As a healthcare consultant who specializes in balanced scorecard strategic planning, I've spent countless hours facilitating employee focus groups across numerous health centers. No matter the location, size, or specialty of the organization, I keep hearing the same themes emerge.
What's fascinating isn't just the consistency of these concerns, but the deeper meanings beneath them. Today, I want to share three of the most common themes I encounter, and more importantly, translate what your employees are really saying when they voice these concerns.
1. "We don't feel valued."
What They're Saying:
In focus group after focus group, staff frequently mention a lack of recognition for their contributions. They share stories of working through breaks, staying late to complete documentation, and going above and beyond for patients - yet rarely receiving acknowledgment.
What They're Really Feeling:
Your team members feel invisible. Their sacrifices are taken for granted. Many healthcare professionals express that they're seen as interchangeable parts in a machine rather than skilled individuals with unique contributions.
What They Want:
They're not asking for elaborate reward systems. What they truly desire is simple, consistent recognition that acknowledges their specific efforts. This doesn't necessarily mean monetary rewards - often, public acknowledgment in team meetings, personalized notes from leadership, or even just a sincere "thank you" for specific contributions would make a significant difference. Generic or mass-produced appreciation emails often fall flat. The recognition that resonates is specific, timely, and personal.
My Recommendation:
Start being intentional about recognition and appreciation. I had cards created with fun sayings on them related to their good work and then I would write messages to people as I observed something they did or someone else told me about something they did. We also had staff nominate an employee of the month who would get a personalized gift and highlighted in the newspaper.
2. "We're being asked to do more without compensation."
What They're Saying:
Across health centers, employees consistently point to steadily increasing responsibilities. Additional documentation requirements, expanded patient loads, and new compliance demands continue to pile up without corresponding adjustments to compensation.
What They're Really Feeling:
Your team feels that the implicit contract between employer and employee has been broken. They perceive that their goodwill and professional dedication are being exploited, leading to frustration and diminished trust in leadership.
What They Want:
Healthcare employees understand financial constraints, but they want transparency around workload expectations and how they relate to compensation. If additional duties are necessary, they want leadership to acknowledge the added burden and either adjust compensation or redistribute responsibilities.
Important note: This becomes particularly challenging when you're chronically understaffed. I recommend that some of the vacancy savings be reinvested in the people who are there and taking on more responsibilities. Without this reinvestment, your most dedicated employees eventually burn out or leave.
3. "Our technology is outdated and slows us down."
What They're Saying:
Staff describe spending excessive time waiting for systems to load, wrestling with non-intuitive interfaces, and manually entering data that could be automated. The frustration is palpable when they discuss technology barriers.
What They're Really Feeling:
Your team feels hamstrung in their ability to deliver excellent care. They're frustrated that technical limitations prevent them from working at the level of efficiency and quality they know is possible. This creates a constant undercurrent of irritation throughout their workday.
What They Want:
Investment in tools that enable rather than hinder their work. They understand budgetary constraints but want leadership to prioritize technology improvements that directly impact clinical efficiency.
Most importantly, they want to be consulted about technology decisions. Your frontline staff have valuable insights about workflow pain points that IT departments may not see. The most successful technology implementations I've witnessed have involved users from the earliest planning stages.
What I recommend:
Use a 3rd party IT consultant to do an assessment on your entire IT infrastructure. They will be able to tell you exactly where your IT is not working well, how to better integrate software systems, what investments to make and when, and how to find funding opportunities to help pay for those upgrades. I used Vijay Sammeta with Civic Foundry to assess our infrastructure, and he was instrumental in creating a step-by-step technology replacement plan, increasing our security, and helping us find and apply for funding opportunities that helped pay for the new technology. Email Vijay with Jill Steeley in the subject line and he will give you a free 2-hour mini assessment. [email protected]
Listening Between the Lines
The health centers that thrive in today's challenging environment are those that develop the ability to hear what employees are really saying. Beyond the immediate concerns lies valuable intelligence about operational improvements, engagement opportunities, and retention strategies.
Next week, I'll share three more common themes I'm hearing in employee focus groups, along with their translations. In the meantime, I encourage you to listen more deeply to what your own staff may be telling you.
Is your organization experiencing similar challenges? I specialize in facilitating meaningful conversations with healthcare employees that reveal the underlying issues affecting engagement, productivity, and retention. These insights become the foundation for effective strategic planning and organizational development.
Ready to hear what your employees are really saying? Let's talk about how my focus group facilitation and strategic planning services can help your organization bridge the gap between leadership vision and frontline reality.
Book a free 30-minute consultation →
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