The saying, "teamwork makes the dream work," is applicable to teams in any industry, but even more so in healthcare settings.
University of Chicago's Jeffrey Vender, MD, shared thoughts on the role of teams and teamwork at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Management 2018 conference, Jan. 26 to Jan. 28 in New Orleans.
Here's what you should know.
1. A group can be a team, but not all groups are teams, Dr. Vender said. To be a team, a group needs a culture of collaboration and transparency, where conflict is encouraged and where teammates feel empowered to lead.
2. Dr. Vender said teams need shared goals and a common approach that holds every individual accountable.
3. Effective communication is essential to create success.
4. He said in healthcare, teams often falter when members lack a shared vision or goal. For example, a hospice physician might be focused on palliative care, while an oncologist is focused on curing the same patient creating an obvious conflict.
5. An effective interdisciplinary team may have different disciplines, but will work together around a shared goal. He cited Apollo 13's mission control as "the pinnacle of this model."
6. High-performing teams often go through four stages:
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
8. Dr. Vender said, "The secret sauce is a culture of collaboration with great leadership. Even [with] great teams, success is never guaranteed, and there's often failure, but they rebound."
To read the entirety of Dr. Vender's thoughts on teamwork, click here.