Dr. Jaason Geerts is the director of research and leadership development at the Canadian College of Health Leaders and an honorary visiting fellow at University of London’s Bayes Business School. Dr. Verna Yiu is the past president and CEO of Alberta Health Services.Across sectors, including, we broke the workplace mould during the pandemic, proving that we can adapt quickly and work effectively in non-traditional ways.
Normally, organizations maintain a business-as-usual approach and it often takes a crisis before they seriously evaluate how they could and should do things differently. But even in such a crisis, reinforcements can only address frenetic short-term problems; until there is systemic change, the bleeding will continue.
This is important, especially as many companies navigate the early stages of returning to the office. The current revolution in work force expectations has orchestrated a perfect storm in which we can optimize performance – but only if we get the people strategy right. Here is what many of those health care leaders told us in our survey.Increasing staff engagement heightens job satisfaction
Productive engagement strategies involve radically transparent decision-making, says Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital president and CEO Julia Hanigsberg: “Explain what you are doing, why and seek advice from staff.” Successful leaders then commit to tangible deliverables and zealously avoid alienating staff with excuses, such as systemic issues, organizational problems and tight budgets. Instead, they flag challenges and devise solutions.
Engaged staff are also more likely to stick around. In every industry, retaining great talent is essential to a sustainable future. Flexibility requires that leaders hold people accountable for performance outcomes, including their impact on teamwork and organizational culture. That accountability requires “having the trust and agency to make decisions, experiment, and innovate, understanding that failures will occur,” says Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council.
I'm the boss and you're my employees. I will do whatever I can within reason to accommodate you, but you need to capitulate to me. If that doesn't work for you, I wish you well in your next endeavor.
Back to your desk slave