Low customer satisfaction is a common problem in many healthcare facilities and has become a major concern for the healthcare sector. Some of the reasons for low customer satisfaction include long waits, lack of information, and the impersonal attitude of the staff. It is necessary to form a task group that can look into this issue and comes up with appropriate recommendations for solving the problem.
This is a very serious issue that can not be solved by one person. A task group is very important in a situation like this because its final recommendations contain ideas from all stakeholders. The findings and recommendations of a task group carry a lot of weight compared to opinions from a single person. This paper will highlight how a task group can use the five-step decision-making process in solving the problem of low customer satisfaction.
Collective decision-making is not an easy thing because of the divergent opinions that may arise within a group (Adler, 2008). It is therefore very important to follow the right steps as a group in an attempt to come up with a collective decision. The first step in the decision-making process is problem identification. In this case, the problem is low customer satisfaction in the in-patient unit. At this stage, a task group should identify all the parties affected by the problem and if possible, come up with a definite timeline for the problem (Adler, 2008).
A task group can comfortably defend its decision if all the members understand the reasons for making that decision. The first step helps a group to focus on their goal in the entire process of decision-making. The best strategy for making a good decision is staying focused on the ultimate goal (Haynes, 2012).
The second step in the decision-making process is information gathering. A task group needs to gather the information that relates to all the factors in the problem at hand (Haynes, 2012). The choice of information gathering tools should reflect the context of the problem. Group members have an opportunity to weigh all the available options for solving the problem at hand. The gathered information should be relevant to the problem (Haynes, 2012). In a group scenario, members come up with all the possible solutions to the problem. Seeking opinions from medical experts and professionals can help in solving the problem of low customer satisfaction in hospitals (Levi, 2010). A task group needs to have a variety of solutions at its disposal for it to make the best decision.
The third step in the decision-making process involves coming up with the criteria for judging various alternatives for solving the problem (Levi, 2010). The criteria should be based on the culture, goals, and objectives of a particular organization. In this case, the task group should base its criteria for judging alternative solutions on hospital goals. One of the main goals of a healthcare facility is high customer satisfaction and should be the basis for solving the problem of low customer satisfaction (Haynes, 2012).
The pros and cons of every solution are analyzed at this stage to ensure that every member of the task group is comfortable with the available options. Each alternative solution has its consequences which must be reviewed at this stage (Haynes, 2012). The general impact of a particular solution to the problem at hand is what matters at this stage. The fourth step in the decision-making process is making the decision. This is the most tricky part when a group is involved in the decision-making process. A successful task group should come up with a decision that makes every member within the group feel good (Adler, 2008). The fifth and final step in this process is for the group to evaluate its final decision. This step ensures that the decision works according to plan. It is important to note that if the decision cannot work, the task group can go back to the second step and choose another option (Adler, 2008).
The membership of a task group determines whether it will be successful or not. The group should be large enough to ensure that the responsibilities of the group are shared (Adler, 2008). An ideal task group should have a membership of between five to ten people who can meet the group’s goals and objectives. Members of the task group in this case should be healthcare experts. A task group should consist of members from different disciplines (Haynes, 2012).
In the case highlighted in this paper, the task group should include a variety of professionals from the healthcare sector. The task group can have a clinical manager, a psychologist, a communications expert, a clinical officer, and other resourceful experts. Members of a task group should have specific roles that are clearly defined (Haynes, 2012). Members of a task group should have varying skills which can enable a group to come up with diverse viewpoints. Members of a task group should trust and respect each other for the group to achieve its goals (Levi, 2010). All the members in a task group should participate equally in the entire decision-making process.
The most appropriate leadership style for a task group is the democratic style. In a democratic style, all members of a task group are involved in the decision-making process (Levi, 2010). The democratic leadership style allows group members to share ideas and this makes every member enjoy being part of the group. In a democratic style of leadership, group members operate within the boundaries of the group and have an equal chance of participating in the decision-making process (Levi, 2010).
A task group operates under the guidance of a leader. A task group comprises members with different skills and experiences who need to be guided by a democratic leader. The contribution of every member within a task group is very important and this means that members can only be heard through a democratic arrangement (Levi, 2010). The need to reach a consensus can lead to poor decision-making within a group. Lack of conflicts and opposing opinions is not good for a group when it comes to decision-making (Haynes, 2012).
There are quite a several strategies that a group can use to avoid groupthink. The first strategy is to allow conflicts and opposing views within a group through brainstorming (Levi, 2010). Conflicts should be seen as an essential part of decision-making within a group. Every member in a group should be given an equal opportunity to make their contribution to the matter at hand (Levi, 2010). A group should also incorporate external perspectives from professionals as a way of avoiding groupthink (Levi, 2010).
References
Adler, N. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Haynes, N. (2012). Group dynamics: Basics and pragmatics for practitioners. New York, NY: University Press of America.
Levi, D. (2010). Group dynamics for teams. New York, NY: SAGE.