Lead a Relationship Revolution on Your Clinical Team

READ TIME 4 MINUTES

Feel like you're walking a tightrope between tasks and people?

You know what I'm talking about: the constant organizational and operational pressures, the never-ending to-do list, and the struggle to balance it all with your and your team's well-being. It's not rocket science to figure out that if left unchecked, it will lead to an overwhelming cycle of stress, burnout, disconnection, and decreased team morale.

Instead of being caught in this never-ending cycle, imagine building strong teams through relational equity and prioritizing people over tasks with a support system approach.

Let's see how.

3 Steps to Create Relational Equity on Clinical Teams

1. Your #1 Leadership Priority: Building relational equity involves fostering trust, respect, and understanding to create a supportive and collaborative environment—and doing it one person at a time. When done properly, this has an exponential effect, making it far more important than tasks, emails, and the long list of operational fires that can distract leaders. When done incorrectly or sporadically, it comes off as fake and forced.

2. Kindness mixed with ferocious Love: The DaliLama has been quoted as saying that his religion is kindness. This, mixed with holding everyone accountable to a higher frequency vision for yourself and your team, cultivates relational equity and enhances team dynamics. The mistake many leaders make (which I made for many years, too) is needing everyone to agree, like them or demand that everyone do what they want. It is empowering when you accept what is happening and teach and train your team to do the same. No one may like it, but when you accept it, it unlocks the energy to do something different in detached and emotionally regulated ways. This is ferociously loving because it doesn't need anything from anyone, and it empowers your team to be responsible or not to be—which, of course, can lead to other kinds of stewardship conversations.

3. Open dialogue is not a waste of time—even though it will feel like it sometimes: Encouraging open dialogue, active listening, and recognizing individual contributions can strengthen relational equity within the team, leading to increased engagement and motivation. YES, this does take time, and it can sometimes feel excruciating when you have a thousand other things you "should" be doing. When people feel seen, heard and affirmed, they become inspired to perform beyond your or their expectations. The trick? It's gotta be real. People know when you're going through the motions.

I know what you might be thinking...

"I Don't Have the Time to Do This with ALL MY REPORTS!"

• You don't have the time because you don't do this: Creating relational equity in large teams requires leadership development, succession and planning scheduled in nested concentric circles. Who on your team is your replacement? What holds them (or you) back from moving forward? What support do you and they need to move forward? Are you meeting weekly or bi-weekly with your core team and teaching them how to do the same with their reports? Relational equity is a natural support system for a scalable succession.

• Establishing relational equity in large teams starts with the most important relationship we have—our relationship with ourselves. Conscious awareness of the resistance that we all have going on within us is the starting point. What are the complaints, criticisms and condemnations that you hide from everyone, even yourself? It's hard to have relational equity without awareness.

• When you feel safe, you stop playing it safe: It feels risky to prioritize people and relational equity over project tasks. This is not easy to do. You will find that other leaders have found and that I have too, that on the other side of resistance and fear is relief and restoration.

• Action Step: Dedicate 15 minutes daily to having a presence based on a conversation with someone you don't normally talk to on your team. Change your "open door policy" to a closed door policy where you close your door on the way out to be with your team.

By building relational equity, creating connections in large teams, and prioritizing people over tasks, healthcare leaders can cultivate strong teams that are resilient, engaged, and dedicated to delivering exceptional care.

People are looking for teams like that to work on.

Here is this week's podcast accompaniment for this newsletter:

How to Create Psychological Safety

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Safe Space Team Building Workshops:   Are you an executive leader dealing with burnout and low retention? A healthcare manager with disengaged teams? Or a clinical leader facing staff resistance? Our 4-hour Safe Space Team Building Workshops can help. Join over 1,500 healthcare professionals who've experienced the transformation of team cohesion by fostering workshops that foster respect, trust, and support that make your job easier. Reach out today to book a workshop and improve your team's culture.

2. Safe Space Group & Team Coaching: Are you struggling with burnout, retention, or morale? Safe Space Systemic Group and Team Coaching can help. Join over 1,000 healthcare leaders who've transformed their practices with psychological and neurobiological safety. Through group and team coaching, you'll learn to create a workplace where everyone feels safe, connected, and energized. Unlock 25 years of expertise with proven methods and actionable strategies. Transform your leadership and your team's well-being today.

3. Safe Space Training & Mentorship:  Are you struggling with burnout, retention, or morale? Safe Space Training and Mentorship can help. Join over 500 healthcare leaders who've transformed their practices by integrating safe space-informed coaching. Learn to emotionally regulate, co-regulate, and lead with psychological and neurobiological safety as your foundation. Transform your healthcare system by first transforming the one system you fully control—yourself. Direct message me to arrange a consultation and start your journey today.