June 13, 2024
Everyone would agree that compassion is important, but we often assume that people who work in health care naturally are compassionate leaders or that emotions are best left at the door when people come to work. However, compassion isn’t necessarily second nature, and it plays a significant role in teamwork and leadership. A new virtual Leading With Purpose program, Leading With Compassion…Even (Especially) When Times Are Tough, will help participants understand the link between compassion and effective leadership. The session is set for 4:30 PM ET on June 20.
This session is part of the Leading With Purpose: 8 Strategies for Engaging Your Careforce program. JoAnne Reifsnyder, PhD, MSN, MBA, FAAN, professor of health services leadership and management at the University of Maryland, leads each session. The discussions are intentionally limited to 30 minutes. “We wanted to make it possible for people to access these sessions without spending a lot of time that could be dedicated to resident care and other tasks,” Dr. Reifsnyder says.
“Compassion starts with a generous interpretation of suffering,” says Dr. Reifsnyder, citing Drs. Worline and Dutton, whose research is devoted to awakening compassion in organizations (Worline, M.C., & Dutton, J.E. [2017]. Awakening compassion at work. Berrett-Koehler). This calls for considering a colleague’s suffering separate from our own feelings. “We need first to notice that someone is suffering, then we need to make meaning of it by talking to them and truly trying to understand things from their perspective,” she says. Only then can you offer productive actions that will help relieve the suffering.
To lead with compassion, it is essential to be fully present and truly listen, then ask targeted questions to understand the other person’s perspective. “Too often, people are not really listening but formulating their response and waiting for their turn to talk,” says Dr. Reifsnyder. “When we’re not treating our teams with compassion yet expect 150% from them, that equation doesn’t work.” Instead, it wears people down and heightens stress and burnout. She notes, “If you just push and push people to do better, do more, or do more with less, staff can interpret this as meaning their well-being doesn’t matter.”
Part of compassionate leadership is walking the walk. As Dr. Reifsnyder says, “If you’re asking people to make sacrifices and dig deeper—whether it’s working longer hours or taking wage cuts, it comes across badly if there’s not a sense that leadership is making some sacrifices as well. It’s important to clarify that leaders are doing their part in times of change and challenge.”
The tips and lessons presented in this and other Leading With Purpose sessions reflect evidence-based best practices. Participants can take what they learn and apply it right away. This can make a tremendous difference over time. “These are skills that can be taught and learned. It’s not magic, but there is evidence and research documenting their effectiveness,” Dr. Reifsnyder says. “These things have been studied extensively and are rooted in evidence.”
At the same time, this evidence translates well into practice. “When you ask people about their best boss, they almost always say it was somebody who really saw them and respected them. Maybe they didn’t get everything they wanted, but they felt listened to and treated fairly. They felt like they were part of something bigger than themselves,” Dr. Reifsnyder says.
Save a spot now for this week’s session. Please note that the series will take a summer break in July and August and resume on September 19.