Ten Barriers to Creating a Stellar Healthcare Team

Even highly motivated employees who want to improve their performance may hit some roadblocks along the way. Stuart Hearn(1) identifies 10 barriers that employees often face when attempting to level-up their performance and suggests how you can overcome them.

1. Poor work/life balance
   
   The Problem
   Healthcare organizations that encourage a first-in/last-out culture and lunches at desks are doing their employees a great disservice. Leveling up requires focus and energy. Employees need time away from work to rest and recuperate.
   
   What to Do
   Be a leader who “walks the walk,” Hearn says. Model good work/life balance. Leave work at a reasonable time. Take your full annual vacation. Don’t work through lunch. Then, encourage your employees to do the same.
   

2. Toxic work environment
   
   The Problem
   Many problems can create a toxic work environment such as bullying, overworking, and unfairness in the way employees are treated. Toxicity will eat away at employees and be a powerful distraction from their efforts to improve.
   
   What to Do
   Take a hard line with toxic behavior and do not allow it. Be certain that your management policies are administered fairly and consistently. Do not allow anyone to overwork or overstress your employees, or to treat them in any way less than with complete respect.
   

3. Lack of community
   
   The Problem
   Employees spend a great deal of their time at work. They need to feel social bonds and that they are part of a well-functioning team.
   
   What to Do
   Facilitate team-building activities and organize social events for your employees. Do not allow exclusionary behaviors from cliques or individuals.
   

4. Too much red tape
   
   The Problem
   Is it a trial to get even the simplest task completed? Are your employees bogged down by rules and complicated procedures? Red tape can be a huge obstacle to your employee’s productivity and improvement. What to Do
   
   What to Do
   Keep simplicity at the heart of your work processes. Intervene when you identify a rule or process that is needlessly difficult and seek ways to eliminate or streamline it.
   

5. Complicated software
   
   The Problem
   Employees who are constantly struggling to navigate your software will become frustrated. Their productivity and performance will suffer and their patience will be stretched thin.
   
   What to Do
   Make user-friendly, intuitive software a priority. Hearn suggests that you opt for “simple and effective tools” that your employees will enjoy using.
   

6. Few one-on-ones
   
   The Problem
   Employees want to feel that they are individuals, not part of a herd. They crave one-on-one time to discuss their problems, questions, feedback, and professional development.
   
   What to Do
   Develop a system of regular one-on-one performance conversations. Coach employees to ensure that they are “engaged and enthusiastic,” Hearn says.
   

7. Few development opportunities
   
   The Problem
   Employees who believe that they are in a dead-end job are likely to become demotivated. Hearn says, “This will likely result either in an employee who isn’t contributing as much as they have the potential to, or in an employee who will jump ship to explore opportunities elsewhere.”
   
   What to Do
   Offer clear pathways for personal and career advancement, as well as ongoing training and development opportunities both inside and outside your healthcare organization.
   

8. Lack of clarity
   
   The Problem
   Employees cannot aspire to being stellar performers if they don’t know what stellar looks like. They won’t know what to do if you don’t tell them what’s expected of them.
   
   What to Do
   Work collaboratively with your employees to determine their performance goals and the best strategies for achieving them. Be clear about your expectations for their current performance and for their leveling up.
   

9. Lack of alignment with your organization’s goals
   
   The Problem
   Employees who do not understand how and why their efforts are relevant to the organization won’t be motivated to improve. They won’t be able to see how their next-level performance will contribute to the greater good or make anything better.
   
   What to Do
   Be transparent with your employees about your organization’s goals. Help them to connect what they do day in and day out to the bigger picture. Also help them to establish personal and team goals that align with your organization’s goals.
   

10. Lack of employee recognition and reward
    
    The Problem
    Even the most engaged employees can become demotivated and frustrated if their efforts go unacknowledged. Recognition is a huge driver for employee improvement.
    
    What to Do
    Create recognition moments for your employees. A simple thank-you card or social event can provide a needed opportunity for you to recognize your employees’ leveling up efforts and achievements. Never underestimate the power of a simple word of recognition. Praise and thanks can be hugely reinforcing, Hearn says.

Excerpted from Next-Level Healthcare Employees Improving the Performance of a Good Team by Laura Hills, DA.

Reference

1. Hearn S. 10 Barriers to Employee Engagement. Clear Review blog, March 6, 2017. www.clearreview.com/5-reasons-employees-arent-engaged/ .