Hank Q2/Q3-2018
See the whole issueKeep Your Eye on the Prize
Our Focus Areas help teams focus on what really matters.
How to stop being distracted by shiny objects
Let's be real: If everything is important, nothing is important. The prize for us is providing high-quality care and service at an affordable price to our members, patients and communities we serve — and the Focus Areas section of LMPartnership.org is a tool for helping unit-based teams prioritize their work and stay grounded.
What will you find here? Let’s start with the Value Compass. The Focus Areas section has pages that go in depth on each of the four points — Quality, Service, Affordability and Best Place to Work. You also can learn more about topics that are part of the National Agreement, including Total Health and Workplace Safety, Workforce Planning and Development (Workforce of the Future), and Union and KP Growth.
And then two pages are specifically for improving your team’s culture — which will in turn improve performance (we have the stats to prove it). The Join the Team, Be the Change page has tips and tools for improving team communication and engagement, while the Free to Speak page will help you build a Speak Up culture on your team.
Join the team, be the change!
How do you get your unit-based team to be excited about the work? Why would staff members want to be involved? How do you get those quiet people — who you just know have great ideas — to speak up?
Ideas to answer these questions and many more are found on the Join the Team, Be the Change page of the website. You’ll find tips and tools for improving team communication, the first step in getting employees interested and involved.
But it doesn’t stop there. As communication improves, it’s easier for the team to pull together and solve problems — which in turn raises morale and can foster a sense of joy at work. Teams with good communication have more fun, report higher engagement, have better People Pulse scores and are rated higher on the Path to Performance.
And when employees are happy and satisfied with their jobs, our members and patients feel the difference in the care we give. Have fun with your team and make things happen!
On LMPartnership.org, click on Focus Areas and then select Total Health and Workplace Safety. Keep scrolling until you see Have Some Fun. Choose one of the puzzles or comics to share with your team. Having fun with your teammates can help reduce stress — and the activity will help you get familiar with resources available on the site, which also can reduce your stress!
Take Action: Reduce Stress on Your Team
Do you feel safe speaking up?
If you work at Kaiser Permanente, you have the right to speak up and to be heard. Your voice is critical to keeping our patients, team members and yourself safe.
The Labor Management Partnership’s Free to Speak campaign is helping to build a culture where all employees feel comfortable speaking up, and where managers create safe spaces to do so. The campaign complements the messages of KP's Speak Up program, which underscores not just the right to speak up but the responsibility to do so.
If you already feel safe speaking up, then keep on talking — and learn how to help others speak up, too. If you’ve been reluctant to share your ideas and concerns, the time to start is now. The fliers, posters and infographics available for download at LMPartnership.org/free-to-speak show why every voice matters — and how to ensure all voices get heard.
The national LMP communications team also offers in-person, on-site trainings for teams that need help feeling Free to Speak.