Responding to the Rise of Individualism

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Individualism and individual rights have become defining features of life in the United States. Focusing on one’s needs versus the group’s needs began with the Baby Boomer generation, and research indicates that it has steadily increased with each subsequent generation. I was struck by an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal this week written by Andy Kessler titled “You Do Economy.” Kessler points out that we are training people today to be more self-reliant and less reliant on others. He writes, “Self-service may seem inconvenient, but it’s a new frontier of individualism. We’re empowered. We are increasingly self-governed, self-taught, self-insured, and living in a self-driven world.”

Kessler is right – societal values are shifting, impacting the behaviors we see in our workforce. I often make this point with nurse leaders when discussing younger staff’s focus on their needs rather than the team’s. What leaders may identify as “entitlement” may be a survival mechanism for a younger staff member. Behaviors that we see with staff have to be viewed against the backdrop of what is happening in society. We develop our values, behaviors, and attitudes as an outcome of the environments in which we are raised. As Kessler points out, the societal message now is to look out for yourself because no one else will. Today’s firings at federal departments, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (where I spent a 25-year career), will impact young people’s career decisions for decades.

Individualism is incredibly challenging in healthcare environments where teamwork has historically been a core value. A solid team foundation includes a shared mindset and attitudes that promote collaboration, cooperation, and mutual support. Leaders need to encourage and teach teamwork in a way that they may have never had to do before. You can’t assume that it will happen without intentionality.

Here are some strategies to promote more effective teamwork and move staff from a me to a we mindset:

Promote teamwork as a core value in units.
Establish ground rules for team behaviors.
Respect and value diversity.
Ask questions about teamwork experiences when interviewing staff.
Include performance-based expectations about teamwork in evaluations.
Reward and identify great teamwork behaviors when they occur.
Use the word “our team” instead of our unit staff.
Promote team backup by including a backup buddy on the assignment sheet.
Correct staff who talk about “my patient” instead shift the language to “our patients.”
When staff come to you with problems, ask them about who on the team could help them with their challenge.
When staff request schedule changes, ask how their request will impact the team.
When leadership rounding, you should ask patients about the quality of teamwork among your staff and share the feedback with the team.

A team-first perspective will not happen overnight on your team, but taking small incremental steps in how you lead the team will bring them closer to the goal.

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