Importance of a Team Building and Communications - Assignment Example

? Team building and communications proposal Individuals in every place of work mention issues concerning building the team and performing a task as a team, but only a number of them understand how to develop team work experience or how to create an effective team. Being part of a team, in a wider sense, is an outcome of a feeling that one is part of something greater than himself or herself. One ought to understand the objectives or mission of the organization in which he or she works. Communication is a relevant tool in team-building. Communication is the process of exchanging ideas and information between two people or passing the information or ideas to several people. Effective communication exists only if the person to receive the idea or information comprehends what the sender purposed to transmit (Heathfield, 2007). The members of the work groups in Kasair Children’s Hospital need to believe in their capability to deal with problems; they should also have a positive attitude towards their tasks and trust one another. By doing so, they can identify areas that require improvement and do resource reallocation for the same. Mostly, teams that are effective are always self-evident since they generate results with high quality. In healthcare, the results include stability or competence for the healthcare teams themselves, and improved patient consistency and ending. According to research, teams performing tasks, in togetherness, in environments with high risks and work intensity tend to make lesser mistakes as compared to independent individuals. There is a sturdy link between qualities such as resistance to stress, flexibility, morale, adaptability, retention and cohesion with effective team performance (Clements et al, 2007). Some of the key elements found in effective healthcare work groups include; Responsibility- one is required to offer his or her contribution and accomplish the task assigned to him or her as per the demand of the healthcare (Heathfield, 2007) Reliance- individuals are expected to help one another to learn and complete the projects assigned to them (Heathfield, 2007) Relationship- in team work, people need to encourage one another; share information, discuss learning strategies, exchange viewpoints and form good partnerships. Everyone is also expected to show acceptance to various personalities (Heathfield, 2007) Respect- one should be sensitive to the needs, positions and feelings of each other. Members of a team should also be committed to the assigned project (Heathfield, 2007) Reflection- every team member should be aware of; How much one has contributed to the team How well the assigned project has become done How much progress or development the team has made, and How well one has communicated with other team members (Heathfield, 2007) Conflict within a team can be as a result of communication barriers. Hindrances to effective communication can interfere with the message and the purpose of the message being transmitted, and this may cause the communication process to fail or result to an undesirable effect (Bluestein, 2001). Kosair Children’s Hospital’s work groups or teams may fail to communicate effectively due to the following obstacles; Physical barriers- these are barriers which exist as a result of the environment’s nature. For example, the work groups, which exist in Kosair Children’s Hospital, may fail to communicate effectively since they operate from different buildings and even sites. The noise around and within the hospital is also a distraction to effective communication (Bluestein, 2001) Attitudinal barriers- these barriers are caused by the problems with an organization’s staff. If the management of Kosair hospital becomes poor, then it means consultation with employees will not exist thus, ineffective communication. Similarly, personality conflicts and lack of motivation may also result to ineffective communication (Bluestein, 2001) System design faults- these are problems facing an organization in terms of its structures and systems. If the organizational structure of Kosair hospital is unclear, then the team members will not know who to communicate with or to concerning an issue in the team (Bluestein, 2001) Ambiguity of phrases or words- words, which have different meanings or those that sound too strong to comprehend, may cause an effective communication to fail (Bluestein, 2001) Physiological barriers- these barriers may be effected by the personal discomfort of an individual due to ill health, hearing problems or poor eyesight (Bluestein, 2001) Individual linguistic ability- inappropriate or difficult words may prevent the recipients from getting each other. Messages should be explained well, and in a way that they understood, otherwise, communication may be unsuccessful (Bluestein, 2001) In order for effective and coordinated care to exist, a team must have an appropriate mechanism or technique for exchange of ideas and information. Majorly, this demands for space, time and regular opportunity for team members to come together and discuss patient issues. An ultimate system for communication among interdisciplinary team involves (Clements et al, 2007); A record system that is well designed A forum scheduled on regular basis, for team individuals to discuss patient management matters A forum scheduled regularly for members to converse about and assess team function and progress, and to deal with the related interpersonal problems, and A mechanism that can facilitate message transmission between a team and the external system in which it (the team) operates Communication techniques such as listening, acknowledging, recommending appropriate treatment, explaining perceptions, negotiating agreement, and discussing the similarities and differences in opinions or views are essential in enhancement of unity in work groups or teams. Application of these techniques can help to resolve the conflicts that might arise in the teams (Clements et al, 2007) There are various ways which a leader can use to enhance proper communication within departments and prevent conflicts. The CEO can; Evaluate the problem or conflict. Improvement of communication within departments is possible; being aware of the specific problems in those departments is the finest strategy that can be used to cause improvement. The leader should seek and acquire information from each person within the department (Russell, 2008) Make communication the key goal. Despite proper communication skills being vital for a department, to function well, the relevance of communication is repeatedly ignored when a department makes its priorities (Russell, 2008) Create a conflict-resolution procedure. A leader ought to act when colleagues are in silent moods or when they purposely despise one another. Develop a policy to intervene severe conflicts. Encourage workers to act professionally (Russell, 2008) Clarify on the most vital information. Use the information collected during the process of evaluation. Take note of the information that has failed to be communicated and find the reasons for the same (Russell, 2008) Come up with a strategy for apparent communication. To make sure that there is no breakdown and confusion in the communication chain, every person must be lucid about his or her responsibilities of communication. Know and understand the kind of information the employees are accountable for and the person to be given the information. Make available the guidelines to the workers and colleagues (Russell, 2008), and Persuade each person to participate. Every worker should know that his or her involvement is significant. Let the colleagues from the various levels cooperate. The Chief Executive Officer should also organize department events in which people come together in a social context (Russell, 2008). Every organization should develop and apply the strategies necessary to avoid recurring of conflicts. Leaders should also develop ways that can be used to prevent or avoid conflict within an organization’s team. Some of the strategies and ways of avoiding or preventing conflicts include (Bluestein, 2001); Encourage interaction and respect to one another without basing on disempowerment, fear or manipulation Create environment that is oriented to success and reward Try to accommodate the desires, demands or needs of other persons When a leader considers his or her needs, he or she should also put in mind the needs of the employees. A leader should develop ways in which his or her needs can get met and still accommodate other people’s needs If an individual seems to go contrary to what he or she is supposed to do, then talk to him or her as a leader. Lamentations or using a third-person party to solve the issue at hand may only complicate matters Do not make judgments about the feelings or reactions of persons or their right to be upset. Defy the urge to distract them, do away with their feelings, or even get involved in other negative behaviors (shaming, enmeshing, blaming, attacking, or asking them to oppose their feelings Restructure the environments that are reactive to environments that are proactive Upon responding towards an issue, insist on positive performance and achievement Teamwork, when developed by inter-professional alliance, could result to a number of benefits. Although the relation is distant from definitive, it seems team composition and teamwork could cause constructive impacts, especially in safety and quality. The effects include building cohesion, improving patient care quality, dealing with workload issues, and lowering healthcare professional’s burnout (Clements et al, 2007). Reference Clements, D, et al. (2007). Effective teamwork in healthcare: Research and reality, p. 26-34. Retrieved from: http://www.longwoods.com/content/18669 Russell, R. (2008). How to improve department communication. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/how_6187881_improve-department-communication.html Heathfield, S. M. (2007). Twelve tips for team building. Retrieved from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm Bluestein, J. (2001). Conflict prevention and conflict resolution: strategies. Retrieved from: http://www.janebluestein.com/handouts/conflict.html Read More