Modern healthcare organizations require constant transformation, demanding a new breed of physician leaders. More than being skilled clinicians, these leaders must be adept at fostering a culture of commitment, compelling others to embrace change. The carrot-and-stick approach that’s often associated with compliance has its place but, ultimately, sustaining meaningful transformation requires teams to be self-motivated, versus driven primarily by rewards and punishments.
That’s easier said than done, of course. How can healthcare leaders cultivate a culture of commitment — not just compliance?
True commitment comes from within
In an earlier post, Dr. Rachel Miller, a fellow MEDI Leadership coach, covered the transformative power of intrinsic motivation in healthcare leadership. As Rachel describes it, intrinsic motivation refers to the “fuel that propels us from within,” marked by a genuine desire to learn, grow, and make a difference. “Intrinsically motivated teams perform with energy, persistence, and a sense of gratitude,” Rachel explains. Intrinsically motivated employees show 32% greater levels of commitment to their jobs, McKinsey reports.
Susan Fowler, a researcher and author on the science of motivation, argues that the key to unlocking intrinsic motivation lies in meeting three fundamental psychological needs:
| Autonomy | Relatedness | Competence |
| Freedom to self-direct and make choices about our work. | Feeling of connection and belongingness with others. | Feeling of being capable and effective in one’s role. |
Building your ARC (Autonomy, Relatedness, Competence) starts with self-awareness, Rachel explains, particularly where gaps and opportunities exist in the ARC needs of your teams.
Bridging the gap from compliance to commitment
As you ensure the ARC needs of your teams are met, you can nurture a sense of purpose and commitment by practicing the following:
⇢ Connect to the “why”
Compliance standards are often handed down from above, leaving staff feeling like their progress is being slowed down by bureaucracy, checklists, and added steps that don’t always make sense. Physician leaders can bridge this gap by clarifying how processes, initiatives or rules help accelerate shared goals.
How do guidelines contribute to better patient experiences? And how do they benefit each worker’s daily routine or outcomes? Put another way, how are staff and patients better off because of the changes you’re proposing (or imposing)? By making these connections, you can inspire a sense of ownership and purpose within your teams.
⇢ Build a covenant around the “why”
In a related post, Bob Porter, a fellow MEDI Leadership coach, points out that many tactical programs fail because leaders place the responsibility for breakthrough improvements on the shoulders of staff, without commensurate commitment to support them. “For example, it is not enough to define service standards and scripted conversations for employees to transform the patient experience if the organization does not have a parallel commitment to fix the systemic problems that [hinder] their efforts to provide extraordinary care,” Bob explains.
Think of it as a covenant between the organization and each person being asked to drive performance improvements. Without this balance and support, employees can quickly become cynical about your call for transformation.
⇢ Empower through resources
No matter how talented, no one can win a car race pedaling a bicycle. Providing staff with the tools, resources and know-how they need to succeed is essential for fostering commitment. This includes access to continuing education, professional development opportunities, and the autonomy to make decisions in their area of expertise. When workers feel empowered, they are more likely to take initiative and become engaged members of your team.
⇢ Frequent, clear and open communications
A critical part of leading through change is frequent, multi-channel, two-way communication. It is vital to share what’s driving the change, a compelling vision for the future state, a roadmap to that future state, and regular status updates. It is equally critical for leaders to listen, gather feedback and adjust based on lessons along the way.
“One of the harder things leaders must do is distinguish between negative feedback reflecting the unavoidable awkwardness of change from negative feedback about legitimate issues and concerns for which adjustments are required,” Bob advises. Leaders must provide support and encouragement to push through the awkward phase long enough to see the benefits of the change. At the same time, “leaders must be careful not to turn a deaf ear to legitimate concerns which, left unaddressed, could jeopardize a successful outcome,” Bob adds.
Begin with self awareness
As you consider next steps, I encourage you to look first at yourself and your fellow leaders. As leaders, what we say is far less important than what we do. You, dear leader, are the one defining and setting the culture. Transforming your culture has to begin with you.
Don’t ask for radical change from others without making changes in the ways you spend your time, effort, and resources. In addition to examining your own behaviors, pay attention to the language and stories you share, and what heroes you celebrate and recognize. Each of those elements helps to shape your organizational culture, so make sure you are giving expression to cultural shifts you desire.
As we close, I want to emphasize that providing your team with resources isn’t enough to move them from compliance to commitment. Driving commitment requires you to reach and inspire the soul of the organization. Only then will tactical change, fueled by personal investment, sustain meaningful improvements.
