In a decade of healthcare consulting work with organizations of all sizes we have seen very few that are designed in a manner that makes cross-departmental communication easy. In fact, the design of most healthcare systems necessitates artful coordination to implement successful enterprise-wide initiatives.
Often, a system’s various departments are located in different buildings and sometimes on different campuses. An organization’s IT department could be located in an office park miles from the Finance team, who may work in corporate headquarters. Nursing leadership can be spread out across the system. In larger systems, key people may be located in different states.
This design makes casual, in-person conversations and impromptu, face-to-face meetings virtually impossible. For most organizations these unscheduled, “water cooler” meetings help develop cross-departmental camaraderie and serve as the vehicle for quick updates and points of clarification.
For an organization to be effective its various departments must communicate. No matter how well each department is in tune with itself, the orchestration of departments not on the same page creates a cacophony of inefficiency.
If the key to achieving organizational goals is effective cross-departmental communication then how can health organizations overcome their time and physical constraints?
So much of a team’s success depends on the relationships they build, the understanding they have of each other’s processes, and the empathy they are able to develop with each other’s concerns. This happens more easily when people are face to face.
With the understanding that these meetings can be a logistical nightmare, we encourage our healthcare consulting clients to kick off projects in person to get started on the right foot and give the initiative the weight it deserves. Subsequent meetings can be handled via phone or video.
The important thing to remember when scheduling these meetings and calls is to make the most out of your time together. Here are three ways to ensure you get the most from your meetings:
- Respect people’s time, and understand human nature
Despite the multitasking we all seem to constantly do, people actually work best when they focus on one thing for a short period of time. Keep this in mind when scheduling your meetings and setting your agendas. It is natural to want to accomplish as much as possible since the scheduling of meetings can be difficult. However, effective cross-departmental meetings shouldn’t entail a laundry list of issues. Instead, focus on a single, or a few major issues relative to the initiative. Ask yourself, “What’s the main objective of the meeting?” “What are we trying to accomplish?” Answer that, then put your focus there. This approach will not drain those in the meeting and will not dissuade them from taking part in future meetings. - Limit the size of the meeting – invite only the key stakeholders
Let’s face it, meetings are an interruption, regardless of the importance of the initiative. Often, individuals are invited to a meeting as a courtesy, or to keep them in the loop. This is a nice sentiment, but honestly, there is nothing courteous about interrupting someone’s day to come to a meeting they are not going to be an active participant in. Rather, only invite those who are fundamental to that particular step in the process. Controlling the size of a meeting is one way to ensure it stays on target, and generates the desired outcomes. - Keep the contributors and others involved in the process informed
While it’s helpful to keep meetings small (and as short as possible), it is imperative to keep those individuals involved in the initiative informed both of the progress being made, and what is coming down the pipeline. Formal meeting notes or a WIP (work in progress) report should be sent to contributors so they can stay up to date. It is the responsibility of those in the meetings to speak with their teams about the topics the meeting will cover ahead of time. This way they can present the issues their team foresees, concerns they may have, or ideas they have come up with.
The future success of healthcare in our country is dependent on organizations developing an enterprise philosophy. Barriers between departments must come down and we must all adopt new ways of thinking with regard to the efficient and effective use of our time. This pivot will be hard at first, but it will and must become second nature. By combining the skills and ideas of various departments and learning how to better communicate, hospitals will be able to implement sustainable positive changes.
To learn more about how your organization can create cross-departmental teams and implement effective enterprise labor strategies email me at jackie.larson@avantas.com.