How might health care leaders establish trust and loyalty in their health care organization? What strategies might health care leaders employ in order to assert themselves as responsible for and capable of leading change forward?
As a current or future health care executive, your ability to articulate motivation, moving a path forward, and leading change will be necessary to ensure the success of your health care organization. A successful health care executive must be mindful of the perceptions of his or her staff and how to best address trust and loyalty when organizing new changes in health care delivery.
For this Discussion, review the mini-case as presented in Chapter 5 of Dye & Garman (2015). Reflect on the case and consider how you, as a current or future health care executive might support or oppose strategic change.
Full Answer Section
Health care leaders can assert themselves as responsible for and capable of leading change forward by:
- Developing a clear vision for the future of the organization. This vision should be based on the organization's strengths and opportunities, and it should be something that staff can believe in.
- Communicating the vision to staff and getting their buy-in. This means explaining the rationale for change, the benefits of change, and the role that staff will play in making change happen.
- Empowering staff to make decisions and take action. This means giving staff the authority to make decisions that affect their work. It also means providing them with the resources and training they need to make good decisions.
In the mini-case presented in Chapter 5 of Dye & Garman (2015), the health care executive, Dr. Smith, is considering a strategic change that would involve merging with another hospital. Dr. Smith is concerned about how this change will be perceived by staff, and she is worried that they will not trust her leadership.
I believe that Dr. Smith can address these concerns by following the strategies outlined above. First, she needs to be transparent and honest with her staff about the reasons for the proposed merger. She needs to explain that the merger is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the organization. She also needs to be clear about how the merger will affect staff, both positively and negatively.
Second, Dr. Smith needs to get the buy-in of her staff. This means explaining the benefits of the merger to staff and answering their questions. It also means involving staff in the planning process for the merger.
Third, Dr. Smith needs to empower staff to make decisions and take action
. This means giving staff the authority to make decisions that affect their work. It also means providing them with the resources and training they need to make good decisions.
By following these strategies, Dr. Smith can increase the chances that her staff will trust her leadership and support the proposed merger.
In addition to the strategies outlined above, Dr. Smith could also consider the following:
- Holding town hall meetings to discuss the proposed merger with staff. This would give staff a chance to ask questions and express their concerns.
- Creating a communication plan to keep staff informed about the progress of the merger. This plan should include regular updates on the merger, as well as opportunities for staff to provide feedback.
- Creating a transition team to help manage the merger. This team should include representatives from both hospitals, as well as staff from other departments within the organization.
By taking these steps, Dr. Smith can increase the chances that the proposed merger will be successful.