"We need to pay more attention to the networks that operate between people and the networks that operate between organisations.”
— Professor Ingrid Nembhard
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Professor Ingrid Nembhard is an Organisational Behaviour expert in healthcare systems, based at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on how characteristics of health care organisations, their leaders, and staff contribute to their ability to implement new practices, engage in continuous organisational learning, and ultimately improve quality of care.
Key Takeaways
Relationships and networks drive outcomes: The connections between people and organisations significantly impact healthcare delivery. Traditional structural changes often fail because they ignore these relational dimensions.
Psychological safety is essential: Creating environments where people can take interpersonal risks—raising concerns, offering suggestions, sharing half-formed ideas—enables both innovation and problem-solving. This requires relationships built on trust and respect.
Standardisation and creativity complement each other: Rather than being opposed, standardisation helps identify where creativity is needed, and creative solutions can become new standards. Healthcare requires both standardised processes and customised approaches.
COVID revealed organisational potential: The pandemic demonstrated healthcare's capacity for creative problem-solving and adaptability. Organisations should maintain the communication channels and cross-functional collaboration that emerged during this crisis.
Where to Find Professor Ingrid Nembhard
In This Episode
00:01 - Introduction
00:34 - Is healthcare truly different from other industries?
03:16 - The growing recognition of organisational factors in healthcare
05:31 - How organisational skills should be incorporated into clinical education
10:20 - Learning the broader healthcare context vs. operational skills
14:25 - Understanding networks in healthcare organisations
18:47 - How to map and leverage relationships within organisations
22:48 - Building networks prospectively rather than retrospectively
26:26 - Creating psychological safety in healthcare teams
31:24 - Practical steps for leaders to implement psychological safety
36:40 - How standardisation and creativity can complement each other
42:51 - Lessons from COVID-19 for healthcare management
Referenced
Integrating network theory into the study of integrated healthcare (Paper)
NEJM: Responding to Covid-19: Lessons from Management Research (Paper)
COVID-19 Inspired Creativity In Health Care: Lessons For Management And Policy (Article)
Contact
Contact Information: If you have any feedback, questions or if you'd like to get in touch, reach out at jono@clinicalchangemakers.com
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