Sunday, June 21, 2015

Anti-Teamwork: Management Doesn't Listen


StrangeTony,

Do you have any advice for hospice employees working for managers who say they believe in teamwork but act autocratically, who say they're open to input but never seek it, who hold it against employees finally fed up enough to take the risk to speak out? 

This is all the more jarring in hospice with its interdisciplinary team emphasis.  How can hospice be a team when management views us as a collection of individual parts that must be controlled, directed,, externally motivated, kept in the dark, even micromanaged?   

My company lets anything go management wise as long as census and admissions are fine.  They believe our Branch Manager is solely responsible for good volumes and positive budget performance, as opposed to the sixty seven non-management employees busting their backside to provide great service on a daily basis.

Should volumes drop our Branch Manager delegates blame to anyone but them.  Corporate nits suddenly start hovering around looking for who to pressure, reduce or eliminate.  They offer exhortations like "pick up the pace."

A wise physician's message to corporate types:  Take care of patients and employees and census will follow. Nobody's listening.

Anonymous (from Gentiva, a Kindred at Home company)

2 comments:

  1. A good business model is not a good health model.

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  2. This post is disheartening to read, but it is true. So many hospice teams across the country are taking care of their patients IN SPITE of poor management. Poor leadership breeds poor leaders, and so on. These days, "success" is paid for in overworked and under appreciated field staff. Hopeless...

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