COR has been involved in staff resiliency for many years. Healthcare in particular poses a host of issues for staff to work through and for leadership to attend to — and that is during the best of times. Blend in a pandemic, a limited workforce, role changes and generally exhausted employees, and that can be a recipe for disaster.
Prepare them for change
“Hey Melissa! Great news — I know you were hired for one role, but now you are being VOLUNTOLD to serve in a completely different one. Ready, go!”
During times of stress and chaos we tend to find our best and most reliable employees, those who rise to a challenge, and then throw them into the deep end without a life preserver. Perhaps a crash course on how to swim, and where the lifeguard is located, is in order. Time is of the essence, but you would be surprised what simply asking an employee to do something, versus telling, and spending a few hours on preparation, can do for your outcome.
Create a workplace culture that makes up for the chaos
Temperature checks, staffing shortages, additional PPE, role changes — all are out of your control. Policies must be followed and staff have been asked to adapt to a whole new way of working. What doesn’t have to change is your workplace culture. Each of your employees should feel safe at work, feel like they have a voice, and above all feel supported by you.
Say thank you — often, and in person
A blanket email saying how wonderful everyone is, a monetary bonus, an Employee of the Month highlight. Is that enough? Have you asked? Nothing replaces a face-to-face, sit-down, genuine thank you for all you have done for this organization. When supervisors take the time to know which employees are showing up every day, the gratitude is relayed.
Listen to their suggestions
Did you hear the one about the manager who created an amazing plan of action without any input from frontline staff? I’ll cut to the ending — it didn’t turn out well.
As consultants we are experts in process and strategy, and we pride ourselves on guiding clients to a process that fits their organization. But we never do this without input from those most impacted. Allow your staff to use their voice, then take action and let them know improvements were made because of them.
Help your staff keep their cups full
Healthcare staff are focused on caring for others — it is what they learned in school and why they chose this career. We are asking these employees to stretch and give and go above and beyond every single day. They are pouring themselves into your organization even when they are running on empty.
One of the most important things you can do as a manager is encourage your staff to take care of themselves, so they have something left to pour from.
