Creating, Strengthening and Supporting Advocacy Teams

Sandra Hassink, MD, FAAPMolly Droge, MD, FAAP

Be Our Voice is a program of the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ), in cooperation with:

Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Team Topics

Team Basics Teams at the Top Advocacy Teams

Teams are DifferentA real team – appropriately focused and

rigorously disciplined - is the most flexible and the most powerful unit of performance, learning, and change in today's complex

world.

Katzenbach and Smith

Definition of a Real TeamA real team is a small number of people with complementary skills that are committed to a

common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves

mutually accountable.

Katzenbach and Smith

Team Basics

Skill

s Problem solving

Technical/function

InterpersonalAccountability

Mutual

Small number of people

Individual

Collective WorkProducts

Personal Growth

PerformanceResults

Commitment

Specific goalsCommon approachMeaningful purpose

Leaders Enhance Team Performance

Clarify purpose and goals Build commitment and self-confidence Strengthen the team's collective skills and approach Remove externally imposed obstacles Create opportunities for others Do real work

Working Group vs. Team

CollectiveWork

Products

Single-leader

working group

Posi

tion

skill

Individual accountability

Leader driven

EfficiencyLeader's goalsand approach

Perf

orm

ance

resu

lts

Time required

Real Team

Performance Driven

Team’s goals and approach

CollectiveWork products

Personalgrowth

Mutual

accountability

Com

plim

enta

ry

skill

s

Types of TeamsWorking Group - no significant incremental performance need

- sum of " individual bests"

Pseudo-Team - call themselves a team but have no risks - has not focused on collective performance

Potential Team - trying to improve its performance impact- may be stuck

Real Team - as defined

High-Performance Team

- members are also deeply committed to one another's personal growth and success- emotional bond

The Team Performance Curve

Becoming a Real TeamGroups become teams through disciplined action when they :

Share a common purpose Agree on performance goals Define a common working approach Develop high level of complementary skills Hold themselves accountable for results

Recruit 10 new teammembers this year

The Goal Difference

Teams thrive on performance challenges; they flounder without them.

Activity-Based Goals

Develop a plan for communicating about childhood

obesity in the community

Short-Term GoalsOutcome-Based

Performance Goals

Reduce percent obese children in our community

Approach to Advocacy Traditional advocacy in a group setting: one person is the

driver and does most of the work, others start out enthusiastic but fade away, initial leader gets overwhelmed and overworked, initiative eventually falls apart.

Team approach: group develops goals and assigns/volunteers for tasks together, tracking and regular communication takes place, group reconvenes periodically to assess progress and adjust course.

Creating An Advocacy Work Plan Creating a site specific advocacy work plan will help your team of newly trained healthcare professionals have: Common Purpose and Direction Performance Goals Accountability

Advocate Advocate Individual Able to articulate unique experience Able to engage others to advocate for the cause Can respond quickly to emerging issues

Advocacy Team Common goalUnique talents

TV, radio, internet, blogging, Meeting with legislators Public speaking Writing

Common Goals Spend time with group developing vision of what successful advocacy will “look like” Health care providers Families and children Schools and community

How will you know you have been successful EX. Legislation passed, school policy change

Advocacy Team Unique skills Organizing grass roots Engaging new partners Engaging new advocates Articulating goals

Advocacy Team Unique perspectives Physician Nurse Dentist Dietician Exercise specialist

Advocacy Team Unique connections Parents/families Professional groups Community organizations Business leaders

Team MemberExercise Talents and Skills

Write down what talents and skills you feel you have that would help the advocacy effort

You can use these lists when you begin to do your advocacy work planning

Supporting the TeamRevisiting the Advocacy Work Plan: Develop goals Delineate tasks Assign responsibility for tasks Help break down tasks into doable bits Structure communication to help trouble shoot and

stay on task Reconvene to update progress, look at barriers and

successes

Engaging and Connecting With Your Advocates Meeting to train, share goals, assign tasks and kick

off group 8 hours (CME, meals, take aways) Leave with a plan, contacts and communication

Call to assess status 1 hour

Monthly calls to check in over next 3 months 15 minutes

Quarterly meeting to connect with advocacy team 2 hours each

Supporting the Team Logistical Support

link HCP advocates with organizations

provide the resources they need to effectively educate and advocate.

Supporting the Team Training

Find ways to link the training of healthcare professionals into places they already go

In recruitment, emphasizes the importance of community interventions as a critical way to address childhood obesity

Supporting the Team Training continued

Have experienced HCP advocates share their success stories and lessons learned

Bring community leaders together to help healthcare professionals understand community dynamics

Supporting the TeamMatch the Engagement to the Time Available

Ask HCPs to commit in concrete ways to community education and advocacy efforts.

Supporting the TeamRecruit Community Physicians to Work in Their Own Communities Focus on underserved and diverse communities

Supporting the TeamMeet HCP Advocates Where They Are

For new advocates: identify where they are already part of groups

where they can initiate their advocacy efforts

Encourage them to become voices for your cause in their own professional organizations

Supporting the TeamsInformed Teams

Project Sites should track policy issues and policy changes at all levels of government

Share this information with their healthcare professionals teams

Supporting the Team Share Success Stories Recognize Team Members Acknowledge Partners

Supporting the TeamEngage and Communicate with Community Based Organizations (CB0).

Project Site teams can: help CBOs understand the schedule and availability

of healthcare professionals.

be the “translator” for both the healthcare professional and the CBOs to better understand how to work most effectively together

Supporting the Team Reach Advocates Early

Recruit from HCP training programs

Take advantage of curriculum requirements for community engagement activities

Supporting the TeamProvide Feedback & Data to Healthcare Professionals

Stay in touch. emails, phone calls, social networking sites, faxes, a simple newsletter or meetings.

Supporting the Team

Provide Feedback & Data to Healthcare Professionals

Check-in and dialogue: give and take

Share success stories and achievements

Give them a voice

Supporting the TeamHelp Healthcare Professionals “Buddy Up”

Connect new advocates with those who have been working in their communities for some time.

For the “Buddy” advocate, it communicates they

are of strong value to the team

For the new advocate, they have an immediate sense of connection and accountability

Parting Words

It is easier to recruit healthcare professionals than it is to keep them engaged!

In the Trenches Now we are going to highlight some real life advocacy experiences that highlight these lessons.

Break Outs to Build Your Site Specific Advocacy Work Plan