Mountain Peak Perspectives: Harnessing Creative Thinking Styles to Tackle Healthcare Burnout
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Welcome, healthcare trailblazers, innovators, and change-makers! Scott Perryman here, your partner in growth, strategy, coaching, and embracing the spirit of play in healthcare. As I write this from a secluded resort nestled in the Rocky Mountains, the beauty around me starkly contrasts the pressing issue we need to address: burnout in healthcare.
Patient Engagement: The Road Much Traveled
As I sit here, ensconced in the peaceful hum of nature, and listening to a panel discussing patient engagement, I can't help but feel a disconnection. We've been revisiting this topic for years, yet why does it still feel new? As healthcare leaders, we should strive to build unbreakable bonds with our patients, not just aim for a good report card.
Recent surveys show that many patients do not have a brand preference for their healthcare providers. Despite the leaps in digital transformation, many patients still find electronic scheduling cumbersome. Bad billing experiences persist, and many are deferring care even with the increased availability of telemedicine.
Meanwhile, burnout is a raging fire in our organizations. A grim reality reflected in multiple recent studies: nearly half of radiologists experiencing burnout; overwhelming percentages of nurses reporting emotional exhaustion, job-related burnout, and a lack of personal accomplishment; and heightened rates of burnout among primary care teams due to the lasting impacts of the pandemic; and the list goes on and on.
So, how do we douse these flames when so many?caregivers are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted in the wake of the pandemic and the resulting staffing shortages?
Creative Thinking Styles: An Uncharted Path to Addressing Burnout
The answer could lie in understanding and leveraging our unique creative thinking styles. A 2022 study by Dr. Naghma Khan S. Khan and Dr. Gerard Puccio found a significant correlation between certain problem-solving preferences and burnout among emergency physicians. Interestingly, they discovered that the "clarifying" mindset, where individuals prefer gathering and analyzing information, had a stronger association with burnout than years of service or hours worked per week.
On the flip side, those with an "ideator" mindset, characterized by generating numerous innovative ideas, seemed to experience higher levels of personal accomplishment, thereby reducing burnout. This finding offers us a promising direction: By improving self-awareness and providing targeted training relating to creative-thinking preferences, we can potentially enhance the resilience of our healthcare workforce. So, let's explore how we can turn this insight into action.
Here are five strategies to leverage creative thinking styles to address burnout, foster creativity, and improve the overall health of our organizations:
Creative Strategy?#1: Understand Your Creative Thinking Style
Recognize your thinking preferences and how they influence your approach to problem-solving. Use this knowledge to make better decisions and enhance your well-being.
Creative Strategy?#2: Invest in Training and Development for Your Team
Help your team members understand their creative thinking styles and offer training to develop skills across all stages of the CPS process.
Creative Strategy?#3: Create Psychological Safety
Cultivate an environment where team members feel safe expressing their thoughts and ideas. This can encourage balanced problem-solving, reduce burnout, and foster innovation.
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Creative Strategy?#4: Balance the Creative Problem-Solving Process
Ensure your team engages equally in all four stages of the creative problem-solving (CPS) process—Clarifying, Ideating, Developing, and Implementing—regardless of their preferred style.
Creative Strategy?#5: Lead Others Creatively
Use your understanding of creative thinking styles to alleviate burnout, foster creativity in your team, and enhance your organization's health.
As leaders, you set the tone for your organizations. Understanding and leveraging creative thinking styles can build healthier work environments, foster creativity, and fight burnout. Your unique approach to problem-solving, creativity, and leadership can foster a happier, healthier workplace environment. This is not a one-time fix but an ongoing, evolving journey that demands our commitment and dedication.
By adopting a balanced creative problem-solving approach, embracing new ideas, and creating a psychologically safe environment for your team, you can reduce burnout and foster resilience. Keep investing in your team's development and remember that understanding and embracing your unique creative thinking styles are crucial steps in this journey.
I look forward to our next conversation, where we continue our quest for creativity and innovation in healthcare.
Take care, keep leading, and keep inspiring creativity.
Sincerely,