Topic 1: Team Leadership

team leadershipa. Differentiating groups from teams

  • A group is an aggregate of individual who interact and mutually influence each other. Both formal and informal groups exist in an organization
  • Formal Groups: These are clusters of individuals designated by an organization to perform specified organizational tasks. These may include task forces and committees.
  • Informal Groups: These evolve naturally from social interactions that are not defined by an organizational structure e.g. People who take lunch together who convene spontaneously to discuss a clinical dilemma.
  • Teams: Teams are real groups in which individuals must work cooperatively with each other in order to achieve some goals. They demonstrate healthy interdependence. A team is composed of a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.
  • Teams have command or line of authority to perform tasks and membership is based on the specific skills required to accomplish the task.

 Group and team processes

Groups whether formal or informal typically through the following phases

  • Forming: This is the initial stage of group development in which individual members assemble into a well-defined cluster ( members get to know each other, and very are cautious..
  • Storming: The second stage of group development where members wrestle with roles and relationships. Conflict dissatisfaction and competition arise on important issues related to procedures and behavior. Members often compete for power and status and informal leadership emerges.
  • Norming: This is the third phase of Group development. The Group defines its goals and rules of behavior. They also define acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and attitudes. The group structures, roles and relationships become clearer. Cohesiveness also developes.
  • Performing: This is the fourth stage. The group members agree on basic purposes and activities and came out the work. Cooperation improves and emotional issues subside. Members communicate effectively and interact in a relaxed atmosphere of sharing.
  • Adjourning: This is the final stage of group development, in which a group dissolves after achieving its objectives or reforming with some major changes takes place in the environment 

c. Team building/team development

  • This is a group development technique that focuses on task and relationship aspects of group functioning in order to build team cohesiveness. Team building involves:
  1. Gathering data through individual interviews, questioners and or group meetings about the team and its functioning. 
  2. Diagnosing the team strengths and arcsine need of development. 
  3. Holding semi- structured retreat sessions usually directed by an experienced facilitator aimed at addressing priority team problem 

Characteristics of effective teams

  1. Clear objectives and agreed goals
  2. Openness and confrontation
  3. Support and trust
  4. Co-operation and conflict
  5. Sound procedures
  6. Appropriate leadership
  7. Regular review
  8. Individual development
  9. Sound intergroup relations

COLLABORATION

Effective teams are characterized by trust, respect and collaboration. Collaboration in health care is defined as health care professional assuming complementary roles and cooperatively working together, sharing responsibility for problem-solving and making decisions to formulate and carry out for patients care

Collaboration between physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals increases team members awareness of each others type of knowledge and skills, leading to continued improvement in decision making (o’ Daniel and rosentein,2008)

When considering a teamwork model in health care, an interdisciplinary approach should be applied. Unlike a multidisciplinary approach, in which each team member is responsible only for the activities related to his or her own discipline and formulates separate goals for the patient, an interdisciplinary approach coalesces a joint effort on behalf of the patient with a common goal from all discipline involved in the care plan. The plan of care takes into account the multiple assessments and treatment regiments, and it packages these services to create an individualized care program me that best addresses the needs of the patient

teamworkCOMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL TEAMWORK

  • Open communication
  • Non-punitive environment
  • Clear direction ;
  • Clear and known roles and tasks for team members
  • Respectful atmosphere
  • Shared responsibility for team success
  • Appropriate balance of member participation for the task at hand

COMMON BARRIERS TO INTER-PROFESSIONAL

COLLABORATION

  • Personal values and expectations
  • Personality differences
  • Hierarchy
  • Disruptive behavior
  • Culture and ethnicity
  • Generation differences
  • Gender;
  • Historical inter-professional
  • Generational differences
  • Differences in language and jargon 
  • Differences in schedules and professional routines 
  • Varying levels of preparation,qualifications,and status. 
  • Fear of diluted professional identity 
  • Differences in accountability,remuneration,and rewards 
  • Concerns regarding clinical responsibility. 
  • Emphasis on rapid decision making 
  • Complexity of care