What are some effective ways to build a positive company culture as a healthcare leader?

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Start building a company culture with vision. A compelling vision motivates people to work and aspire for building a better future. Company values and processes come out clear and repeated articulation of the vision.

Encourage open dialogue and feedback from your team. Implement regular surveys, suggestion boxes, or town hall meetings where team members can freely express themselves.

In addition to clearly stating goals and aspirations, it is important that the communication of these values and vision demonstrate self-awareness and empathy. This helps to improve team dynamics and build a collaborative and innovative workplace. Such a culture prioritizes the well-being of its employees, which in turn reflects in the quality of patient care.

Consistently embodying their vision and values, top healthcare leaders weave a compelling narrative that resonates with employees, fostering camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose. Regular communication of these values ensures alignment across all levels, ensuring that everyone understands their role in driving the organisation forward. Empowering teams to engage in meaningful decision-making processes fosters trust, inclusivity, and collective ownership of the organisation's success. Ultimately, healthcare leaders who cultivate a positive culture pave the way for superior patient care and organisational resilience.

Invest in the ongoing growth and development of your team. Offer opportunities for professional training, workshops, and educational courses that align with their roles.

Empower team members with the tools they need to effectively perform their jobs (including knowledge as knowledge is power), then step back and let them perform. Stop with the micro managing; don't; just don't. There's no need for constant check-ins as long as the staff know that you are available, ready and willing to help when they get stuck.

Encourage your team to appreciate and leverage the different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints that each member brings. This approach not only enriches problem-solving and decision-making processes but also enhances empathy among team members.

It is important to create an ecosystem where diverse perspectives are valued and interdisciplinary teams can thrive. By integrating a cross-functional approach, leaders can foster innovation and problem-solving, ensuring that the collective expertise of various departments contributes to patient care. This approach aligns with modern leadership principles that emphasize inclusivity and collective wisdom for growth and success.

Recognizing excellence always makes people feel seen. - Make it a point to personally thank team members when you see them going above and beyond. A little recognition can go a long way. - Celebrate wins and milestones, both big and small. Take time at staff meetings or in emails to highlight recent achievements. - Get to know your staff on an individual level. Recognize important events in their personal lives like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations etc. - Encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Create opportunities for team members to recognize each other's great work through awards, shoutouts or simple thank you's.

Think about the effect that toxic team members have on a team. Manage these folks out ASAP! Toxic employees will ruin a culture, destroying your best workers along the way.