As the manager of a busy call center for a healthcare organization, I noted that the volume of calls had doubled over the past year. Although I do not have the budget to hire additional staff, I did have an additional $20,000 to spend on my department to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
I plan to look for strategies for creating a capable team that can help improve the efficiency and customer service in my department. This plan will be beneficial to both my team and I. To me, this strategy will enhance the productivity of my department. Building a team comes with a lot of challenges. The collaborative nature of team members will teach the members of my department how to work together most effectively, therefore, improving productivity. This strategy will also keep the employees motivated by improving their communication and problem-solving skills.
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Strategies used to create an effective team
The first and most effective approach to use when it comes to creating a capable healthcare team is to lead by example. This will motivate the team to communicate effectively, work harder, and keep the facility moving forward by producing excellent results. Leading by example, means that I will treat my responsibilities and relationships with my juniors the same way I would want them to.
For a team to grow, mutual trust between employees and the company as a whole should exist. Without respect and trust, nothing in the facility will get done. I will ensure that team members trust each other and perform their responsibilities well. I will also create a platform that will grow their trust in me to guide them in the right direction.
Furthermore, I will encourage open and proper communication. Communication is a critical factor when it comes to team building. In this case, I will ensure that the members of my department share ideas, voice their opinions, and make suggestions, not only among themselves but also with their superiors. This way, they will be able to report anything that can be threatening to the facility.
Additionally, I will ensure that every member of my team has a role and responsibility. Having a clear role and responsibility will enable the team members to work on achieving a specific goal individually. This strategy with reducing the time spent in the delegation and organization of work as everyone will have something to work on. As a result, more customers will be served, and the confusion will be limited.
To achieve specific objectives, measurable goals should be put in place. I will set a goal that will motivate the team to work towards achieving. This goal will be within a specific timeframe such that the team as a whole, as well as individually, can measure themselves against. When the team achieves the goal, I will ensure that I praise and recognize each and everyone in the organization. In this case, their confidence and morale will be lifted, and they will be motivated to keep up the excellent work.
Finally, I will ensure that my team takes part in the decision-making process of the department. In this case, their connection and investment in the team will be solidified. This is because they will feel like they are an integral part of the department and that their opinions have weight in making decisions ("Interprofessional Teamwork - The Basics," 2010) .
Why teams are essential
Teamwork is essential in every industry. Cooperation promotes a platform that encourages loyalty and friendship. These relationships tend to align employees to work harder, be supportive, and to cooperate ( Bruera, 2018) .
A team comprises of individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and personalities. When not encouraged, these differences might pose many challenges. When encouraged, these differences might be significant in achieving the overall goals and objectives of an organization. This is because solving problems and undertaking specific tasks will be made easier. Working as a team means that everyone would be working towards achieving the same goal in harmony.
How teams are used in other industries
In other industries such as aviation, teamwork is used in the effective and efficient completion of tasks. Due to the high number of passengers every day, working as a team ensures that passengers get from one place to the other with ease. There is usually communication between teams at the airport until the airplane takes off. These teams include that in the cockpit, in the tower, and on the ground.
In the military, working as a team is a daily routine. The soldiers communicate with each other as well as the teams in the offices during a mission. In-car racing, teamwork applies in the sense that two drivers are going out onto the track, and use their knowledge of the car to win.
Best practices from other industries that could be applied in the healthcare industry
There are various practices from other industries that can help in improving the healthcare industry's services. The financial sector has taught the healthcare industry to computerize its records. The restaurant industry has shown the healthcare industry to be standardized. The agriculture industry has taught the healthcare industry the importance of creating efficient and more prominent producers.
The aviation industry has taught the healthcare sector of safety manuals to provide better medical procedures. Starbucks has provided the healthcare sector with lessons on customer service. Lastly and most importantly, NASCAR has helped the healthcare industry to understand the importance of a team that is disciplined.
Organizational processes that will affect or influence the decision-making process to improve efficiency and customer service
Various processes affect or influence the decision-making process to improve efficiency and customer service. First, the type of leadership style influences the performance of the team. Besides, technological advances improve customer service. Proper and effective communication also ensures that customer service is excellent. Additionally, the economic status, politics, and change that takes place in the facility also determine the type of customer service provided ( Ejimabo, 2015).
Resources or tools that can be offered to your staff to help with efficiency and customer service
To improve the efficiency of customer service, I will provide various resources and tools. First, my employees, both new and old, will be trained to undertake their tasks in a faster way. Apart from training, they will also get opportunities to develop and continue their education on customer service and various other aspects. This can be most important when it comes to phone etiquette and in dealing with demanding customers.
Another resource that can be offered to my team is relevant articles that have points that the team might incorporate to improve customer care services. Also, call center software can be used to manage the demands of the customers. Finally, automation tools can be purchased by the little available funds to create workflows that automatically execute. This will save a lot of time used in repeating the same steps as these tools will highly organize the work.
Recommendations
To achieve all the goals we set as a team, I recommend partial funding by the finance department of the organization since my department is one of the most important ones when it comes to service delivery. Additionally, I would recommend that the members of my department be provided with enough automated tools that would make their work more comfortable and more effective.
Conclusions
Every department in an organization requires employees that work as a team. Working as a team improves productivity and closes room for error. As a team, tasks are done in unison, and errors are spotted easily by colleagues. While working together, maximum skills are applied in tackling a situation. Furthermore, achieving a projected result is the team’s mandate and not an individual’s.
References
Bruera, E. (2018). Communication and Teamwork. Oxford Medicine Online . doi: 10.1093/med/9780190633066.003.0023
Ejimabo, N. O. (2015). The Influence of Decision Making in Organizational Leadership and Management Activities. Journal of Entrepreneurship & Organization Management , 04 (02). doi: 10.4172/2169-026x.1000138
Interprofessional Teamwork - The Basics. (2010). Interprofessional Teamwork for Health and Social Care , 10–23. doi: 10.1002/9781444325027.ch1
