Healthcare leaders today face challenges unlike any seen before. In just a few short years, systems have endured a global pandemic, exacerbated workforce shortages, system-wide burnout, financial strain, rampant medical disinformation, and growing demands from the community. During turbulent times, one leadership skill stands out as both necessary and transformative for healthcare organizations of any size: transparency.
Transparency — being up-front and honest with your workforce, patients, and the public — is the solid foundation on which stakeholder trust is built. When leaders are open about the challenges they face and proactive in their communication about those challenges, they build resilience within their organization and in the communities they serve.
Let’s take a look at why transparency matters now more than ever and how leaders can use honest communication as a tool to steady their organizations while overcoming the issues that erode trust.
The Case for Transparency in Leadership
Transparent leadership is not about flooding the zone with every piece of raw information. It’s about honest, timely, and consistent communication that gets out in front of the rumor mill and makes stakeholders feel they’re in the loop on important decisions that affect their work. Done well, it has positive ripple effects throughout an organization, including:.
- Building Trust and Camaraderie: Staff are more willing to rally together when they feel leadership is forthright and honest about the issues their team is facing.
- Creating Shared Purpose: Transparency helps employees understand the “why” behind decisions, fostering resilience and a sense that you’re all in this together.
- Preventing Misinformation: Clear, concise, up-front communication fills the vacuum before rumors and speculation can metastasize into fear.
- Modeling Accountability: Being upfront about both successes and setbacks displays honesty and integrity to employees, patients, and the community, providing a model to follow when facing their own challenges.
Practical Ways to Lead Transparently
Employee Communications
- Regular, Clear Email Updates: Regularly update stakeholders by email, and write in plain language. Studies show that clear language makes it easier for all readers to understand information, retain what they read, while allowing them to read the content faster. Regardless of your audience’s educational background, jargon-free language is the best practice.
- Two-Way Dialogue: Hold regular town halls, in person or virtual, where staff can ask direct questions and feel heard by the administrative staff. Don’t waffle or deflect from the real issues facing your institution. Address controversial topics head-on, such as wage increases, safety concerns, and staffing shortages, then share the solutions your organization is working toward.
- Visibility in Routine Updates: Make honest communication part of your work rhythm. Consider distributing a company-wide internal newsletter biweekly or monthly that outlines the goals, strategic plans, and challenges facing your healthcare organization and how administrators are navigating those hurdles.
External Communications
- Leverage Earned Media: Share your vision and how your organization is navigating challenges in local outlets. When appropriate, pitch stories to national media to showcase how your organization is blazing an uncharted path to solve widespread problems like burnout or workforce shortages.
- Op-eds From Leadership: Thoughtful columns — what’s known as “Thought Leadership” — can help readers understand the systemic challenges healthcare organizations face while positioning your leadership as problem-solvers working toward solutions.
- Social Media Presence: Social media is one of the best tools healthcare organizations have when trying to show they’re serious about finding solutions to issues that affect their staff and the public. Be sure to post consistent updates on your personal LinkedIn profiles that are approachable and empathetic.
Visibility of Leadership
- Be Present, Not Just Reactive: Staff and the community shouldn’t only see your leaders when things go wrong. Leadership should be visible during calmer times as well. Block time in your calendar to do walk-throughs in your hospitals and clinics to meet staff members and strengthen trust.
- Share Struggles and Wins Alike: Healthcare organizations often trumpet their successes while hiding their struggles. But all that does is create a culture that sees every setback as a shameful failure instead of a natural part of reaching shared goals. Authenticity and trust grow when leaders show vulnerability while also pointing to solutions.
- Meet Community Members at Healthcare-Sponsored Events: Ineffective healthcare leaders are often seen as residing in an “ivory tower,” indifferent to the problems faced by the public and staff. Get out of the office and talk to the people you lead and serve. Spend time at a health fair or 5K sponsored by your health system to interact directly with community members.
Action Steps Leaders Can Take Today
- Meet with your communications leader to outline an executive communications strategy for:
- Internal newsletter
- Town hall schedule
- Identify which fellow leaders will join the town hall panel
- Leadership walking rounds to engage staff face-to-face
- Frequent updates on your personal LinkedIn profile
- Schedule the upcoming town hall
- Schedule at least a month out to allow proper promotion of the town hall and internal preparation to navigate any questions that may be asked by staff members.
- Set a recurring calendar reminder for walking rounds
- Getting out of the C-suite and among your staff builds trust and camaraderie. Rotate across all facilities and departments.
The One Takeaway for Healthcare Leaders
Challenges in any business are inevitable, and healthcare is no exception. But leaders do have a choice in how they face those challenges. In times of adversity, transparency is a communications strategy and a leadership philosophy. So lean in to transparent communication with your staff and community.
By leading with openness, healthcare leaders create organizations that are resilient, trusted, and united in purpose.
Ready to begin your strategic communication journey or don’t know where to start? Reach out to mhp.si for support. Our team has worked side by side with healthcare systems, hospitals, and specialty clinics for decades.
Contact us today for a free, no-commitment conversation. We’re here to listen, share ideas, and help you take the first step toward better, more honest communication.
