OR Manager - January 2018 - 19

Success Stories
how to facilitate effectively, " Gorgone
says. Steering group members, who
served as facilitators, first told participants
why the meeting was being held,
and then shared expectations, asked
questions, and fostered discussion
(sidebar at right).
" We would say, 'many people have
come to us to say that we're not working
well as a team, and that we're not
talking to each other,' " Gorgone says.
" We would add, 'this is our time to talk
to each other.' "
Facilitators had to understand that
the meeting wasn't the time to defend
programs or resolve issues. " It was a
lesson in restraint because naturally
you want to resolve any misunderstandings, "
Gorgone says.
Sometimes facilitators needed to
" reel in " those who started to dominate
the conversation. But these meetings
gave staff an opportunity to speak freely
to surgeons and leaders. " Some of the
most verbose and engaged employees
were the ones rightly or wrongly perceived
as having less political capital,
such as central supply and environmental
services staff, " Gorgone says.
Feedback was often direct and simple.
For instance, an employee would
tell a surgeon how much a simple thank
you at the end of a case meant in terms
of loyalty, engagement, and respect.
Once things were out in the open,
misconceptions among peers could be
addressed. " What's very common in
surgical suites is the surgeon versus
the shift worker mentality, " Gorgone
says. " The surgeons feel they are the
ones who are working the earliest and
the latest, while staff punch the time
clock and go home. " Staff would respond
with, " Doctor, I understand, but
you're only seeing it the 1 day a week
that you are here. I'm here 5 or 6 days
a week, and this is how we see it. "
Surgeons would then nod their heads in
understanding. It was this openness to
understanding another side that helped
the group tear down some walls.
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Professional Engagement and Employee
Relations (PEER) Meetings
Steering committee members who
facilitated the group meetings at
Geisinger Medical Center used the
following guidelines.
Share expectations with participants
➤Please be respectful of all the
members of the group.
➤This is a closed group; please
keep the conversation in this room
confidential.
➤Please be open and honest.
➤We want you to feel comfortable.
Questions
Emphasize our appreciation to their
commitment in their position and
thank them for participating. Ask the
group to introduce themselves, and
explain this is an opportunity to get
to know each other. Below are suggested
questions; you do not need to
ask all of them.
➤Think back to a time in the last
week when you have been at least
slightly frustrated in your current
role. What are the factors that
contributed to your frustration?
➤If you were your own manager, what
would you do differently that current
" The staff knew what we were doing,
and they wanted to get on board, " Gorgone
says.
Reporting results
The steering committee first reported
results to staff because, as Gorgone
says, " We wanted to make sure we got
it right. " The open sessions weren't as
well attended as the original peer meetings,
so reporting switched to be part of
the Surgical Suite Town Hall. Held every
2 months, the town hall is open to everyone
who engages with the surgical
suite, from pharmacy to administrators
to operation managers to staff.
" The advantage is that everyone
leadership does not do?
➤ If given the opportunity to
redesign your current role
(or surgical suite), what key
factors would you include?
➤ What suggestions do you have
for increasing communication
and teamwork?
➤ What is one thing you would
change (or continue) that
would have the biggest impact
on your role (or the surgical suite)?
➤ If you had to describe the OR
experience in three words, what
would they be?
➤ Tell me about a time when the
day went well. What factors
contributed to this experience?
➤ Would you have surgery in this
suite? Why?
Role of steering group member
➤ Refrain from defending or
resolving issues.
➤ Keep a neutral disposition.
➤ Do not let any one person or
group dominate the conversation.
➤ Encourage participants to talk
to each other as opposed to you.
hears the same thing at the same time,
although discussion isn't as robust as
during smaller meetings, " Gorgone says.
The issues identified through the
PEER groups are familiar to most OR
leaders. These included misalignment
of mission, ie, staff felt there was a
culture of blame and more focus on process
than patient. Group participants
suggested a common language for communication
and a better understanding
of one another's role.
After the findings were shared with
Geisinger's executive leadership, small
groups addressed the issues, using the
framework of Patrick Lencioni's book,
Continued on page 23
OR Manager | January 2018 19
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OR Manager - January 2018

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