Being an effective Chief CRNA involves multitasking to meet the needs of the patient, the institution, the regulatory agencies and the needs of your staff. Staff engagement is a buzz word in corporate America. According to Wikipedia, An “engaged employee” is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization’s interests. As Chief CRNAs, it is easy to become so focused on the daily grind that we often ignore things that will promote engagement within our staff.
An interesting article by Martin Dewhurst et al and published in the McKinsey Quarterly addresses the issue of staff engagement. All too often, administration relies on financial recognition for motivation of employees. Dewhurst et al point out that there are more effective non-financial motivators of your staff. According to the report, the top 3 non-financial motivators are:
- Praise, commendation and interaction with the supervisor
- Attention from leaders
- Opportunities to lead projects or task forces
“The survey’s top three nonfinancial motivators play critical roles in making employees feel that their companies value them, take their well-being seriously, and strive to create opportunities for career growth. These themes recur constantly in most studies on ways to motivate and engage employees.”
“One-on-one meetings between staff and leaders are hugely motivational,” explained an HR director from a mining and basic-materials company—“they make people feel valued during these difficult times.” By contrast, our survey’s respondents rated large-scale communications events, such as the town hall meetings common during the economic crisis, as one of the least effective nonfinancial motivators”
“A chance to lead projects is a motivator that only half of the companies in our survey use frequently, although this is a particularly powerful way of inspiring employees to make a strong contribution at a challenging time. Such opportunities also develop their leadership capabilities, with long-term benefits for the organization.”
Click here to read the original article posted in the McKinsey Quarterly
As Chief CRNAs we need to not only ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care but also that they receive the care from a motivated and engaged staff. Finding ways to involve and value individual staff members will pay high dividends in the long run.