Georgina Akladious
HCS 325
Importance of Teams
Vivian Perez
March 17, 2014

To all team members,
As you all are aware we have been getting many complaints about lack of efficiency and customer service. Let me begin this letter by stating it is not anyone’s fault, we unfortunately did not expect the volume of calls that we would be receiving here at the Senior Information Center. We have doubled in our volume of calls within the past year and have been granted $20,000 to improve customer satisfaction and efficiency. As of right now we do not have the means to hire more staff but I have a proposal to share with all of you today that will hopefully take the strain off your shoulders. In this letter we will be discussing the following points: Why teams are essential to health care; how teams are used in other industries, example is auto racing; how lessons from other industries might be applied in health care; and which organizational processes support problem solving. Before we begin I want to remind all of you that even though I am the manager we are all team members and I value everyone’s thought and opinions. So please do not hesitate to come and share any ideas that you may have.
First topic of discussion is team members and how they are important especially within our health care facility. Everyone is aware that we are a calling service to assist mainly seniors/elders with any questions or concerns they may have. We also send individuals to whichever specific department they are in need of. I know your all thinking why are we getting an overview about our job, we all know what are job title consist of. Well I am re-stating it because I want you all to know how important you are to this organization. Not one person can make this company run efficiently including myself. I do not consider you all my employees’ but instead we are all equal, we are a team. The definition of team is “to bring together” or “to work together” (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Our job responsibilities require us to answer phone calls and direct individuals to their specific needs. If one person was responsible for only answering phone calls what would happen? Many calls would go unanswered and if a team member is unsure about a specific topic then they would ask a fellow team mate for the answer.
Next topic of discussions is how other teams in the industry being used are. Take for example an auto racing team. While many only focus on the driver of a NASCAR, it is a team sport. A NASCAR driver cannot win without having his/her team that range from owner to mechanic working hard for the win. Let me begin by naming all the positions on an auto race team; the owner, the sponsor, the manager, crew-chief, engineer, truck driver and lastly driver. While many do not realize all the players in the game, it does take every one of these members in order for a car to run properly and allows the driver to only focus on what is important, racing. (Auto-Racing, 2009)
Some lessons that can be applied in health care from other organizations may include: “When provided with more convenient delivery options that do not compromise quality, consumers change habits in a heartbeat”- patients now a days have more choices in where and when they receive care. If a patient does not feel as though they are priority in a hospital or doctor’s office they will take their services elsewhere. After many transfer this can put a strain on a health care facility. Another lesson to be learned from the health care industry is “Precision and excellence in basic tasks may influence consumer satisfaction more than elaborate amenities”- We all know the saying “Perception is reality” well that may not be in many cases. When you enter a restaurant and you see a clean waiting area with a proper hostess and poised bussers you would automatically think it’s of a higher calibre and that the food must be amazing. Well in some situations the food may be sub-par and the illusion of a high-end restaurant will give you the wrong perception. Same goes with health care organizations, you may think because there is flavoured water in the sitting area or snacks that they excel, when in fact they may be lacking in customer satisfaction and ultimately services. (Beckers, 2012) Lastly which organizational processes support problem solving? Well as I have stated before team work is the most important thing in order for an organization to succeed. But I am sure by now you are all wondering how will all this help us with our call volume and making sure our customers are satisfied? Well one word “Technology” since we do not have the resources to hire more staff I have implemented a system to transfer calls to their direct point of contact. The customers will have to say either there name, phone number and as to what their call is regarding. We will have three separate areas in which four individuals will be handling all questions. This way instead of you trying to get the reason for the call you are one step ahead. This will cut down a bit of time trying to understand the situation and whom you are speaking as well as we will have the specialist in each area at that specific section. We will also have a team leader for each area on stand-by to answer any difficult questions.
Now that we have covered what is the importance of team work as well as a proposal to eliminate customer dissatisfaction and provide efficiency over all, I know you all will excel. Let’s take this next month to implement this system and see how it goes from there. I believe in all of you. Again let me repeat myself I am here to listen so if you believe you have a better system in place I would love to hear it. Let`s get out there and tackle one question at a time.

Thank You, Georgina Akladious * *

References

For Dummies: A Wiley Brand. 2009. Auto Racing- Meeting the NASCAR Team. Retrieved from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/meeting-the-nascar-team.html
Merriam-Webster. 2011. Defintion of Team. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/team
Beckers Hopsital Review. August 31, 2012. What Can Healthcare Learn From Other Industries? 5 Lessons. Written by Molly Gamble