"Technology does not run an enterprise; relationships do." - Patricia Fripp

 Photo by Simon Mumenthaler on Unsplash

We humans need to feel appreciated, and heard, in order to effectively do our work. Heck, we need to feel appreciated, and heard, to make it through a day!  When our physicians are telling the world that 65% of them wish they had never chosen practicing medicne as a profession, and are suffering from the symptoms of burnout on a daily basis, we leaders need to react to that. 

Physicians are humans too. They feel the same need to feel connected to the organization and those around them that are making decisions that affect their work. 

As a leader, you cannot affect the fact that physicians are now being asked to change their daily practice at an alarming rate, and they are affected by outside factors that limit their ability to practice medicine as they have always wanted to . 

You cannot fix the government for them. You can, however, take a bite of the elephant that overwhelms them, and assist them to problem solve with you. One problem at a time. One day at a time. 

You may have implemented rounding, or meeting with your employees 1:1, and have seen the enormous benefit to this. Consider rounding on physicians to relationship build with them! 

Physician rounding is very similar to employee rounding. I was so fortunate in my career as a frontline leader to have two specialties I worked in with my own physicians. I ran an Inpatient Oncology department and an ED. My physicians were the same group of doctors that worked with my staff every, single day. I wanted to be seen as a collaborator with them. I let them know that I viewed them as leaders in my department as well. They had just as much responsibility as I did in creating an amazing work environment for the staff.

Leaders across the country are beginning to get their annual Employee Satisfaction survey results. This survey is sent out to employees once a year, and measures how they rate their roles and responsibilities, the work environment, and their experiences with management. The score that leaders are often measured by are their employees engagement scores. Does it matter if your employees are engaged? One word, YES!

"This is true with any culture; communication shapes culture, and culture shapes communication."  Paula Alejandra

We have taught leaders how to round with their employees hundreds of times. We have emphasized the point that there is no greater way to create a great work environment with positive and happy people than to put forth some effort in building relationships with them.

 I was reflecting on work environments as I was struggling and yanking and pulling weeds out of my flower garden recently. Thinking “Where do they come from? “ “How do they pop up all of a sudden when I am not looking?”  And WHY are they bigger than my beautiful nursery perennials???

Consider how weeds work ….. They spend most of their time spreading under the surface of your garden. They spread through a network of roots that build strength below the surface just before bursting through your careful prepared soil and growing out of control.

The same can be said of passively dis-engaged employees. In front of you, or others leaders, they may appear to be the perfect nurse or technician. However , they are building strength by planting a seed of doubt in your employee minds.  " Why did she leave early today? Must be nice to make your own hours". " Why do we have to chart like this? Doesn't he know that we have enough to do without ll of his new rules?"