and “play.” The world of healthcare can feel heavy,
and encouraging a spirit of play and improvisation
can break down the well-honed habit of negative
judgment and perceived failure. Leaders practice
different ways to manage conflict, such as asking
versus telling, and practice making direct requests
for what they want instead of complaining about
what they don’t have. Nonverbal approaches (body
practices) are very effective in creating awareness
and improving emotional agility and leade rship
presence. For practitioners who like to see immediate
results, somatic practices can be instrumental in
creating an immediate result.
others needed recognition and pats on the
back, though that was not what motivated him.
With a coach’s support, Dr. F. even “managed
up” the hospital system’s CEO, who grew to
appreciate his strength in holding others
accountable, a trait the CEO was trying to
cultivate in himself. As Dr. F. became more able
to form strong partnerships, physician and
nursing leaders became less apprehensive in
approaching him. As a result, he was effective
in facilitating quantitative improvements in
quality measures, including readmission rates
and hospital-acquired infections.
Finally, the coach partners with the leader to
evaluate the effectiveness of new behaviors
on desired results, adjust the plan accordingly,
and identify key partners within his or her own
environment that can help sustain and hardwire
new skills.
Coaching can have a real and tangible impact
on improving communication within healthcare.
By impacting perceptions and attitudes of key
leaders and teams within healthcare, coaching
provides sustainable change that can impact
patient safety and the culture of healthcare.
The Outcome
Because Dr. F. was not self-referred, I was concerned
about his ability to own his behavior and not blame
others. I scheduled a two-day, in-person meeting to
learn about his life story, review assessment results,
and identify specific and measurable goals for our
coaching. We also met with the CEO to validate focus
areas and hear his perspective on desired outcomes.
After some discussion, Dr. F. was able to embrace the
opportunity to learn how to be a more effective leader.
He was surprised that no one had provided him direct
feedback, and we were able to use that as a platform
to talk about whether he made it easy for others to
give him feedback or behaved in ways that pushed
people away.
As we worked together through weekly and
biweekly coaching calls, he was able to use actual
interactions to practice new behaviors and improve
relationships. We would review scripts for crucial
conversations and role-play as desired. He practiced
inquiry to determine others’ priorities and was
able to establish stronger partnerships with key
leaders across the organization. I will never forget
his exuberance in sharing with me his success in
partnering with a previously contentious medical
director by finding out what mattered to that
physician and putting desired changes within the
context of the physician’s goals.
Dr. F. had been promoted to vice president
of quality to further the hospital system’s
safety culture. As a result of coaching, he also
cultivated a culture of safety where interpersonal
relationships were concerned. Through coaching,
Dr. F. realized that his strength in establishing
high standards was also his liability, causing his
colleagues and subordinates to perceive him as
critical and judgmental. He learned to see that
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