at Mount Sinai Health System

In an age of accelerated growth in technology and electronic resources, our ability to communicate has never been easier, faster and more explosive with farther reach. With the speed and availability of different ways of communicating, one would think that we have gained an edge in helping to solve some of healthcare’s most chronic and persistent problems. The advance in technology and artificial intelligence has certainly enabled us to do our jobs differently and more creatively than ever before. Somewhere in the middle of all this, adaptions have been made to work predominately through this medium as opposed to the tried and true method of communicating and solving problems person to person, face to face, team to team. How many of us received a flurry of daily emails, texts, messages through other applications which require no direct human connection?

I’m grateful to be able to use these mediums above and others not listed as a quick and easy way to communicate; however, nothing beats communicating and creating engagement with your frontline staff by meeting them where they are in person - on the floors, in labs, in operating rooms,, at pharmacies, in stock rooms, or any other clinical space in a healthcare organization. I’ve always been a fan of doing the Gemba, the Japanese term for "actual place”, often used for any place where value-creating work actually occurs.

Creating high yield engagement and trust starts with your physical presence in the unit, area, department, or space where your team is located. Nothing can help build trust faster and accelerate your progress than seeing your team in person and spending time observing, taking notes, providing feedback, and soliciting real time suggestions. Openness and looping back is a return on investment that is invaluable! Staff value our presence as leaders and more than that, they want back and forth dialogue on feedback and suggestions they have provided. This can happen in a variety of different ways through town halls, staff meetings, open doors, and other forums where you can directly communicate in person.

"Creating high yield engagement and trust starts with your physical presence in the unit, area, department, or space where your team is located."

Bidirectional communication creates a level of mutual respect and professionalism that will enable you to engage on a different level. Even when you do not have an answer or you cannot solve the problem they have brought to your attention, it’s critically important to always come back to colleagues and let them know where that problem or idea sits in the queue. People want to know that they’ve been heard and that someone is working on addressing their concerns. This does not mean every issue gets solved or every idea gets implemented, but it creates a level of transparency and engagement that is critical to building trust and doing hard and complex work together.

Healthcare is experiencing a significant amount of turbulence all across the country and as leaders, we have to continue the hard work of creating high performing and engaged team members so they can see that their contributions are making a difference. The benefits of a highly engaged team understanding their “why” and their “purpose” results in our patients getting the best absolute care possible and our hospitals continuing to deliver care to vulnerable and fragile communities who depend on us for their well-being. My experience in creating high performing teams has always started with focusing on engaging my workforce in a way that is mutually beneficial to their growth and success while also doing everything possible in creating an impactful experience for our patients and families.