How can healthcare staff take ownership of service improvement?

Service improvement also includes making those involved feeling included. Including them on the decision making process and allowing their feedback to be heard, and possibly implemented. When improvements occur make everyone aware, especially those who will be impacted. Taking out time to communicate, discuss, and involve employees will lead to a successful outcome.

Personal responsibility is crucial because it enables people to actively influence their own lives, make their decisions consciously and thus promote their personal growth. It enables individuals to recognize the consequences of their actions and take responsibility for their own actions, which in turn contributes to the development of independence and maturity. Personal responsibility is fundamental for a functioning society, as it not only strengthens confidence in oneself, but also promotes trust and reliability in social relationships.

In my experience, people will only assume ownership in this fashion if they are bought in fully with the vision and values of the business. Unfortunately, turnover in healthcare is so abundant because most practices don’t establish a true vision for their business and therefore don’t hire people that fit that vision. They hire for skill set and experience rather than personality. I have personally hired people that had zero background in healthcare but had value systems that matched our business and we taught them the skills they needed - anyone can learn and EMR or how to verify and insurance plan. But because they were bought in on what the business stood for, ownership came easily and quickly.

Step ONE is to STOP addressing our team as "healthcare staff" ... By using the word TEAM we start creating an environment of collaboration. Step TWO, now that the foundation is in we can build an environment where everyone feels safe to experiment, try and also fail (psychological safety). These are my two MUST-HAVE to develop ownership :-)

Ownership as being a sense of responsibility is something that can drive some employees to do more and strive for success. However, using the word ownership, with some employees, could lead to a downfall in team trust and engagement. From my experience, the word ownership can drive some employees to take control and become isolated, and in doing so they leave others out of the process. Others who haven’t been awarded ownership become disconnected and the trust in leadership is challenged. When enhancing staff engagement and building trust within the team it is wise for leadership to recognize how they use the word ownership and with who.

Personal responsibility can be strengthened by promoting self-reflection and decision-making by encouraging people to question their own values, goals and actions. An open and supportive environment that provides room for mistakes and personal growth can help individuals take responsibility for and learn from their decisions. Education and information about the consequences of actions can help people act more consciously and self-determinedly and thus strengthen their personal responsibility.

Motivating frontline staff to embrace healthcare projects can be challenging due to factors such as unclear objectives, inadequate involvement, inconsistent communication, and insufficient support. To overcome these hurdles, organisations should: 1. Involve staff early 2. Communicate clearly and transparently 3. Empower staff and incorporate their staff suggestions 4. Provide resources and support to ensure success. 5. Recognise contributions throughout the project. By addressing these challenges, organisations can cultivate a culture of ownership, leading to project success, improved patient care, and a more engaged workforce.

A challenge with ownership would be to get those employees who are not motivated to get involved. Change is evident and the use of ideas collected can be time consuming and tiresome. However, communication the changes being made and including those who are most often not involved will help with inclusion and challenges. Getting feedback from all will help motivate creativity.

In my experience, ownership is difficult to be given from top down but the culture is top down. The key is to provide the culture of coaching as a leadership style, approaching with curiosity, asking the right questions vs giving advise or acting as an expert, instead saying I don’t know or saying I made a mistake and providing space for the team to make mistakes. And also giving the credit where it belongs.

Responsibility is fundamentally the ability to respond. When we speak of responsibility, accountability, or ownership, we are always referring to some form of action. However, this association with action is not entirely accurate. Instead, it should be intrinsic by nature. For instance, when someone is unwell, your response can take various forms: calling emergency services, offering water, or transporting them to the nearest care unit. The essence of responsibility lies in the multitude of ways we can respond and take ownership of a situation. While this may sound metaphorical, it encapsulates the boundless capacity of a human being to act decisively in any given circumstance.