With the ongoing wave of resignations sweeping the country, healthcare employees are experiencing some of the highest levels of burnout. Nearly 3 of every 10 healthcare workers have plans to leave their jobs in the near future due to burnout. Increased turnover results in lower quality patient care—making employee health and well-being absolutely vital to the well-being of patients. Research suggests that strategically investing in efforts to foster worker well-being not only improves employee health but can also bring about beneficial business outcomes such as improved job performance (including increased productivity), and lower levels of employee burnout. To capitalize on these benefits we invite you to consider the important roles that organizations, leaders, and individuals play in creating workplace health and well-being and strategies for improvements.

In the past year, record numbers of Americans have left their jobs—4.3 million people resigned in January 2022 alone—prompting what economists have dubbed The Great Resignation. Covid left workers re-evaluating their priorities, leading a lot of Americans to seek a healthier work-life balance than their current position, find a job with higher pay or better benefits, and in some cases, switch careers entirely. Industries that experienced extreme demand during the pandemic have been hit hardest by The Great Resignation, with a 3.6% increase in healthcare resignations from the previous year. The wave of resignations shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, so finding ways to decrease turnover is imperative for leadership.

One of the defining aspects of effective leadership lies in how well your team performs on a regular basis. As a direct reflection on management, high-performing teams who consistently accomplish their goals on time with minimal problems are intensely sought after. High-performing teams collaborate well together, deliver quality work in a timely manner, and remain consistent in their execution and ability to adapt to new circumstances. Creating and maintaining a high-performing team is the key to success in any business.

In this timely article, we are sharing the unique and triumphant story of how Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS)  cultivated physician engagement despite the myriad challenges of COVID-19 by leveraging our Applied Physician Leadership Academy (APLA).

By Bob Sachs, PhD, Board Member of TLD Group & We Care Services for Children, formerly Vice President of National Learning and Development, Kaiser Permanente

As the board chair of a not-for-profit agency, We Care Services for Children, that provides mental health and developmental services for young children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am acutely aware that since the pandemic began, there has been an increase in the number of children and young adults with behavioral and mental health issues. 

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions and to recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. The term was coined by two researchers, Peter Salavoy and John Mayer, and then later popularized by American psychologist, Daniel Goleman, in his 1996 book, Emotional Intelligence. Essentially, emotional intelligence encompasses the practice of skillfully expressing one’s own emotions and having the ability to manage interpersonal relationships with empathy.

Leaders who communicate with empathy, transparency, and authenticity create positive team dynamics, higher retention, and better team outcomes. In fact, teams that rate their communication as strong, have 4.5x higher retention rates. On top of that, 86% of employees in a recent survey blame company failure on poor communication.

The pandemic has shaken up the very nature of work, making a lasting impact on organizations and business leaders across all industries. The biggest impact, however, has been felt by organizations that comprise the health ecosystem as they stepped up and rallied to respond to the challenges their communities faced during the pandemic. Many key players in the health ecosystem have illustrated what is possible when leaders from different organizations and diverse industry sectors collaborate to meet critical challenges and align around a shared purpose.

Significant societal issues including the pandemic, social injustices, and economic turmoil have forced every organization, its leaders, and its workforce to dive headfirst into a “new normal.” The health ecosystem, in particular, has been hit hard, having to reinvent the very nature of work to support their employees, patients, and communities with compassion — amid limited resources — through one of the most critical periods in our lifetimes. What are organizations doing to build their workforces’ capabilities to embrace the “new normal?”

Cultivating a workplace that embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) is critical to garnering positive organizational outcomes. According to McKinsey, organizations with a diverse and inclusive culture are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Plus, Mclean & Company’s 2022 HR Trends Report states that implementing ED&I solutions is now a crucial role for HR leaders (62%). Recruiting, retaining, and supporting talented and diverse staff who bring unique perspectives to the business is essential to achieving lasting positive change.