Case Summary
Organizational Design
Center City Hospital, a large outpatient surgery facility in urban Kansas, operates with full-time administrative staff, including the CEO, Director of Nursing (DON), HR, finance, risk management, and unit managers. Nurses are conditionally permanent hires from outsourced staffing, while physicians work as independent contractors on annual agreements.
Challenge and Request Criteria
Nurse morale has sharply declined, straining relationships among doctors, managers, and nurses, and undermining the hospital’s mission. The CEO fears losing physicians due to weak leadership from unit managers, while managers attribute nurse stress to physician arrogance. The CEO, DON, and HR request an organizational development (OD) intervention—a 1-day workshop aimed at strengthening unit managers’ leadership skills, with the expectation of measurable team cohesion and performance improvements within 12 months.
Selecting an Appropriate Intervention
Center City Hospital is an outpatient surgery center that requires a specific intervention plan to boost employee morale, improve communication between team members, and promote their well-being to reduce stress. Although many plans can be offered in the given situation, it is essential to consider a team-building and leadership development workshop. Therefore, to improve the environment within the organization, it is essential to tackle the issue of poor communication and leadership at all levels.
Rationale Behind the Selection
The proposed workshop is the most optimal intervention for Center City Hospital because it will help improve organizational culture, enhance teamwork and communication, and develop leadership skills among unit managers. Shifting the perspectives of the team is vital to changing the environment in the institution (Safdieh et al., 2019). Therefore, the intervention plan aims to promote positive relationships among all team members and create a more united and productive group of professionals.
Actions Involved in Utilizing the Intervention
The first approach to implementing the intervention is to prepare a comprehensive workshop plan that includes leadership development exercises, team-building exercises, and facilitated conversations. Ensure that it is applicable and gives directors and other executive managers a chance to express their knowledge, issues, and experiences (Edmonstone, 2021). The exercises introduced in the workshop will help promote skills such as effective communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and decision-making for managers (Safdieh et al., 2019). Meanwhile, team-building exercises will target approaches that will help provide a platform for open and honest communication and facilitate respect among team members.
During the workshop, the leadership team will have an opportunity to engage in exercises that reinforce their management skills. For instance, role-playing, case studies, and group discussions can help them identify their strengths and work on weaknesses. In this situation, it is necessary to have activities that are custom-made and tailored to the setting of the Center City Hospital. As for the team-building exercises, paying attention to activities such as problem-solving skills will be important. Here, they will have a safe space to communicate their thoughts and feelings, share their experiences, and provide feedback (Bierema, 2020). With such an approach, it will be possible to establish expectations and goals.
Lastly, after the workshop, focusing on the progress and application of knowledge to the daily routine will be essential. On the one hand, the leadership team will be responsible for the guidance and support provided to the team members. Meanwhile, they will also be expected to see employees’ progress and how they adapt to the new environment after the intervention. As for the team, every member will need to promote positive relationships, attentive listening skills, and trust (Lauriello et al., 2022). Therefore, the final stage will be dedicated to seeing whether there are any gaps in the intervention plan.
Summary
Hence, if the workplace climate is to improve, poor leadership and communication must be addressed at all levels. Center City Hospital’s best course of action is a team and leadership building workshop. It will help strengthen organizational culture, foster teamwork and communication, and help unit managers develop leadership abilities.
The creation of a complete workshop plan that includes team-building exercises, training for developing leadership skills, and moderated discussions is the first step in putting the intervention into practice. The leadership team will be given the option to engage in exercises that help them hone their management skills during the training. Lastly, it will be crucial to concentrate on developing and applying knowledge to the everyday routine.
References
Bierema, L. (2020). Organizational development: An action research approach (2nd ed.). Zovio.
Edmonstone, J. (2021). Organization development in healthcare: A critical appraisal for OD Practitioners. CRC Press.
Lauriello, J., Weiss Roberts, L., & Saeed, S. (Eds.). (2022). Textbook of psychiatric administration and leadership. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Safdieh, J. E., Gotian, R., & Kang, Y. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of research on the efficacy of training programs and systems in medical education. IGI Global.