Impact of Team Relocation on Communication Dynamics
In a post-pandemic world, the question of remote work has become a common concern for many industries, including healthcare. However, a study of a cancer center's expansion in Toronto, Canada, in 2016 offers valuable insights for leaders beyond the healthcare sector. The expansion, which led to the physical separation of teams, demonstrated that such division can have unintended negative consequences on workflow and communication.
The Toronto cancer center's expansion saw the relocation of a portion of its radiation treatment team to an adjacent building. Researchers, led by Jillian Chown, an associate professor of management and organizations at Kellogg, found that this relocation led to fewer face-to-face interactions among the teams. As a result, the frequency of visits to the treatment-planning room, which housed specialized hardware and software, dropped significantly.
The study revealed that email exchanges increased across all email pairs, with clinicians who now worked in different buildings seeing a 1% increase in email communication. Interestingly, anecdotal evidence suggested that clinicians continued to use the treatment-planning room for the most complicated cases. However, the overall use of the room decreased, with the frequency dropping from 2.96 times per week to 1.1 visits per week.
The implications of these findings are far-reaching. The separation of teams can lead to disrupted communication flow, decreased collaboration and knowledge-sharing, impaired workflow efficiency, and potential negative impacts on patient care quality. These issues are particularly problematic in complex fields like cancer care and research, where integrated multidisciplinary decision-making is crucial.
Similar academic cancer centers, such as NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, have highlighted the importance of fostering collaboration through shared spaces, faculty lunches, and retreats to prevent such issues and promote interdisciplinary interaction. Leadership at large healthcare networks in Toronto, like Unity Health Toronto, emphasizes integrated and collaborative care as essential to high-quality patient outcomes.
The study serves as a reminder that leaders need to be aware of when it is most necessary for employees to collaborate in person. While remote work may be convenient, it can lead to communication challenges and delays. As organizations grow or move, it is essential to consider potential unintended consequences and implement measures to maintain open communication channels and foster collaboration.
Despite the decrease in patient satisfaction not being directly observed after the relocation, the researchers believe it will be important for the hospital to study how the change in treatment planning will affect long-term patient outcomes. It is a reminder that while physical separation may seem like a practical solution, it can have profound impacts on the quality of care provided.
In conclusion, the 2016 Toronto cancer center expansion offers valuable lessons for healthcare organizations and beyond. Physical or operational separation of teams can have unintended negative consequences on workflow and communication, leading to disrupted communication flow, decreased collaboration and knowledge-sharing, impaired workflow efficiency, and potential negative impacts on patient care quality. To mitigate these risks, leaders should prioritize fostering collaboration and maintaining open communication channels, even in the face of growth or relocation.
- In light of the Toronto cancer center's expansion, it's clear that fostering health-and-wellness within the workplace, including mental-health, through facilitating face-to-face interactions and maintaining open communication channels, is crucial for improving workflow efficiency and ensuring high-quality patient care, even in complex fields like cancer care and research.
- Given the potential negative consequences of physical or operational separation of teams on workflow, collaboration, and mental-health, leaders across industries, including those promoting fitness-and-exercise and workplace-wellness, should consider implementing measures to mitigate these risks, such as encouraging in-person collaboration and fostering a connected, collaborative work environment, especially during periods of growth or organizational change.
