Strategic Pivots in Board Governance: Embracing Adaptive Reuse — Anthony Ventress
In healthcare, effective collaboration across specialties, departments, and shifts is not just beneficial — it is critical. Having spent over 25 years shaping strategies, teams, and operations in healthcare, I’ve seen firsthand how coordination and communication — or lack thereof — can directly impact patient care and outcomes. The challenge has always been balancing technical proficiency with cohesive teamwork in environments where time-sensitive decisions are constant, and team compositions shift frequently.
Harvard Business Review, “Improving On-the-Fly Teamwork in Health Care,” presents an insightful examination of one of healthcare’s enduring challenges — achieving seamless teamwork under chaotic conditions. The article suggests that “fast-paced communication and coordination on the fly” is needed, especially in 24/7 operations like emergency departments.
In my experience, this notion hits home. The need for “team scaffolds” — the temporary structures proposed to support coordination among shifting team members — aligns with what I’ve seen work in real-time. The healthcare industry has long relied on role-based coordination, but as the article highlights, roles alone cannot bridge the gap when team members focus too narrowly on their responsibilities, neglecting the broader goal.
One key takeaway is the importance of structural scaffolds that clarify roles, set shared goals, and ensure accountability within constantly shifting teams. This mirrors my own belief that technology and human collaboration should work hand-in-hand to connect caregivers not only to data but also to each other. For instance, co-locating nurses and doctors, as described in the article, is a practical solution that fosters better accountability and communication. It reminds me of the critical changes I oversaw at GE and Clinisys, where we improved performance by integrating streamlined IT systems to enhance coordination among clinicians.
However, these team scaffolds require strong leadership to succeed. The authors emphasize the need for “thoughtful leadership” to explain goals and engage teams, and I agree that simply imposing a system without the buy-in of the staff will lead to failure. Leaders should frame these changes as collaborative learning journeys, constantly iterating based on feedback. It’s an approach I’ve consistently employed — investing in people, listening to feedback, and fine-tuning processes based on real-world insights.
Overall, the article effectively addresses the tension between technical role execution and cross-boundary teamwork in healthcare. By embedding teamwork in the infrastructure of day-to-day operations and fostering open, ongoing communication, healthcare providers can better manage the complexities of modern patient care, ultimately leading to better outcomes and operational efficiency.
Read the original article here.
Anthony Ventress is a senior technical and services executive in the medical device industry. An inclusive leader with a global cultural perspective, he is devoted to building authentic, long-term relationships. He leads with a never-failing positive attitude that helps companies turn problems into solutions, drive growth and revenue, and keep teams motivated and aligned.
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