Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com March 13, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 15 The Importance of Fostering Engagement at Work As a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care systems in the nation, Trinity Health – New England is guided by Trinity Health's People-Centered 2020 Strategic Plan. Last month I wrote about the concept of "people- centered" care; this month I'll share some thoughts around "Engaged Colleagues," the second focus area of our plan. What exactly do we mean by engaged colleagues? It's important to note that there is a distinction between engaged and satisfied. Satisfied employees can do their job and do it well, but a truly engaged colleague takes that to a different level. Engaged associates find meaning and purpose in their work. They show discretionary effort, and have an emotional commitment to their work that fuels them to go above and beyond, and to go the extra mile. In health care we may have a head start in this realm because so many of the people who enter this field do so out of an intrinsic desire to serve others. This is especially true in a faith- based setting such as Trinity Health – New England, but I believe it extends across all health care providers. Some of the most dedicated, committed people in the world work in health care and we are all privileged to have them on our teams. However, even an innate desire to help others may not be enough in today's hyper-dynamic, hyper-challenging environment. Engagement is the "secret sauce" that makes the difference and helps achieve remarkable results. We pride ourselves on being a people-centered organization, but how do we know we are carrying out this promise? Last year, colleagues throughout our region participated in a colleague engagement and safety survey that was administered throughout Trinity Health to over 120,000 colleagues across the country. Once the survey was complete, our work had just begun. The results were utilized by functional leaders to improve our organization and enhance our work place, also creating the best care experiences for our patients. More recently, we gathered our entire regional management team for a full day "Positive Leadership" training event. It was a powerful experience to have several hundred dedicated, energized health care leaders gathered together. The day focused not only on techniques to be a better manager, but also the science behind engagement. The science says that in order to be effective we need to make an important shift away from a purely cognitive mindset to one that is emotional and relationship-based. It turns out that it is emotion, not logic, that resonates with people. And it is emotional connections that drive engagement. Ultimately, engagement delivers real, measurable results. In business it leads to customer loyalty, increased sales, and stronger business performance. In health care that means higher quality, improved safety, fewer errors and an overall better health care experience. We think that's worth investing in. And, it's why engaged colleagues are such an integral part of our overall strategic plan. TrinityHealth-NE.org Christopher M. Dadlez President and Chief Executive Officer Trinity Health – New England The power of people starts with our own colleagues.

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