. Too many department meetings consist of 55