What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?
I know, I know, I got the title wrong. The whole concept, actually.
But hang in there with me for a second.
Divide and Conquer is an age old tactic, revolving around the concept of separating out your enemies so that you can systematically isolate them.
But any assault is built on another tactic.
Unity. This is the foundation of my work life, helping me accomplish more in a given day.
Any time you have segregated departments, you get conflict. Tribalism is, at its core, a very human trait.
A tribe has a tendency to try and fight the other tribes, to conquer territory or secure resources. It is effective, to a scale. But to accomplish greatness, tribal divisions must eventually surrender to a higher authority.
In the work of healthcare, the tribes are departments and the resource is reduction of labor. Each department attempts to reduce its work load by handing off tasks to another department, resulting in an ineffectual juggling match.
In turn, this juggling system results in frustration with the opposing tribe/department, which then results in conflict.
In the workplace, this conflict can come in the form of increased verbal sparring, intentionally sabotaging the other departments work, and the overall breakdown in morale, discipline, and cohesion.
Thus, the term Unite and Conquer.
The unification of a group of tribes is the foundation of a nation. The unification of a group of departments is the foundation of a business.
Unification is part leader, and part follower.
The leaders job is to inspire the individual departments to abandon what is best for their individual needs, in exchange for advancing the needs of the entire organization.
The followers job is to put the organization before themselves, and encourage others to do the same.
For me, this takes shape in the form of doing extra tasks or tasks that others might find unpleasant. Things that people in my department and the next one may both dread become part of my intentional role, helping me to relieve some stress on them.
Additionally, I encourage them as often as possible, telling them positive things I’ve heard about them from other units, and thanking them profusely whenever they help me in return.
This has had many benefits, including a marked improvement in people’s reaction to seeing me coming, even when I do bring them work. They know I’ll take the time to stop and help them if they need it. And there’s something about seeing a smile on someone’s face during an already unpleasant day that makes things better.
Additionally, tasks tend to go by faster for everyone when we’re working as a team. Everything is better with company.
And finally and arguably the most important, a unified team enhances the mood and outcomes of the patient. Someone who IS and FEELS well cared for is going to see a better outcome long term.
So there you have it. Unite and Conquer, in a nutshell.
