Leadership and communication

Leadership and Communication- healthcare industry

Introduction

At the moment, in healthcare industry it is common for many hospitals and other healthcare providers to suffer from poor communication among its nursing staff and management which has a direct impact on staff morale and healthcare provision. This is attributed to poor communication skills from management. Good communication is needed so that employee commitment and productivity is enhanced. Successful managers must not view themselves as only bosses, but as performance role models. Effective communication will enhance a culture where employees will openly voice out their views in building the organization. In this paper I am going to look at how leaders in a healthcare organization can communicate effectively so that staff, and particularly the nursing staff is developed and the healthcare organization is transformed to higher productivity.

Effects of Good Communication in an organization

Effective communication from leaders can motivate employees in achieving the goals of any organization. As Sheehan (2005) explains, healthcare leaders can not only communicate through word of mouth but, also giving incentives, promoting teamwork, individual dynamics and discipline. It is possible for the subordinate and their leaders to share roles relating to healthcare provision. This can be done by encouraging juniors nursing staff to take innovations in their own fields. Moreover, it can be done by encouraging forming up of self regulating groups which will ensure juniors perform to the best of their qualities and maximize their talents and skills.

Furthermore Driscoll (2006) argues that it will ensure that everyone has a high potential of interdependence towards achieving complex duties that daily arise in a healthcare facility. Jacott (2006) as well adds that, a leader of any team should be able to stand apart and be able to clarify issues and resolve disputes among his staff where there is perpetuation of injustice through better communication approaches. He/she is supposed to understand the main statement and solutions protocols required in a medical set up. Then he/she will be able to formulate and address relevant authorities so that best action is taken.

According to Kleiman, et al (2005) when talking about the effects of communication on behavior factors in a healthcare set up, five issues must be analyzed: these include directive, supportive, participative and achievement of the target goal. Leaders must be concerned with the nursing staff choices and feelings and make things pleasant for the juniors and even defining tasks and requirements and all other aspects of projects. Effective communication behaviors will immensely influence the relationship between a leader and the juniors. As Brown et al (2006) notes, an example can be where communication structure is based on supportive and gives free environment for participation.

Benefits of effective Communication

According to Breslin, et al (2006) communication pathways affect the performance of staff in any given organization. For any well structured organization, then easy flow of information is a guarantee since it has a well defined communication network. This allows quick feedback from juniors since everybody is open to each other and there is no perpetuation of fear and intimidation. Respect is one factor that portrays easy flow of information within an association; it helps top leaders to appreciate the values and different view from the diverse staff in a healthcare organization such as a hospital.

It has been said that for effective communication to occur within a healthcare organization, then channels of communication must be diverse. Regular review should be undertaken to qualify the communication pathways that suit the current technological culture within and outside the organization. Information systems that can enhance easy flow of information such as the internet should be implemented in these organizations.

For effective communication between two individuals to be appreciated then both the participants should be good listeners. Grover (2005) asserts that the nursing management must create time in which they can listen to the problems affecting junior nursing staff. The principle of listening will mean service delivery is improved. Open forums within the employees should be encouraged of which matters such as those affecting the safety of employees or matters touching profession ethics are voiced out. If such is dealt with remedies can be taken to reduce cases where they can go overboard like strikes they can provide guiding and canceling to the employees both relating to work issues, personal or home issues. Research has shown that good listening skills enhance solutions to complex problems within a hospital and other nursing organizations.

How leaders can communicate effectively to develop staff and transform an organization.

Encourage Feedback

Barnard (1938) explains that it is easy for subordinate to discover easily what the management requires of them and struggle to attain those requirements. The subordinate are indeed less likely to communicate anything bad about their leaders because of fear, fear of loosing employment, inferiority complexity and fear of the unseen consequences To encourage feedback then some guideline have to be followed.

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