Leading Sideways: Mentoring Leaders to Overcome 6 Frustrating Challenges To Creating a Culture of Coordination and Collaboration

BLIP-ZIP Executive Summary

Don’t forget to review my article, Leading Sideways! 4 Exciting Methods and 7 Critical Habits to Elevate Your Strategic Impact. Lateral leadership empowers individuals at all levels to drive change and improve healthcare outcomes. This article explores how mentorship programs can address challenges in creating a culture of collaboration and enhance efforts to tackle social determinants of health (SDOH). We can build more resilient and effective health systems by examining successful examples and addressing key obstacles. Check out the questions for discussion, professional development and learning activities, AI prompts, and hyperlinks for more information. Learn more at https://sheldr.com/

Introduction to Leading Sideways

Reference my recent article on Leading Sideways. Can leadership truly come from every level? Lateral leadership, a skill rather than a title, empowers everyone to lead and grow. By fostering a shared leadership culture, we can develop more leaders and address disparities in healthcare access. For example, mentorship programs like those in New York’s community health centers show how empowering all staff members can enhance morale and patient care. But how can we scale this leadership approach across healthcare systems?

How can lateral leadership transform our approach to social determinants of health (SDOH)? By fostering collaboration across community health organizations, we can address critical issues such as food insecurity and access to healthcare. Explore these dynamic examples to see how breaking down silos and building community bridges can enhance overall health and well-being. Here are some examples:

1. Community Health Workers (CHWs): CHWs often act as lateral leaders by bridging the gap between healthcare providers and the community. They work closely with local organizations to address issues like housing instability, food insecurity, and access to healthcare. A CHW might coordinate with a local food bank to ensure patients have access to nutritious food, thereby addressing a key social determinant of health.
2. School-Based Health Programs: Nurses and counselors in schools can lead initiatives to address SDOH by partnering with community organizations. The nurses might work with local mental health services to provide on-site counseling for students, addressing mental health needs directly within the school environment.
3. Public Health Campaigns: Public health professionals often lead campaigns that address SDOH by collaborating with various community stakeholders. An example is a public health nurse who organizes a vaccination drive in partnership with local businesses and community centers, ensuring that underserved populations receive necessary immunizations.
4. Integrated Care Models: Healthcare providers can form alliances with social care organizations to advocate for policies that promote creating and distributing resources to address SDOH. For example, healthcare organizations might call for policy changes to improve transportation services in a community, ensuring patients can access medical appointments and other essential services.
5. Community Information Exchanges (CIEs): Organizations like 2-1-1 San Diego have developed CIEs that link multiple social service organizations and health systems. These exchanges facilitate better coordination of care by sharing data and trends, helping address vulnerable individuals’ social needs more effectively.

These examples highlight how lateral leadership can drive meaningful change by leveraging community resources and fostering partnerships to address the social determinants of health. By leveraging lateral leadership, we can tackle the root causes of health disparities and improve access to vital resources. Initiatives like school-based health programs, public health campaigns, and community information exchanges showcase the power of collaborative approaches in addressing SDOH.

Leading Sideways Through Mentorship in Action

Lateral leadership is about empowering everyone to lead, regardless of their position. This approach is essential for reducing disparities in access to primary and social care services. In New York, a community health center implemented a mentorship program where experienced staff guided new employees in leadership skills. This initiative improved staff morale and enhanced patient care by fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.

Health systems are being encouraged to adopt a lateral leadership model by enabling nurses to take on leadership roles in patient care teams. This shift allows for more diverse perspectives in decision-making processes, leading to innovative solutions for patient care. Hospitals can see improvements in patient satisfaction and health outcomes as a result.

Creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to lead requires ongoing support and training. At Chicago’s Rush University, leaders are training health network professionals on interprofessional leadership: practical, state-of-the-art, research-based skills to empower leaders to increase their effectiveness, drive results, and build high-impact teams, especially in times of change. Participants will connect with colleagues and build strategic alliances within and across functional areas. These workshops helped break down hierarchical barriers and promoted a more inclusive environment.

In rural areas, where resources are often limited, lateral leadership can be particularly impactful. The University of Texas Health System is advancing lateral leadership by helping local health systems build coalitions of healthcare providers, social workers, and community leaders to address local health challenges. By sharing responsibilities and leveraging each other’s strengths, they created a more integrated and effective health system.

Value of Mentorship in Overcoming Challenges to Leading Sideways

Mentorship programs offer significant advantages but also come with challenges that can impact their success. From ensuring the right match between mentors and mentees to managing time constraints and resources, organizations must address these issues to make mentorship effective. Recognizing and implementing strategies to overcome these challenges is essential for fostering successful mentorship relationships and achieving long-term benefits. Implementing mentorship programs can be highly beneficial, but there are several challenges to consider:

1. Matching Mentors and Mentees: Finding the right match between mentors and mentees can be difficult. It’s important to pair individuals who have compatible personalities and professional goals. In some cases, mismatched pairs can lead to frustration and disengagement.
2. Time Constraints: Mentors and mentees often have busy schedules, making scheduling regular meetings challenging. This can hinder the development of a strong mentoring relationship.
3. Resource Allocation: Effective mentorship programs require resources, including time, training, and sometimes financial support. Organizations may struggle to allocate these resources, especially if they are already stretched thin.
4. Consistency and Commitment: Maintaining consistency and commitment from both parties can be challenging. Mentorship requires ongoing effort and dedication, which can wane if not correctly managed.
5. Measuring Success: Evaluating the effectiveness of mentorship programs can be complex. Establishing clear metrics and goals is important, but these can vary widely depending on the individuals involved and the program’s specific objectives.
6. Cultural Resistance: Some organizations may resist mentorship programs due to existing cultural norms or skepticism about their value. Overcoming this resistance requires strong leadership and clear communication about the benefits of mentorship.

Effectively addressing mentorship programs’ challenges is crucial for their success. Organizations can create robust and impactful mentorship initiatives by focusing on matching compatibility, managing time constraints, and overcoming cultural resistance.

Think About the Possibilities to Evaluate Impact

Evaluating the impact of lateral leadership, particularly in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), requires practical tools and frameworks. Understanding how lateral leaders influence and collaborate can be crucial for enhancing community health initiatives. These assessments help organizations measure how well their lateral leaders drive positive change and foster impactful collaborations. Here are some effective ones:

1. 360-Degree Feedback: This tool gathers feedback from various stakeholders, including peers, subordinates, and supervisors. It provides a comprehensive view of a leader’s performance, learning from others, and their ability to influence without formal authority.
2. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder): This assessment identifies an individual’s top strengths and how to leverage them to lead laterally. It helps understand how leaders can use their natural talents to influence and collaborate.
3. DISC (Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C)) Assessment: This tool evaluates behavioral styles and how individuals interact with others. It can be useful in understanding how lateral leaders communicate and build relationships within teams and organizations.
4. Leadership Circle Profile: This 360-degree assessment measures the competencies and underlying assumptions that drive a leader’s behavior. It helps identify areas where lateral leaders can improve their influence and effectiveness.
5. Social Network Analysis (SNA): SNA maps and measures relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, and other connected entities. It can reveal how lateral leaders create and maintain networks that address SDOH.
6. Balanced Scorecard: This strategic planning and management system can be adapted to measure the impact of lateral leadership by tracking key performance indicators related to collaboration, community engagement, and patient outcomes.
7. Outcome Mapping: This framework focuses on changes in behavior, relationships, actions, and activities of the people, groups, and organizations with whom a program works directly. It can be used to assess the influence of lateral leaders on SDOH initiatives.

Utilizing specialized tools and frameworks is essential for assessing the effectiveness of lateral leadership in tackling social determinants of health. Organizations can gain critical insights into leadership impact and collaborative success by leveraging the DISC Assessment, Balanced Scorecard, and Outcome Mapping.

Conclusion

Cultivating leaders at every level creates more accountable and resilient community health systems that improve overall health and well-being. This approach meets immediate healthcare needs and builds a foundation for long-term community support. What leadership skills are most critical for today’s healthcare environment? The answer could transform your organization. Learn more at https://sheldr.com/.

Check out other SHELDR articles about LATERAL LEADERSHIP and LEADING SIDEWAYS OR SYSTEMS THINKING!

From Blind Chaos to Clarity: Master the 5 Systems Thinking Tools for the Next Pandemic

Unleash the Power of AI in Healthcare and Human Services: 8 Must-Have Skills for Healthcare Leaders in 2024 (and Why You Should Care!)

Unleash Health Future Thinking Skills To Counter The Tectonic Shifts With These 16 Easy To Apply “Pair-A-Dime” Health Futures Thinking Tools

7 Empowering Strategies to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills: Your Journey to Empowerment and Better Health Outcomes

What’s your best tip for leading laterally—leading sideways?

Discussion Questions

1. What are the key characteristics of influential lateral leaders in healthcare settings?
2. How can organizations overcome the challenge of matching mentors and mentees in mentorship programs?
3. What strategies can integrate social determinants of health (SDOH) data into existing electronic health records (EHRs)?
4. How can community health organizations collaborate more effectively to address SDOH?
5. What role does trust play in the success of mentorship programs, and how can it be fostered?

Professional Development and Learning Activities

1. Workshop on Lateral Leadership Skills: Conduct a workshop focusing on developing lateral leadership skills, emphasizing practical applications in healthcare.
2. Mentorship Program Design: Develop a framework for creating and implementing effective mentorship programs, addressing common challenges.
3. EHR Integration Training: Offer training on integrating social determinants of health data into electronic health records.
4. Community Collaboration Seminar: Host a seminar on best practices for collaborating with community organizations to address SDOH.
5. Leadership Assessment Tools: Train staff on using leadership assessment tools like the DISC Assessment and Social Network Analysis to evaluate and improve leadership effectiveness.

AI Prompts

1. “How can lateral leadership be effectively implemented in healthcare organizations to improve patient outcomes?”
2. “What are the best practices for designing mentorship programs that overcome common challenges?”
3. “How can technology be utilized to integrate social determinants of health data into healthcare systems?”
4. “What strategies can healthcare leaders use to foster collaboration with community organizations?”
5. “How can assessment tools be applied to measure the impact of lateral leadership on healthcare initiatives?”

Other Publications By The Author

Primer on Systems Thinking For Healthcare Professionals

Systems Thinking for Health Organizations, Leadership, and Policy: Think Globally, Act Locally 

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 ~DrQD

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