Summary
A Workplace Environment Assessment has been completed with regard to the workplace in question using a standardized form. Based on this process, the overall civility score of the environment has been determined as 82, which corresponds with a moderately healthy workplace environment. In other words, there is an observable presence of positive aspects within the organization. On the other hand, some flaws have also been revealed when completing the assessment. First, there is a lack of a uniform approach to organizational culture in the workplace. In many cases, the actual situation does not reflect the proclaimed mission of the institution and its values. Thus, such disparities create a disjoint workplace atmosphere, impeding further progress. Employee engagement and mentoring are other problematic points that stem from the overall lack of uniformity. In addition, certain improvements are required in terms of conflict-solving and workload-balancing aspects.
Within the workplace assessment, two surprising outcomes have been identified, as well. One of them is inherently related to the previously outlined flaws in conflict-solving practices. The report has revealed a lack of conflict resolution skills at the workplace. In other words, the responsible people fail to provide a fitting solution to the problems experienced by the employees. Most of the workers reported that the issues they address still persist in spite of the alleged efforts. As a result, these problems become systemic in nature, causing long-term difficulties in the workplace. The second surprising point consists of the inefficiency of the organization’s mentoring program. While it is alleged to be comprehensive, new nurses tend to remain dissatisfied with the quality of mentoring they receive. The issue lies in the time factor, as more experienced colleagues simply do not have enough of it. As for the workload balance, the dissatisfactory results for this point are problematic but predictable, which is why they were not particularly surprising.
Reviewing the Literature
In light of the influence of unhealthy aspects of the workplace environment on the productivity and well-being of employees, the subject matter has become a major point of interest for experts and researchers. As identified in the Workplace Environment Assessment, the connection between the proclaimed mission of an organization and the actual situation is often inconsistent. In other words, the efforts to promote civil relations within the team remain insufficient to ensure the comfort of all workers (Clark et al., 2011). This way, an array of issues emerges within a workplace that manifests itself in the form of job dissatisfaction, internal conflicts, lower productivity, and higher turnover intentions (Griffin & Clark, 2014). Modern researchers attempt to address the problem from various perspectives, and one of the leading paradigms relies on effective communication. This framework implies positive interaction within the workplace, consisting of active listening and productive exchange of ideas.
Communication is an instrument that is both simple and sophisticated, which explains its complexity. From one perspective, it is a natural activity in which most people engage on a regular basis. In the workplace, this means talking to one’s colleagues and patients, as well as listening. On the other hand, communication often remains superficial and does not yield tangible results. The article by Clark (2015) aims to highlight the influence of effective communication on improving the workplace environment. The author argues that this concept is multi-faceted and includes such aspects as cooperation, recognition, and leadership. These blocks construct an effective communication line in which ideas and views are expressed freely. The idea is to avoid misunderstanding by creating an environment in which team members feel prompted to speak freely. Even in the most positive workplaces, issues are likely to appear at a certain point. Unless there is an efficient channel of internal communication, they are accumulated within. In the end, even minor issues may overwhelm the employees, sowing conflicts across the organization. It is essential to prevent this situation by implementing viable interventions aimed at a civil environment.
In this regard, effective communication in its profound form may become the intervention that is needed for the discussed organization. Clark (2015) notes that healthcare organizations represent a workplace environment that is stressful on due to the nature of the profession. Medical teams work under serious pressure, pursuing their noble mission, but the stress may eventually overwhelm them. Clark (2015) urges decision-makers to make the required modifications from the perspective of effective communication. This means creating actual formats through which team members can express their concerns without the fear of feeling disregarded by others. For the management, this paradigm implies that they should openly acknowledge the information they receive to substantiate their aspirations (Clark, 2018). For example, if a team member addresses their supervisor with a specific concern regarding another employee’s indecent behavior, they should be able to perceive the actual measures taken afterward. Otherwise, the same situation will persist when the employees do not feel that their information is taken and processed with due seriousness. Overall, Clark’s intervention can ensure major improvements in terms of workplace civility while requiring few resources.
Evidence-Based Strategies to Create High-Performance Interprofessional Teams
The shortcomings that have been identified in the course of the Work Environment Assessment require to be addressed through evidence-based interventions. The first intervention at the core of the proposed paradigm shift relies on the framework that is illustrated by Clark (2015). More specifically, effective communication is to become the primary tool that should guide positive workplace relations and civility within the institution. The investigation made by Clark (2018) reveals that the teams, in which the level of communication is objectively strong, demonstrate better performance and productivity, supporting the mission of the organization. For this scenario, this implies the creation of viable dialog formats. Specifically, team members should have access to regular weekly and monthly meetings in both individual and group discussion formats with the management. During them, they will express their concerns, and the leaders will be required to return with in-depth feedback regarding the situation.
In addition, the projected improvement of civility in the workplace is associated with profound transformations within the institution. This process needs to rely on a well-established framework for facilitating change in professional environments (Broome & Marshall, 2021). Kotter’s model of change appears to be a fitting intervention to accompany the one that is based on Clark’s (2015) framework. This model is an eight-step cycle that guides decision-makers toward introducing and institutionalizing change in the workplace (Baloh et al., 2018). Within it, the very first step appears to be crucial, as it refers to creating a sense of urgency among the employees. Spoken differently, all team members and supervisors are required to understand why the proposed intervention is necessary and what can be achieved by implementing it. This has not been done at the described workplace, which explains the observed inconsistencies within the organization. Overall, the identified problems are not unique to this institution as they remain across multiple settings. Nevertheless, such inconsistencies outweigh otherwise positive aspects of the work environment, undermining the ability of the team to perform at its maximum.
References
Baloh, J., Zhu, X., & Ward, M. M. (2018). Implementing team huddles in small rural hospitals: How does the Kotter model of change apply? Journal of Nursing Management, 26(5), 571–578.
Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Clark, C. M. (2015). Conversations to inspire and promote a more civil workplace.American Nurse Today, 10(11), 18–23. Web.
Clark, C. M. (2018). Combining cognitive rehearsal, simulation, and evidence-based scripting to address incivility. Nurse Educator.
Clark, C. M., Olender, L., Cardoni, C., Kenski, D. (2011). Fostering civility in nursing education and practice. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(7/8), 324–330.
Griffin, M., & Clark, C. M. (2014). Revisiting cognitive rehearsal as an intervention against incivility and lateral violence in nursing: 10 years later. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(12), 535–542.