“Leaders manage meaning when others are unable.” Gail T. Fairhurst
By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
I spoke with a nurse manager this week who told me that her staff is scared about proposed changes to Medicaid in the new legislation being discussed. She works in a small rural hospital where 75% of the patient case mix have Medicaid as their payer. Cuts to Medicaid will be devastating to this facility that already is experiencing financial problems. Her staff are listening to their congressional representatives talk about rural hospital closures. This facility is in a small town and the hospital is a major employer. The next closest hospital is 100 miles away. She told me the nurses were fearful about losing their jobs and worried about their patients, many of whom have multiple chronic illnesses.
It is true that there is a great deal of uncertainty in today’s health care environment with the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act. No one is yet sure whether there will be new legislation and what it might mean to their facilities especially nursing homes and small rural hospitals. Nursing staff wonder whether they should be worried about job security and what the impact could be on their roles and personal lives.
Gail Fairhurst in her book The Power of Framing: Creating the Language of Leadership, suggests that one of the most important but least talked about leadership communication skills is that of “framing”. How leaders use language to frame people, situations, and events has important consequences for the way individuals make sense of the world and their actions. Not all leaders think about this when they communicate but it is important especially during turbulent and uncertain times. Here are six important action steps to frame events during uncertain times.
1. Control the Context
Provide what information is known about the legislation – don’t minimize the facts but also make clear that there is opposition to what is being discussed
2. Define the Situation
Talk about the potential impact on healthcare specifically to the facility and the need to share the impact in discussions with members of the community
3. Apply Ethics
Stress that the organization is committed to their employees and to their patient population. Talk about the core values of the organization and how employees are critical to the mission.
4. Interpret the Uncertainty
Acknowledge the uncertainty about the impact on the financial solvency of the organization but ask the staff not to over-react until they had more information. Promise to keep them informed.
5. Design the Response
Senior leaders should carefully thought through how to discuss the situation with the staff along with any organizational planning that is occurring. Keep the conversation focused on the needs of patients in the community.
6. Control Spontaneity
During times of uncertainty, the rumor mill will be in high gear. That is why it is important that the leadership keep the lines of communication open without making any promises or predictions about what could happen.
The response of leaders to change or turbulence has a powerful effect on their staff. Leaders who remain calm, truthful and optimistic in their communications help to prevent the spread of misinformation and reduce staff anxiety. The words of leaders can be very powerful in a positive or a negative way. While the skill of framing may not be easy, it can improve our ability to be effective communicators during times when staff depend on their leaders for information and insight.
Read to Lead
Fairhurst, G.T. (2010). The Power of Framing: Creating the lanuage of leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
© emergingrnleader.com 2017
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