Beyond Receiving Feedback:Building Active Listening Culture

Imagine a world where communication isn’t a one-way street, but a telepathic link-up unlocking the full potential of an incredible team.That’s the Avenue advantage!

Last week, I had the privilege of spending time meeting our brilliant healthcare leaders across the country. From Dr. B.N. Njihia, MBChB FACS’s revolutionary approach in surgery to Dr. Valentino Khoja’s s eco-conscious initiatives and Dr.Catherine Mackenzie’s team consistently smashing patient satisfaction records, the energy crackled! This team consistently delivers, and it’s electrifying!

But even superheroes need to upgrade their powers.That’s why I want to talk about something often overlooked: Active listening.

It’s not just about hearing – it’s about truly understanding and goes beyond job security into psychological safety.

Starting with the basics, how to receive Feedback…

Let’s be sincere, feedback, especially the critical kind, can feel like a punch to the gut. Imagine a senior leader receiving this:

“Remember those project delays you spoke about last week?My team was stuck waiting, and it all stemmed from a pending purchase order on your desk. Not cool!”

Ouch! But here’s the thing: honest feedback, even the raw kind, is a gift. In his book,Patrick Lencioni calls trust is the bedrock of a high-performing team.

Sincere feedback, even when uncomfortable, signifies a team that trusts each other enough to be candid.

This builds stronger bonds and ultimately, a formidable healthcare force!

As a leader, it is important that I set the tone. At Avenue Healthcare, we actively encourage frank feedback.Why? Because it has exposed areas for improvement that has ultimately lead to better patient care.

I have witnessed firsthand how this has transformed us into a team that thrives on creating meaningful impact.

For instance, in last week’s feedback review session,a patient had indicated :

“Due to the cold weather, a cuppa tea would be nice” and Boom! Dorine Rutere and team were actively listening and had this implemented across all our three hospitals!

Active Listening: Your X-Ray Vision

Think of active listening as your X-ray vision for problems. It allows you to see the root cause lurking beneath the surface, enabling laser-focused decisions.

Here are some of the benefits of active listening:

X-Ray Vision: You see the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Eagle-Eyed Growth: Spot areas where individuals and the team can level up.

Morale Boost: People feel heard, valued, and motivated to conquer healthcare are challenges together.

So how does one become an Active Listener? Here are some tips that I have seen applied by the Avenue Leadership team:

Silence Your Inner Monologue and block out distractions: Put away distractions, make eye contact, and focus solely on the speaker.

I have seen calendars cleared & notifications switched off (yes! both on the phone & smart watch!) with an aim of providing laser-focus concentration on the team member sharing feedback or presenting.

Ask Like a Detective: Don’t jump to conclusions. Explore the situation with open-ended questions that encourage details. For example, giving the Head of Department time to complete their presentation allowed everyone to grasp the situation fully.

Then we have Dr. Peter Ntege, who, using his multipotentiality prowess mind, gets into breakout sessions aimed at unravelling the root cause of every challenge brought to his attention.

Paraphrase: Be Their Mirror: Restate what you’ve heard to confirm understanding.For instance, focusing on the real issue, like discussing “stock out” as a specific take home message allows a HoD to see that their pain point is acknowledged.

Our CNO, Peninah kirea, has an uncanny ability of stretching issues further by considering the impact of all matters on patient care thus ensuring that all our interventions keep the patient at the centre of our focus.

Show Gratitude: Thank your team for their honesty and willingness to share their perspectives.

Our resident philosopher, Dr. Paul Makau, delves into any subject matter using his database of quotes.

His favourite drawn from Radical Candor by Kim Scott reminds us that, “When bosses are too invested in everyone getting along they also fail to encourage the people on their team to criticize one another for fear of sowing discord.

They create the kind of work environment where being “nice” is prioritized at the expense of critiquing and therefore improving actual performance.” a practical reminder that we should always create an environment that encourages genuine feedback.

Building a Legendary Team Culture

Fostering active listening is a continous investment in Avenue Healthcare – be it through regular feedback sessions at the monthly CEOs TownHall or the side chats at monthly departmental meetings; we are instilling a culture of open communication and constructive conflict resolution and building an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered.