Improving leadership communication is critical to retaining healthcare workers. Physicians cannot address the great challenges plaguing the entire healthcare industry, but they can improve the lives of healthcare workers who have made many sacrifices over the past four years.
“Leadership has always been an important tool in improving working conditions for clinicians, and it is imperative that we pay attention to it now, as we face a health system crisis due to burnout and turnover.” “I feel that way,” said Dr. Amy Young, a professor at Ross University and an expert on leadership and communication. University of Michigan Business School in Ann Arbor. “The opportunity was always there.”
Dr. Young and her colleagues have published two books that examine how improving leadership communication can solve some of the challenges currently facing the healthcare industry, including talent shortages, burnout, and turnover. published a paper. They write that positive leadership communication can be an effective tool to reduce burnout and turnover.
According to Dr. Young, leaders should prioritize meeting employees’ psychological needs such as affirmation, inclusion, and appreciation for their contributions. In doing so, you can foster a healthier, more productive work environment and increase employee engagement and loyalty. Leadership at all levels, from managers to executives, can make employees feel valued. She said leaders need to seek open communication, transparency and genuine connection, both in day-to-day interactions and through broader formal communication channels.
Dr. Young said the need for medical intervention was clear even before the pandemic. Existing approaches to combating burnout and turnover have primarily focused on reducing workloads, ensuring more flexible work schedules, and increasing compensation. However, ongoing staffing and funding shortages in medical centers and hospitals make it difficult to implement these approaches in practice.
Currently, Dr. Young said, most conversations in the workplace are often transactional and primarily focused on conveying information to manage patients. But employees want a workplace where they feel a sense of purpose and meaningful connections with others. “Never underestimate your power to positively influence others simply by choosing to treat your co-workers with kindness and compassion. Positive leadership interventions can help you treat your co-workers well while , it just showed me how to lead and get things done,” she said.
It is theorized that humans are evolutionarily hardwired to require interactions that go beyond simple transactions. According to Dr. Young, words and nonverbal gestures that convey to others that they are affirmed, valued, and belong to a social group satisfy a basic psychological need.
Dr. Young says leaders who are concerned about the well-being of their employees can benefit from leadership training, and argues that when leaders recognize the humanity of their employees, they can achieve exceptional engagement and unwavering loyalty. .
Leaders at all levels influence whether employees feel valued. According to Dr. Young, it’s often the day-to-day interactions that are important to bosses and managers. If you’re an executive, you can learn how to express your gratitude through communication channels like blogs and videos. Understanding how to be honest, transparent, and personable is essential.
“Leadership is extremely important, perhaps more than ever,” says Sam R. Patel, M.D., founder and partner of Astra Culture in Chicago, Illinois. Astra Culture is a consulting firm that advises clinics on establishing medical spas and implementing cash-based services. service. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to retain team members in all roles within the healthcare industry, from nurses to front desk receptionists. Today, employees are looking for more than just a good paycheck.”
“Strong leadership is essential to recognize these needs and make decisions that prioritize employee well-being, including offering competitive pay, opportunities for growth, and a balanced lifestyle. “Leaders need to ensure that employees feel valued, offer opportunities for advancement, and provide a supportive and balanced work environment to prevent high turnover,” Dr. Patel said. I did.
Managers need to be mindful of how some of their decisions impact employees across the organization. For example, changes in reporting structures or new employment policies may have an unintended negative impact on employees. Managers can unknowingly give the impression that they don’t care about their employees. “For private practices, it is essential to focus on both competitive pay and benefits to retain staff,” Dr. Patel said. “This includes providing health benefits, vacation, maternity and paternity leave, and professional growth opportunities.Today’s employees value work-life balance, and providing comprehensive benefits and I am willing to accept a slightly lower salary if it provides a supportive work environment.”
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“Never underestimate your power to positively impact others simply by choosing to treat your co-workers with kindness and compassion.”
It is most important to have regular conversations about how your employees are doing. Employees may be reluctant to share how they are struggling for fear of negative repercussions. Whether quitting quietly or actively, employees who are struggling are less effective, Dr. Young says. By asking your employees how they’re doing, you have the potential to share important insights that make a difference in healthcare.
This article was originally published in Nephrology and Urology News
