How to Build and Maintain a Team

Highly effective teams are born from leaders who communicate clearly and recognize employee productivity. Clear and precise communication starts early in the employee’s journey. It is vitally important for members of the team, or interested candidates, to understand the leader’s vision.  To maximize the potential of each individual, they must first be endowed with big picture goals and direction. 

Big Picture

Whether you are starting a team from scratch or are promoted to an existing team, you must first recognize this: you are the leader.  Associates who are part of your team depend on you to properly illustrate the blueprint foundation.  In healthcare, the starting and end point is always the patient. Clinically, each person taking care of a patient has clearly defined roles, tasks, and clinical practice guidelines to which they must adhere.  Generally speaking, those are things that leaders are already monitoring compliance on and have measurable statistics.  Let’s discuss things that can be done to improve employee satisfaction indirectly, forming the employee into a fully-functioning team member. Teams that work well together in a positive environment will provide better care to the patient while indirectly limiting burnout or job dissatisfaction.  

The Ugly Truth

The first thing to keep in mind is that not all members are going to get along all of the time.  In a group format, make it very clear that no one is required to spend after hours or weekends together with their team members. With that being said, while at work and during business hours, each person will treat one another with a high level of respect and professionalism. There is no wiggle room or leniency on this.  Positivity is key and should be demonstrated daily by the leader.  It is crucial for each person to understand the cancerous effects of badmouthing other team members when they are not around.  Teach the team to take the high road every day and help one another with the tasks at hand.  Volunteering to help, coming in early, staying late, or covering a case when someone needs to get out should be the minimum standard. 

As a leader, keeping your finger on the pulse when it comes to team cohesiveness is critical. During times of affliction, talk to the individual in a closed environment and identify the problem.  If they are having trouble with an employee, make sure they understand that you can deal with the problem in a way that extracts them from the situation. Emphasize the importance of staying positive and provide a time frame for closure or solution.  In certain situations, when dealing with two disgruntled individuals, having a sit-down with both parties can help resolve issues. As the leader, set the tone early in the meeting to signal that this will be a calm and controlled discussion. Let each person speak, one at a time. Listen and write down areas to address after you feel they both have delivered their perspective. 

Delegation and Role Value

Each team member brings something different to the table. Use this to your advantage. Establish individual roles and expectations for each person.  Dividing and assigning the tasks at hand will indirectly require the team to work together and rely on each other. Help them understand the value of each other’s particular roles and that you are not assigning more than anyone’s fair share of work.  Employees without defined roles may tend to feel undervalued at the end of the day. 

When making decisions that affect clinical coverage or work/life balance, allow the team to have an opportunity to give their opinion of the plan.  New or additional work that creates change to current operational norms needs to be discussed as a group.  Achieving buy-in from the majority of the group will minimize negativity associated with new, undesirable tasks. 

Productivity and Recognition

Take the extra step to shine a light on your team in addition to what your employer already does to recognize employees.  Group text messages tend to be received better than email these days. Taking the time to give positive feedback to individuals in a group format will help yield positivity in the workplace.  Above all, it is imperative to lead and represent your team in a way that you would want to be led if you were not in charge.  If you are able to accomplish these recommendations, you will naturally grow and maintain the mental health of your team.