Far From Perfect
I'm not the perfect manager. There... I've said it. While there will most certainly be a collective celebration in agreement with this statement from some of my staff, the reality is that it's true. I don't claim to be perfect, nor do I ever expect to be. While I do work hard everyday to hone my skills as a manager and leader, the truth is it takes years of practice and dedication to your trade to even come close. This reality slapped me right in the face this week as I met with my medical director.
At 2:00pm sharp, I walked confidently into his office prepared to speak to a handful of pressing issues. Not fifteen seconds into the meeting, I found myself smack dab in the middle of a crucial conversation... Only this time I was on the receiving end.
"So what's going on in the department?" he said. "I'm hearing some rumblings from the staff that are a little concerning to me."
"Could you elaborate?" I asked.
"I'm just sensing that the staff doesn't have a vested commitment into some of the changes you're implementing in the ICU. You and I both know that the direction you're taking them is best for patient care, it's just that you're never going to get them where they need to be if they don't feel like they're part of the process. You've got to make them believe that the direction you're going is a decision driven from their own beliefs and convictions. If they believe that you're the driver of this bus and that they're just along for the ride, you'll never secure their commitment to the changes."
I've always struggled in this area. After all...I'm a reactionary type of guy. If I see an opportunity for improvement, I'm ready to move on it now. At times I become very impatient and even frustrated when the process moves along too slowly.
A few months ago, our department attempted to form a shared governance committee in which the ownership of the department would be turned over to the employees. No longer would administrative decisions be made in a silo, but rather in conjunction with department shareholders. Committee meetings would be lead by a staff therapist, management's involvement would only take place on an ad-hoc basis. The first meeting went well... about 15% of the department's 45 employees showed up. Attendance at the second meeting fell significantly, and by the third meeting, the only person in attendance was the employee leading the group, now trying to figure out what to do with the two large pizzas she had purchased for the meeting.
I understand that it's human nature for people to ride the fence. Most people won't engage themselves into a process until they see that is has prolonged and sustained success. If employees don't see immediate results, they'll become disengaged and uninvolved. Hence, the vicious cycle begins.
Once a manager sees that their overtures to include staff into shared decision-making have failed, it's easy to fall into the trap that I did.
"If they don't want to participate, someone's got to make decisions to move the department forward... It might as well be me," I said to myself.
Once this happens, the staff becomes further and further disconnected; and the cycle continues.
I write this blog with the hope and intention that we can learn from each other. If you're a manager with expertise in this area, I would ask that you weigh in on the subject. It's of my opinion that this is one of the most difficult issues a manager has to deal with. Let's break the cycle today...