In the world of healthcare, teams play a critical role in delivering high-quality care to patients. Whether it’s a surgical team, a nursing team, or a diagnostic team, having a well-functioning, collaborative team is essential for optimal patient outcomes. However, putting together a group of individuals (each with a different expertise) does make a successful team.
To truly become an expert team, healthcare teams must be armed with the leadership, followership, and team-building skills necessary to facilitate collaboration, communication, decision-making, and execution.
“Transforming a team of experts into an expert team requires arming them with the leadership, followership and team-building skills necessary to facilitate collaboration, communication, decision making and execution, which generates better ideas, better performance, more safety, and creates a shared sense of responsibility among the team.” Captain Sully Sullenberger
- Leadership skills: Effective leaders set clear goals, communicate expectations, and delegate responsibilities. They also facilitate open communication among team members and create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. This type of leadership fosters collaboration and allows team members to bring their unique perspectives to the table, which can lead to better decision-making and problem-solving.
- Followership skills: Team members must be able to effectively follow the lead of their team leader while also being able to contribute to the team’s goals and objectives. This means being able to listen and respond to the needs of other team members, being flexible and adaptable, and being able to effectively communicate and collaborate with others.
- Team-building skills: Teams that are well-functioning are more likely to have high levels of trust and collaboration, which can lead to improved patient outcomes. Team-building activities and exercises can help teams develop better communication skills, increase trust, and promote teamwork. Examples of team-building activities include team-building exercises, team problem-solving exercises, and team-building workshops.
Transforming a team of experts into an expert team requires arming them with the leadership, followership, and team-building skills necessary to facilitate collaboration, communication, decision-making, and execution. By doing so, healthcare teams can generate better ideas, improve performance, increase safety, and create a shared sense of responsibility among team members. This, in turn, leads to better patient outcomes and a more positive work environment for healthcare teams.