Reasons Healthcare Teams Underperform

Imagine that you have been charged with transforming the performance of a team at your workplace. Specifically, it is under-performing, and your supervisor wants the team to be high-performing within six months. Based on the information in Chapter 18 of Organizational Behavior in Health Care and your own research develop a presentation for your supervisor that addresses the following:

Discuss reasons that healthcare teams under-perform.

Outline best practices for team performance.

Discuss the various organizational barriers that exist in your organization that affect team effectiveness.

Describe motivational strategies that address team level performance.

Present your team performance improvement plan making sure to include specific time-bound goals.

Provide examples from the organization and from current research to support your comments and ideas.

Your presentation should meet the following structural requirements:

Organized, using professional themes and transitions.

It should consist of nine slides, not including the title and reference slides.

Each slide must provide detailed speaker’s notes, with a minimum of 100 words per slide. Notes must draw from and cite relevant reference materials.

Provide support for your statements with in-text citations from a minimum of six scholarly articles. Two of these sources may be from the class readings, textbook, or lectures, but the other four must be external. The Saudi Digital Library is a good place to find these references.

Follow APA 7th edition and no plagiarism

Reasons Healthcare Teams Underperform
There are several common reasons why healthcare teams may underperform. Teams may lack clear goals and roles, resulting in confusion and inefficient processes (Gittell, 2016). They may also lack effective communication strategies, failing to share important patient information across disciplines (Manser, 2009). Organizational barriers like siloed departments and lack of resources can impede collaboration as well (Titzer et al., 2014). Finally, teams may lack motivation if they do not feel empowered or that their work is valued (Wagner et al., 2010).
Best Practices for High-Performing Teams
Research shows that establishing clear goals, roles, and processes leads to better team performance (Gittell, 2016). Teams should also implement strategies to improve communication, such as daily huddles and shared documentation systems (Manser, 2009). Fostering collaboration across departments breaks down silos and allows teams to leverage their collective skills (Titzer et al., 2014). Recognizing team accomplishments and providing opportunities for growth and leadership keeps members engaged and motivated (Wagner et al., 2010).
Organizational Barriers to Effectiveness
At our organization, some key barriers include siloed specialty departments that do not regularly collaborate on patient care. Physical workspace constraints also make interdisciplinary rounding and huddles difficult. Additionally, staffing shortages have increased workload pressures and left little time for team-building.
Motivational Strategies
To address motivation, we will implement weekly huddles to celebrate wins, recognize top performers, and crowdsource solutions. A shared online documentation system will launch to improve communication and collaboration across specialties. A mentorship program will provide growth opportunities for all staff levels. Additionally, restructuring physical space could break down silos and facilitate interdisciplinary care (Gittell, 2016).
Team Performance Improvement Plan
By implementing the strategies outlined above, our team aims to achieve the following goals within six months:
Conduct at least three interdisciplinary rounds per patient per week.
Reduce patient length of stay by 10% through improved coordination and information sharing.
Administer an engagement survey showing an increase in staff motivation and collaboration scores (Manser, 2009; Titzer et al., 2014).
Restructure the unit layout and space to facilitate interdisciplinary care (Gittell, 2016).
Achieve a 90% staff participation rate in the mentorship program.
In conclusion, establishing clear goals and roles, improving communication, breaking down silos, and increasing motivation are research-backed strategies to transform an underperforming healthcare team (Gittell, 2016; Manser, 2009; Titzer et al., 2014; Wagner et al., 2010). Implementing specific initiatives tailored to our organization’s needs will help achieve high performance.