Public health care, in fact the public sector as a whole is wrought with high rates of absenteeism, decreased productivity and quality, and may I say, a less-than-healthy work force? The kind of stress caused by the very nature of the environment and consequence in which they work creates a vicious cycle of mental, physical and emotional illness if left unchecked.
The first thing to understand is that the situation is systemic. There’s no ‘one’ reason, and there’s no ‘quick fix’. There are a huge number of factors that have led to this environment. It’s also worthy of note that every developed country on the planet — United States, Australia, the UK, among others – are experiencing similar issues.
The good news is, the cycle can be broken and the ship can be turned. We need to look to the research coming from the Neurosciences to begin to understand why today’s health care work environment affects so many the way it does. Then we need to develop our leaders so they have the knowledge and understanding necessary to help themselves and others stop the flood of stress hormones … resulting in a healthier workforce — physically, mentally and emotionally. One such skill is the skill of Positive Presence™. Positive Presence is a new and deliberate way of thinking and behaving that makes the connection between human energy and behaviour, and is easily practiced and developed right on the job. For many, it is just a lot of common sense, but for others it is a slow and gentle process that requires the help of both team mates and leaders.
It is important therefore for today’s health organizations – and all organizations for that matter – to ensure they are providing their leaders, and their workforce as a whole, with the necessary tools and knowledge to overcome the cycle of absenteeism.
CORPORATE HARMONY is grateful to Dr. Michael E. Frisina for his contributions to this entry.
The health care industry is undeniably one of the most complex and chaotic industries on the planet, and working in it is no less complex and chaotic.
As leaders, we need to focus on forming teams that can perform amid the complexity and chaos of today’s work environment –a team whose members have behavioural competencies, including interpersonal skills that enhance each other’s’ performance. It has been proven over and over again that technical expertise alone will not suffice to advance the goals of the team. Excellent outcomes are the product of good people working together in harmony; the good “best practices” process is a secondary factor in the success. 
We have all heard throughout our lives the importance and value of teamwork. Even as children, on sports teams and in school, we have consistently been influenced by the concept of teamwork. So how do we take these long held beliefs that teamwork is more effective in driving performance and apply it to the workplace? Especially, if we are working in a workplace where ‘healthy’ competition (the antithesis of teamwork) is rewarded. Is it really possible to bring teamwork to such an environment? The answer is, yes!
The fastest way to derail any collaborative efforts in an organization is an individual leader’s negative behaviour. Over time, negative experiences erode a leader’s influence. This is particularly true for leaders who give plenty of lip service to forging effective relationships but do nothing to advance that cause. These leaders ignore or do not seek feedback, do not listen to others or share information with them, micro manage their staff, allow their emotions to control them, take accomplishments for granted, and offer more criticism than aid and resources. None of these behaviours is conducive to making and sustaining connections. They breed cynicism, distrust, and resistance to change, even those behaviours that improve organizational functioning. Worse they can bring productivity to a screeching halt. In health care, these repercussions have devastating effects on patient quality and care. 
Today’s complexity, ambiguity and rapid change bring with it the realization that in today’s knowledge-based organizations, and particularly healthcare organizations, it is difficult – or more accurately, impossible — for any one leadership group, on its own, to achieve organizational goals such as safe, high-quality performance, accompanied by financial sustainability, community service, and ethical behaviour. An all-wise governing body, an exceptionally competent chief executive and senior managers, and even staff composed of Nobel Prize-winning employees cannot, each on their own, achieve safe, high-quality care, let alone meet all of the goals. 
Organizations still entrenched in the dated command and control leadership paradigm and “we work alone – rock star” mentality, struggle to compete against organizations that embrace a culture of collaboration. Peak performing organizations embrace collaboration, creating engaged employees in a culture where the work and goals are interdependent, and the leaders are self-aware, other-centered, and connected in highly effective relationships. 
Collaboration is a partnership between people and or groups intended to generate a product or achieve a singular objective that is mutually beneficial to all parties involved. In today’s market one of the most critical ways leaders can generate performance is to start fostering collaboration among all members of an organization. Collaboration tends to move forward any kind of work or goal faster than any other approach because it is powered by skills, knowledge, expertise, experience, and insight of many people, not just one person. 
If you asked someone how they are doing, how different do you feel based upon the response between them saying, “I am good” or “I am great?” Now apply that to business or health care, if I asked you how is your business and you said “good,” as opposed to “we are doing great.” Can you feel the difference in what you hear? 
When you think about leadership attributes, is your list heavy on technical elements but light on behaviour and relationship skills.? It is a fact, that behaviour and relationship skills bring out the technical competencies and enable the job to be done well. At higher levels of leadership (e.g., chief executives), technical skills are less important than behaviour competency and relationship-building acumen. The reason for that is the work of senior leaders is more strategic than operational.