Written with Kathleen Lewton
Employee engagement is a critical challenge for today’s health care organizations, with the recognition that employees have significant impact on the organizations’ performance in the areas of:
- Quality
- Safety
- Patient and family experience and satisfaction
- Productivity, efficiency
- All of which roll up into a high performing organization.
Many “hot” new employee engagement tactics emerge and fade, but few have more long-term impact than an approach that may seem old-fashioned: face-to-face information sharing and dialogue between employees and their supervisor.
Data from research on internal communications efforts at five major health systems across the U.S., with an aggregate total of 50,000-plus employees and several thousand managers, revealed surprising consistencies:
- Most employees give internal communications a C-, not horrible, but certainly not high marks.
- They want to know about the place where they work: “The more we know, the better we feel. We want to feel part of something big and great.”
- They identify “my manager” as their preferred communications channel, because managers typically are trusted, accessible advocates and the person they are closest to—if the managers have information to share and time to listen.
- Managers say this is a major priority for them, they want to do it right, but they need help.
It’s Clear: Managers Matter MostManagers have a laundry list of barriers to doing what they want to do—inform, inspire and listen to their work group members.
- They have to find information. Most go to ten or more sources to try and find information to share with their employees.
- They don’t get direction on what should be shared or how the information should be presented.
- They are buried in emails from senior management, other departments, etc. asking them to “please share this with your employees.” Many say they don’t even have time to skim their inbox let alone read all the messages. Between hunting for information and sorting through countless emails, they end up being the content curator at a time when they feel busier and more stressed in their roles.
- Information about changes too often comes so late (“starting tomorrow”) that they don’t have time to prep or train their work group. “Sometimes there are real surprises that we had no warning about, and sometimes my team members hear what’s coming from the grapevine before I am informed.”
If Managers are the Central Channel, They Need Tools and Support, Not Just More Responsibility
First up, managers need to trust that a new internal communications program—with them at the center—is really going to help them get the necessary information, save time and assist their employees (while boosting their employee engagement scores).
When we presented the details of our new approach to managers at San Antonio’s University Health System, they looked pretty skeptical until they heard the magic words: “Corporate Communications will curate for you—we will gather the ‘please share this with your staff’ requests and information from senior management and departments like IT and facilities, and roll it all up into an easy-to-use Huddle Notes document delivered for you every week. And here’s a binder to keep them available for your employees and instructions for accessing a microsite we created to make it accessible only to you.”
Frowns literally turned to real cheers from a group of overworked managers!
We built the system with full support from the C-suite. They also made it a top priority for senior executive to participate in a newly-formed Communications Advisory Group, which meets in person weekly to share news and information. They also hold their directors accountable for ensuring that managers attend training sessions, and that information huddles are happening across the organization. Employee participation in manager-led huddles was introduced via a personal email from our CEO, flash ads and lots of promotion.
Managers, with the tools and the information they needed and support and respect from senior management, bought in, brought their A game, and, after three months, they said, “It’s working."
When employees were asked a few months later, 83 percent said their manager-led huddles are positive and helpful and that number went up to 88 percent this year.
And on it goes. We continually train newly hired managers, refresh the program, enhance the manager microsite and monitor to make sure huddles are being done. And the senior executive Communications Advisory Group, that everyone thought would fade away, is a weekly routine that helps us get information for managers to share with employees. An added bonus is that the executives find it’s helpful for them to hear what’s going on in other areas.
The Bottom Line
Our team members at all levels, from executive vice presidents to rank and file employees are more informed, more engaged and more excited about being part of our vision!
To learn more, be sure to attend the educational session at the upcoming SHSMD Connections annual conference entitled “When Employee Engagement is Essential, MANAGERS MATTER MOST!” on Tuesday, October 9 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. It will be one of a broad range of programs offered at the conference October 7–10 in Seattle.
Posted September 26, 2018 | By:
Leni Kirkman
Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Patient Relations
University Health System
San Antonio, Texas
Kathleen L. Lewton
Principal, Lewton, Seekins & Trester
Stamford, Conn., Ann Arbor, Mich., Burbank, Calif.
Of Counsel, Padilla