Nemours

Alexander Koster

Over the last 18 months, my team has grown a lot—in number, in functions, in skills, in experience. At the start of 2022, we supported three areas: Operational and Clinical Analytics for population health, Value Contract Analytics and support, and EHR population health configuration (Epic Healthy Planet and Compass Rose). Today, we have added a behavioral health informaticist, a small project management team, two health equity/disparities data experts, a policy expert, a department Admin, and several contractors supporting key strategic areas. We promoted new managers, added new functional responsibilities, and embarked on massive projects. 

One of the challenges my leadership discussed at the beginning of this expansion cycle was how to foster a sense of “team-ness” across the group and develop cross-functional awareness and (when appropriate) expertise. Essentially, how could we grow and still be “us”? Here are some of the approaches we implemented to make this happen:

Invest time in team culture;talk about it;set expectations.

A positive team culture comes from more than a gathering of kind people. A highly functional team understands that “team-ness” takes work and is a product of deliberate effort.   It is a topic all its own and must be promoted from the top.  

Share goals as a team; share wins as a team.

Make at least one annual goal a team goal. We take time to list everything we need to deliver through the year and walk through that list with the whole team.   We celebrate milestones together, regardless of which team achieved them. 

"At the end of 2023, our team finished the year on a high. We met our annual goals for project deliverables, key value metrics support, and presentations and publications"

Everyone can hear what other parts of the team are up to and feel connected to each other’s work.   We allow teams to add accomplishments to that goal as the year progresses and priorities change.

Connect everyone to the mission, particularly when they operate behind the scenes.

Everyone should understand how their work connects to the broader department goals. What is the next team downstream doing with that data/that file/that EHR build? How does it reach the patient, the doctor, and the Associate? How does it connect to our organizational and departmental priorities?

As a leader, set aside time for your new Associates or for folks who are taking on new challenges.

Acknowledge their realities.

Lay out a vision for their development.

Understand their anxieties and needs.

Then, work with your leadership team on a plan. Take that plan outside of your department to your key customers and business partners.  

Ask for help helping your team members overcome challenges.   If an Associate is not working out, these frequent touchpoints prevent surprises.

Set a vision for collaboration and teamwork – show how it can work.

Manage your internal teams up to each other and lay out a vision for collaboration. Encourage cross-team rounding with specific learning goals. What do you want manager A to learn about team B, or person A about person B’s work, etc?

At the end of 2023, our team finished the year on a high. We met our annual goals for project deliverables, key value metrics support, and presentations and publications. Team morale was high despite a very challenging year, and individual team members repeatedly expressed appreciation for the culture we sustained throughout.

I was proud to be able to congratulate each one of my managers on succeeding at our biggest challenge as a team:  We grew, we added new members and functions, and we dealt with wins and losses while still avoiding the trap of “us vs. them” that could have created division and discontent. There is just…us.