Good Day!
I am a new RCSWI on AOSW and a new Oncology Social Worker in the Volusia County, FL area, primarily with 2 OP Oncology Radiation (OR) MD offices and their adjoining IP Hospitals.
My work (Hospital/Medical offices) requested me to conduct 1 group support/team building session with our 2 OP OR MD office staff, including our MD, staff, and managers. After asking around the office (as I am also new to the offices), 1 of the offices has a lot of staff tension, personal/family problems, and quite a few patients that have passed away. The other office wants more of a team building, getting to know each other group session.
After Clarifying Group Session Goals/Rules Like:
- Safe, but not confidential environment (staff, MD, managers all present)
- Ball will be thrown around to whoever is speaking, only that person can speak, do not throw to the head
- The goal of this session is not to dwell on negatives or complain, but rather, to get to know each other, re-connect, and communicate better as a team--considering every person's needs and communication styles
I'm thinking for the first 30 minutes asking a few questions: (or it might take the whole hour, I have no clue)
- State your name, job title, and, in your own words, tell us what you do
- Why are you here? Why Oncology Radiation?
- When, have you found, you are the most motivated?
- When do you feel the most appreciated?
- When did the team work really well together?
- Is there something, about you or something else, that you would like to share with everyone?
- Now, we are going to go around the circle, and say what we really appreciate about each person--could be the way they work with clients, how they work with staff/coworkers/anything that really touches you. To staff off, I really appreciate how the person on my left does this or that.
After asking for the ball again, I'll wrap up & Summarize the session points, 30 min exercise (if it is 30 min), and point out that just as we passed the ball around today, we also need to both pass and receive the ball at work
- . To communicate clearly the needs of our clients/work and not take on the entire responsibility, but categorize things into what we need to pass off and what we need to receive and take ownership of.
- True teamwork cannot be accomplished without what we did today, receiving and passing off needs, tasks, client emotional burdens.
- Nothing is entirely ours, and nothing is entirely not ours. It is a shared responsibility we take as providers, to do the best work we can by connecting people to the right person. Sometimes it's us, sometimes it's not.
- We must remember to look at each patient, family, need and say--who is best? Me or someone else? Rather than feeling like YOU or I MUST absolutely solve Everything Or the opposite, that you have nothing to do with it.
- Just remember, if you feel like you are struggling, you are Not alone. Take the ball you are holding and go to a teammate, and talk it over. Find out where the ball needs to go--as no one ball should, or needs, to stay by your hip 24/7. Rather, it should come for a bit, then go out, and come back again later.
After that, IF, there is time, I am considering doing a more--tuning to the emotions--exercise. By relaxing everyone, having them close their eyes, passing around different objects (one sharp/heavy, one light, smooth, and one rough) to help them bring out maybe some personal things that are troubling them. But I'm not sure if this is best with Managers/MD around, or if I should leave it out, or do something else?
Any suggestions on any of the above? Different questions in the first part or ways to ask it? Maybe a different emotional exercise for the second part? I haven't been trained in how to paint emotions on a canvas, so can't do that one right now (planning doing a training for future though).
Your experience is appreciated--Thank you!