More Success Less Stress Tip #1:Lead Your Team Lead with Appreciation Not Expectation
One way for doctors to find themselves stressed out, frustrated, and overwhelmed is trying to do it all, or delegating and expecting it to be done the way you would do it. That is certainly a formula for disappointment.
Success is a team sport. Appreciating the team members and their gifts, talents, and resources enhances workflow and positively impacts productivity and patient outcomes.
Here’s what’s possible when teams work.
During an evening shift it came to my attention that an outpatient needed a clinic appointment. It was after hours and the clinic was closed. My available resources allowed me to see the available appointments in the computer but not did provide the access to schedule the appointment. …STRESS…
I mapped out two different solutions: I could wait 1 hour after my shift until the clinic opened to speak with the designated person or I could call back after my shift and hope to reach the person who could help me. …STRESS…
Both scenarios felt uncertain and stressful. I would have to stay after working 24 hours and try to navigate the clinic system that I was unfamiliar with and the clinic staff was unfamiliar with me. …STRESS…
I wanted the process to be easy, stress-free and ensure that the patient was directed to the right clinic.
So what was I to do?
I asked for help and received it. I was directed to the team member who was well known to the clinic and familiar with the system. In a matter of minutes the new appointment was made and the family was notified.
Leveraging the support of the team is an underutilized strategy to maximize success and minimize stress.
As physician we work in teams. We rely on our teams. But we often miss the value that team members contribute to our success. They have access to people and resources that we don’t that make us more efficient, productive, and reduce stress.
When we lead our teams from the energy of appreciating their contributions rather than simply expecting them to do their job, everything shifts.
People are willing to help.
Teams operate cohesively.
Success triumphs over stress.
