Reflection on the strategies for developing teams
The healthcare industry is dynamic and quite complex and it requires the participation of different healthcare providers. Healthcare personnel works in teams so that they could improve the quality of healthcare outcomes (Clarke, 2010; Frawley, 2009; Kelly, 2007). The following strategies would be used to develop effective teams that would ensure high-quality outcomes within healthcare facilities:
- Establishing objectives in a collective manner.
- Developing a participatory style whereby all members participate in the activities of a team.
- Focusing on contributions made by team members.
- Organizing meetings frequently.
- Organizing a team to ensure that roles and responsibilities are distributed equally among team members.
- Explaining the rules so that members could adhere to them.
- Promoting team responsibilities by encouraging members to complete their tasks within the deadlines set.
How theory influences the team process
The theory has great implications for the effectiveness of teams (Kelly, 2007). Change theory impacts the outcomes of effective teams because leaders use the theory to bring the desired changes. Conflict management is used to resolve differences among members so that effective teams could be developed and maintained. Motivation theories are used to encourage team members to work for the benefit of making teams effective and achieving the desired goals. It is important to understand and exploit individual differences that could be in a team. The unique differences make a team have various contributions from members, which are analyzed to result in improved outcomes (Kelly, 2007).
A scenario: A quality improvement team
Recruiting members
The critical people to enlist in the team would be a VP sponsor, facilitator, and nursing leader to oversee the activities of the team. The objectives of the initiative would be championed by the nursing leader. The members would be involved in the team by explaining to them the benefits of working in a team. One of the reasons for motivating members to join the quality improvement team is by encouraging them through examples of improved healthcare outcomes that have been achieved through the participation of nursing teams. Team members would be kept invested by assigning them specific tasks that should be completed within deadlines set. The theories that would be applied in developing the team would be motivation, conflict management, group dynamics, and change theories.
Process questions
It has been shown that teams that meet frequently are able to achieve their goals better than those that rarely meet. Team members will be meeting after every two weeks to evaluate their progress. Team meetings will be face-to-face and will sometimes be conducted online. Members who will not contribute greatly to the success of the team will cease to be members. Members who will be late for meetings will have to pay a certain penalty. On the other hand, team members will be rewarded according to their level of participation in the team. It is anticipated that some roadblocks would negatively impact the team’s cohesiveness and outcomes. Some of the roadblocks would be the following: individual differences, a high level of partiality within the team, unfair authoritative actions taken against members, and unfair rewards offered to members who contribute greatly to the success of the team. The team facilitator will work to avoid the roadblocks from negatively impacting the team.
References
Clarke, D. J. (2010). Achieving teamwork in stroke units: The contribution of opportunistic dialogue. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 24(3), 285–297.
Frawley, J. (2009). Intercultural and sustainable leadership: A professional program for emerging educational leaders. Journal of Leadership Studies, 3(1), 39–46.
Kelly, D. L. (2007). Applying quality management in healthcare: a systems approach. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.