You're leading an interdisciplinary healthcare team. How can you successfully integrate new team members?

My team now is from a diverse background. From experience to education to even family and personal backgrounds, many bring differing perspectives to create synergy. We learn from one another through much interactions and working together. Diversity is in our DNA.

From my experience the whole Team right from the beginning should best comprise of not just disruptive and amazing CVs; more importantly they have to be Team players (everyone says they are, most are not). Most should be open minded, willing to accept change and new energy; willing to teach and learn from each other. New people bring in a different perspective and experience. In fact a diverse team can be excellent or very destructive depending on how it was managed at the beginning. Be open, flexible, transparent, willing to share and learn.

Valora y fomenta la diversidad de puntos de vista, habilidades y experiencias. Realiza programas de capacitación y sensibilización cultural. Facilita la incorporación de nuevos miembros mediante un proceso de inducción que enfatiza el trabajo en equipo y el respeto mutuo. Promueve un entorno de aprendizaje continuo que brinde oportunidades de crecimiento profesional y espacios seguros para compartir experiencias. Esto mejora la cohesión del equipo y la atención médica.

There is a tendency to stereotype and put people in boxes, especially when interacting with those of an ethnic different to us. Anecdotally, I observed this unconscious bias time and time again; the look in the eye when you speak with an "accent". at that point, it seems the next thing is to find out "where you're from" Hence, self-awareness is an essential ingredient when welcoming diverse people into your team. No matter how curious the team leader is, be aware to leave that line of questioning until later!

Utiliza reuniones regulares y plataformas digitales para establecer canales de comunicación abiertos y accesibles. Para evitar malentendidos, proporciona instrucciones y expectativas precisas. Hace que los miembros del equipo se sientan cómodos haciendo preguntas y brindando comentarios. Para reforzar mensajes importantes, use herramientas escritas y visuales. La comunicación clara mejora la cohesión del equipo y facilita la integración de nuevos miembros, optimizando la atención al paciente.

Clarity in interactive communication cannot be over-emphasised at the inception of a new team member. Formally welcoming them into the team at your next team meeting is crucial. Note that organizational culture, good or bad, must make it into the discussion. This would remove chinese whispers and misrepresentation. I remembered an instance where it took a couple of weeks to the team meeting after a new staff joined the team. The Organization is notorious for an overactive grapevine, and within a few days, the staff had been regaled with all sorts of stories. It took a couple of meetings to debunk the effects and mentally get the staff back into a positive frame of mind to work in the unit

As leaders in healthcare, effective communication is essential. Clear, compassionate communication improves patient care and strengthens our teamwork. Let’s actively listen, share information transparently, and respect each other’s perspectives. Open dialogue fosters trust and collaboration, leading to better outcomes for our patients and a supportive work environment. By honing our communication skills, we can provide the best care and work cohesively as a team.

As leaders in healthcare, effective communication is essential. Clear, compassionate communication improves patient care and strengthens our teamwork. Let’s actively listen, share information transparently, and respect each other’s perspectives. Open dialogue fosters trust and collaboration, leading to better outcomes for our patients and a supportive work environment. By honing our communication skills, we can provide the best care and work cohesively as a team.

Implementa programas de mentoría en los que los miembros experimentados ayudan a los nuevos y brindan apoyo. Realiza seguimientos regulares para evaluar el progreso y establece objetivos claros. Fomenta una cultura en la que las personas aprenden constantemente y reciben retroalimentación constructiva. La mentoría mejora la cohesión del equipo, la integración de nuevos miembros y el desempeño general, lo que garantiza una atención al paciente de alta calidad.

It is crucial to have a local mentoring process separate from the organisation's. This would ensure that the integration of a new staff is thorough, reflective and also give you the assurance that you have a process that is fit for purpose. Expectations must be clarified, and opportunity given to the new staff to ask questions to support the assimilation process. A new staff must be supported to "find" their place within the team and be able to relate to other team members with ease. To help this process, a "buddy" in the team can be very helpful

Para mantenerse al día con las últimas tendencias y avances médicos, promueve la participación en cursos, talleres y conferencias relevantes. Utiliza grupos de estudio y sesiones de capacitación interna para compartir conocimientos y mejores prácticas. Para facilitar el acceso a materiales educativos, utiliza plataformas de aprendizaje electrónico. Fomenta una cultura donde el desarrollo profesional y el aprendizaje son valorados y apoyados. Esto mejora las habilidades del equipo, facilita la integración de nuevos miembros y garantiza una atención al paciente de primer nivel.

It is great when you have a new team member who is ambitious and open to learning! though sometimes, you may have someone who just wants to "hide" within the team! To manage this, it is important to be open, approachable and make all efforts to encourage participation by creating learning pathways, and if possible, with a rewards system

Feedback does not have to be overly detailed/comprehensive! Identify the best format of feedback, tailored to the individual and their role within the team. And feedback should be regular, comprising of both formal and informal: it is good for the staff to feel comfortable enough to discuss their ideas, suggestions and thoughts at the formal feedback meetings

Prepare your existing team to effectively include the new team members. Make them feel welcome from Day 1, and value the fresh perspective they will bring to the table.

Integration of any new team member starts with the right selection process. I always ensure my team's culture is homogenous, prioritizing attitude over an impressive CV. Technical skills can be taught, but attitude cannot. We have a comprehensive orientation process that goes beyond technical training. Each newcomer is assigned a mentor for guidance, ensuring they are oriented socially as well. We provide information on the best restaurants, shopping spots, and more. This approach has proven effective in helping new members blend in quickly. We adopt a family approach rather than a strict corporate one.

This is excellent, and makes a lot of sense. More employers should follow this lead. Many employers reject a candidate as a “bad cultural fit” after a 30-60 minute interview. Corporate culture is learned on the job.

Comprehensive Onboarding - Key to successful integration of a new team member starts with a successful onboarding process that includes a detailed orientation covering the team’s goals, roles, and responsibilities. This makes sure they understand the workflows, protocols, and communication channels used by the team, for example, familiarize them with electronic health record systems and multidisciplinary meeting formats. A thorough onboarding helps new members feel more comfortable and confident in their roles, fostering better collaboration and efficiency from the start.

Anytime new members are added, they should be given special consideration when recommending changes. They bring a fresh perspective to the company, and may notice areas that can be improved simply because everyone else has become accustomed to it. When hiring a new marketer at our skilled nursing facilities, I would always ask them to note whatever negative first impressions they had of the building. By going there every day, regular employees would grow calloused to some of the blatant eye sores, but the new hire could easily identify them and suggest some simple improvements.