Opinion: Connection as a clinical competency in health care

Marlene Chism

Connection powers every thriving health care organization. It’s the bond between patients and providers and leaders and staff that fuels collaboration, trust and loyalty. When connection frays, the fallout is predictable: turnover rises, engagement drops and patient experience suffers. Here’s how to rebuild connection at five critical levels using real-world scenarios and practical moves.

1. Connection with self: awareness before action. Disconnection from oneself shows up as low confidence, inconsistency or emotional over-reliance on others.

Example: A practice leader struggled to set limits with a demanding physician. Noticing how self-betrayal was eroding her confidence, she invested in coaching and communication skills. With clarity about her values, she reset expectations, followed through and rebuilt trust with her physician and her team.

   Strategies to implement: Offer confidential coaching, wellness and skills workshops; normalize reflection like brief check-ins, journaling prompts and debriefs; tie personal values to role expectations so people act from alignment.

2. Connection with the job: ownership and purpose. When people lose sight of why their work matters, you’ll see tardiness, passivity and a “that’s not my job” mentality.

Example: Jada, a leader in a podiatric practice, added structured job shadowing to onboarding. New hires saw how each role affected clinical flow and patient outcomes. This approach helped identify potential issues during the probationary period, reducing turnover.

Strategies to implement: Build onboarding that shows the full patient journey in relationship to roles; use purpose moments in huddles to spotlight small wins; provide frequent, behavior-specific feedback so effort maps to contribution.

3. Connection with the boss: fairness and listening. Most people don’t leave organizations; they leave managers. Listening and consistency are the currency of trust between the leader and staff.

Example: Michele, a physician assistant, continued to experience frustration due to repeated scheduling problems that went unresolved. Her manager didn’t listen, and the receptionist’s decisions created chronic conflict. Feeling unheard, she disengaged and left the practice.

Strategies to implement: Schedule monthly 1:1s focused on clarity, obstacles and commitments; train managers in active listening, expectation-setting and follow-through; close the loop by communicating decisions and the why behind them.

4. Connection with peers: collaboration over cliques. Gossip and overriding formal authority are symptoms of peer disconnection and leadership avoidance.

Example: In a private practice, Dr. Andrew avoided conflict, unintentionally undermining his practice leader, Tina. Staff learned to bypass Tina, fueling power struggles. Tina initiated a courageous conversation with Dr. Andrew, framing the business case for unified leadership. With visible support restored, teamwork improved.

Strategies to implement: Set explicit norms (no triangulation; address issues directly, timely and respectfully); use cross-functional projects and rotating leads to break silos and share perspective; intervene on gossip early: clarify facts, expectations and consequences.

5. Connection with patients: efficiency with empathy. Patient experience mirrors internal culture. If staff feel rushed or sidelined, patients will, too.

Example: A cosmetic-surgery patient described her experience as “transactional.” After paying a deposit, she struggled to schedule follow-ups and finally withdrew. The system prioritized new business over existing relationships. As a result, the practice lost both respect and revenue.

Strategies to implement: Reduce administrative drag that steals presence from patient interactions; train for empathy as a clinical skill (acknowledge, inquire, follow-through); use real-time patient feedback to spot patterns and close gaps fast.

The connection audit
Here are five quick questions to ask yourself:

1. Self: Do leaders have a routine for reflection and value alignment?
2. Job: Can every role describe how their work improves safety or experience?
3. Boss: Do direct reports get consistent 1:1s with clear agreements and follow-through?
4. Peers: Are gossip and overrides addressed within 24-48 hours?
5. Patients: Do we regularly act on patient feedback and tell patients what changed?

Measuring what matters
To gauge the effectiveness of connection-building efforts, track metrics like employee engagement surveys, turnover rates and patient satisfaction scores. Regularly solicit feedback from employees to ensure initiatives remain relevant and impactful.

Connection isn’t a luxury in health care; it’s a performance system. Rebuild it at every level and you’ll see what patients feel: steadier teams, clearer communication and care that earns loyalty.

Marlene Chism is a consultant and the author of “From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading.” She can be reached at marlene@marlenechism.com.