The Commitment Cure
When employees understand how their individual work contributes to an organization's larger strategic goals, they become more committed to and invested in that organization. This was the fundamental principle behind a recent workshop I conducted last December for supervisors and staff at the Department of Health's Central Visayas regional office.
The first key focus of the workshop was enabling employees—from clerks to administrators—to see how their specific day-to-day activities aligned with and advanced the DOH's broader mission. Mapping how clerical duties, data monitoring, patient services, community outreach, and resource allocation fit into the bigger picture gave personnel a clearer grasp of "the why" behind their work.
Next was providing staff awareness of and access to communication and collaboration networks across departments, partners, stakeholder groups. Breaking down longstanding silos had personnel realizing how interconnected their efforts truly are with the activities performed by other units and external organizations. For example, community health volunteers working in remote areas could directly coordinate data tracking with epidemiology analysts. This helped employees view their work as an integrated ecosystem rather than an isolated set of solitary tasks and responsibilities.
Ultimately, the goal was cultivating staff ability to add value—to understand how they can actively contribute more than what their job description minimally dictates. The brainstorming session to build community involvement, pitching ideas to leadership for new analytics, formulating plans to streamline bureaucratic processes—these were examples participants came up with to increase their value and role within the health department's overarching game plan.
Through focusing on strategic alignment, network connectivity, and value creation across all levels of contribution and responsibility, DOH Central Visayas will be able to build an intrinsically loyal and dedicated workforce positioned to provide improved healthcare access for all its customers long into the future.
Interested in something similar for your organization? Learn more about the course here – or, better – drop me a line! Let’s make something awesome together!
