If we keep trying to approach current challenges with the same mentality that created them, we will not get very far. With the current economy challenging many institutions, health care is no exception. With my experience in the industry (and with health care clients) I suggest below a few approaches leaders can take to respond to the many challenges they face today. Leaders can serve as catalysts toward a new paradigm of proactive wellbeing with simple introductions to new ideas transcending our current reactive health care system.
1. Explore and invite alternative healing modalities with salons or events. Create a healing weekend event. Invite interviewed (and credible) reiki healers, color therapists, sound healers and the like to a weekend fun event. Require each specialist to provide brochures and information on their modality. Offer waivers to avoid liability and market appropriately: ”exploring the world’s healing methods to awaken our understanding of what may be possible” sort of thing…. and present it as a way to invite diverse ideas on healing (not just Western conventional medicine).
2. Add a survey question to outpatient and impatient tools to capture patients openness to alternative therapies. Example question: “I am interested in learning about alternative and unconventional healing methods”. Numbers always talk. If numbers are high, create groups and send invitations to interested folks.
3. Create a healing center for staff. Design it to be peaceful with or near nature. Stock it with alternative medicine approaches to wellbeing. Put a sign on the door “only positive loving thoughts allowed here” for fun and as a reminder. Countless scientific studies indicate the impact of daily dialogue.
4. Offer workshops to teach current providers ways to communicate in a healing way. The use of language is very powerful but the way the provider feels (and thinks) while communicating is actually more significant on a vibrational level (see listed resources for scientific reports). Before every seminar, I meditate and clear my own energy, and set the intention to be loving, open and non-judgemental to every single person in my seminar. After countless seminars, I am certain of its influence on outcomes.
5. Believe it or not, I did a variation of this back in high school and it worked in the most amazing way. Ask the entire organization to offer a “love hour”. Each person offers one hour of their personal/unpaid time to contribute something to the hospital out of love. Whether it is to clean up, organize a closet, create art, make the healing center, move through the units and assist – its on their time. Have them wear red t-shirts with a big heart on it (LOVE HOUR). As they wear the red shirt, they feel acknowledged for their service, it inspires patients and generates true positive goodwill and energy on a routine basis. Its an identifiable act, creates synergy and boots morale and togetherness. It also generates contributions and solutions that do not require funding.
Transformation and change takes time. As Steven Covey’s talks about in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it is most effective to focus on our Circle of Influence even with the many things in the Circle of Concern. The Circle of Influence is the area we CAN influence and should. The more we focus on what we can do to heal systems, create solutions and introduce new models (that encourage healing and love not tear people apart with fear) the more the problems will dissipate with ease and simplicity.
What we think and feel, we create on the micro and macro levels of life (people, teams, systems).
The more we believe in the magic of that which is not always immediately measurable, the more the evidence of its presence can be found. As Einstein stated – Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.
I say – If what “has been” is no longer giving us the ideal and best outcomes, why do we defend and continue them? It is time to change the paradigm.
