Creating a Committed Workforce

This Friday, the Central and South Texas Chapters of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) held their annual fall collaborative event at Texas State University in San Marcos, in which local health care executives could earn ACHE education credits.  The collaborative consisted of two panel discussions addressing health care leadership, and we were proud that the second session of the event - titled, "Leading into an Unknowable Future: Creating a Committed Workforce" - included strong representation from Trinity University.

The panel discussion was moderated by our own Dr. Patrick Shay ('05), and the panel consisted of Michael Roussos ('01), Hospital Administrator at University Hospital in San Antonio, Barry Burns, Vice President of Human Resources at Methodist Healthcare System, and Lt. Col. David Parker, COO at Brook Army Medical Center.  Furthermore, the session was organized and overseen by Roxanne Rosa ('01), Executive Director at University Health System.

The session began with a video featuring Dr. Michael Frisina, who spoke to the importance of workforce adaptability for sustainable excellence, the dynamics in which perceptions and beliefs can create or change reality, and how to connect consistent leadership behavior to sustained organizational performance.  Following the video, the panel members responded to questions posed by the moderator, addressing: whether and how individual leader behavior predicts organizational performance; the importance of serving, supporting, and inspiring team members; how organizations can put a "people first" philosophy into practice; how organizations have created a committed workforce; and, how behavior skills enhance technical skill performance among organizational team members.  Many of the panelists' reflections and responses returned to the values of trust, hope, safety, and compassion, which were identified as fundamental needs among team members that create engagement in the workplace.  And, a key theme across the panel was that leaders are responsible to foster such values and workplace engagement in their organizations.  Simply put, leadership matters.

The mantra, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast," is a familiar refrain in business management, often attributed to the famous management consultant Peter Drucker.  This notion was echoed in the conversations generated during the panel discussion, noting how leadership that puts people first can generate a culture in which team members are engaged and care about the work they do and who they do that work with, which in turn contributes to enhanced team performance.  This was noted to contrast those examples of "bad bosses" who exercise a fear-based approach to performance, ultimately contributing to employees' emotional burden that disrupts their mental resilience, fuels burnout, and costs organizations tremendously.  During the panel discussion, Dr. Shay recalled a response by John Heer - three-time Baldrige Award recipient and winner of the Baldrige Foundation's Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award - following his acceptance of the Trinity University HCAD Alumni Association's Duce Award in 2015.  In response to a student's question about what he was most proud of looking back upon his prestigious career, Mr. Heer quickly answered that, rather than individual awards or achievements, he was most proud of having helped develop a culture in each of the organizations he served in which employees looked forward to going to work each day, helping to serve patients and those who care for patients.

In an industry where so many speak to their decision to pursue careers in health care as a calling rather than a job, yet the majority of the workforce today experiences burnout and dreads going to work, the importance of health care leaders to meaningfully address this disconnect by fostering cultures that engage and enhance workforce commitment cannot be overstated.  In their leadership of health care organizations, health care administrators are responsible to ensure that care isn't only shown to patients, but to the many who dedicate their lives to serving those patients.  As health care administrators, let us be sure that our leadership puts the "care" in health care!