Part 1 of 4
“No one speaks twice until everyone speaks once.”
If you’ve worked in healthcare long enough, you’ll know there is never one solution. Our healthcare system is complex, and has many interdependencies and barriers to implementation.
Innovations and emerging best practices demand that healthcare respond quickly to improve patient care. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of time to ponder, unravel the world’s mysteries, and then test out multiple hypotheses. Instead, once an issue is identified, we rapidly bring a team together, complete a root cause analysis, and work to solve the problem.
You’ve probably noticed that there is usually one person who is quick to speak up, comes up with a solution that is likely to work, and then the whole team goes straight into the planning stage.
It may sound obvious, but the loudest voice may not always have the best solution. If you want to get the best insights and make sure you’re not missing anything, try to encourage those who haven’t spoken, to speak. The diversity of experiences, skills, and talents in the room will generate a better solution if you create space for more dialogue. It is such a simple concept, but it isn’t easy to put into practice. When working with a team, I do my best to ensure that everyone has a voice at the table.
What else can you do?
If you find that some team members are too anxious or uncomfortable with large group meetings, take time to meet with them beforehand. Listen to what they have to say and ask permission to share— weave their insights when the meeting happens. They will feel heard and encouraged to speak up the next time.
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