Provision of quality health services remain the primary objective of any health institution. It is critical for all the stakeholders in a health system to ensure that they work towards improving patient safety and their well-being. As a result, effective and efficient leadership strategies designed to improve the quality of services provided has become an important topic. It is imperative to point out that teamwork and cohesion amongst the players in the healthcare sector remain fundamental to maintaining the required quality levels. Consequently, the concept of dysfunctional leadership in the industry has become increasingly important over the years (Hoffman, 2012). It is worth noting that leadership team is the most valuable asset of any organization and can also be its worst liability. This paper will, therefore, have an in-depth analysis of team dynamics, unit cohesion and quality issue in healthcare management.

As aforementioned, the primary objective of any healthcare organization is ensuring that they improve the quality of health within their areas of jurisdiction. This noble role will hugely be determined by the quality of leadership present in these healthcare institutions. Although no single type of personality defines success in healthcare leadership, there are traits and practices that if followed will lead to enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of health services. For instance, fruitful and efficient leaders are always known to have a vision and a strategy for the future. Also, effective and efficient leadership must be good role models as well as inspire the good performance from the team members and hence achieve the common goal.  In essence, effective and efficient leaders in healthcare systems are known to have some basic tendencies that help them fulfill their primary objective.

In the real sense, provision of quality healthcare services in a health system calls for an effective team work where every team member works towards caring and working for the patient. Nevertheless, this is not always the case as some team members may develop some dysfunctional team behavior. When these behaviors arise, it becomes difficult for the whole system to work towards the desired quality levels. Dysfunctional behavior may be as a result of weak leadership, too much deference to authority, free riding, communication breakdown and blocking group think among others. It is vital to point out that these dysfunctional behaviors severely affect the team’s performance level. Consequently, it is the role of the management to offer quality leadership and design quality improvement strategies.

It is important for managers and leaders in these healthcare organizations to ensure that they do all they can to reduce the devastating effects of dysfunction. For instance, leaders must try to influence the extent to which dysfunctional behaviors disrupt effective team functioning. In fact, those in leadership positions must try to inspire and motivate the team members towards achieving quality health care standards. This can only be achieved through building a cohesive and a strong team. As healthcare continues to evolve into Accountable Care Organizations and patient-centered medical homes, it will continue to require increasing collaboration. It is in this sense that managers and leaders in these organizations must be proactive in ensuring cohesion, accountability, and transparency amongst the team players. Building a strong team also entails proper allocation of talents. By so doing, the organization’s leadership will help inspire and motivate players to complete their tasks and in a comprehensive way. This calls for leaders in such organizations to recruit individuals who complement each other’s skills and bring together a diverse set of ideas and experiences (“The Interprofessional Health Care Team: Leadership and Development”, 2013). Such instances will give the team confidence and morale and consequently improve the quality levels of healthcare services provided.

Efficient and effective leadership must also consider innovative and unconventional ideas aimed at quality improvement in the healthcare sector. As a leader, it is vital to acknowledge that innovation and new ideas can come from anywhere and anyone.  It is, therefore, imperative to challenge the status quo and explore for alternatives that will help improve quality standards in the sector (Nelson, 2012). If a healthcare industry embraces new ways of doing things, there are high chances that there will be increased motivation as well as reduced boredom. This implies that all the team members will be motivated to work and care for the patients through innovations. It is, however, instrumental to point out that this can only be realized through an environment that encourages people to embrace new ideas and take calculated risks.

Effective and efficient management of dysfunctional behavior may also consider redirecting the negative feelings into a productive manner. It is important for leaders and managers to take these challenges as a learning experience that will be instrumental in improving future happenings within their respective organizations. The management can build on these traits to improve service delivery in future. It also helps the management to embrace changes which are inevitable in a health care setup.  It is wise to point out that successful leaders know why and when to take action (Hoffman, 2012). Quick and effective decision making are other instrumental aspects in effective and efficient leadership. In such instances, managers can detect and address problems as they arise. In spite of such efforts, organizations are unlikely to fully eliminate all dysfunctional behavior in their teams. In fact, managing dysfunction in an organization is a challenging task that calls for wisdom and determination.

References

Hoffman, R. (2012). A guide to effective leadership in health care organizations.

Nelson, H. (2012). Dysfunctional Health Service Conflict. The Health Care Manager, 31(2), 178-191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/hcm.0b013e31825206f3

The Interprofessional Health Care Team: Leadership and Development. (2013). Leadership In Health Services, 26(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lhs.21126daa.008

Wolf, J. (2011). Organization development in healthcare. Bingley: Emerald Group.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?