Scenario: A nurse leader recently wrote to us that they were surprised to receive feedback about “treating their team like robots.” They take pride in their work ethic while also inspiring excellence, so they recognized the need to address this issue.

As a nurse leader who has been tasked with improving team performance, leaders can’t succeed without the cooperation and engagement of their team members. However, leaders are also aware of the urgency of their work and the need to achieve results quickly. They’re wondering how to balance achieving results with keeping their team motivated and engaged, without compromising either.

Here are two moves leaders can leverage to practice the power of pause and address the situation.

As a leader, having a productivity-centric, high-achieving nature can be a double-edged sword. While it’s a source of pride and a core part of our identity, it is important to consider the potential downsides. What are the risks associated with these traits, and how can they impact your team's motivation and ability to reach their objectives? For instance, excessive focus on tasks can cause your team to lose sight of their purpose, focus heavily on making mistakes, or become reluctant to take on necessary risks.

• How can high productivity and achievement as a leader become a blind spot for you?
• What are the potential pitfalls or drawbacks that come with being a highly productive and achievement-driven leader?
• How can you ensure your team stays motivated and goal-focused? What factors could potentially derail this?

As part of the Advisory Board Fellowship it’s a frequent practice to pause and slow down during work to gain a deeper understanding of the situation. Despite initial discomfort and resistance, this approach allows leaders to see nuances that might be overlooked when solely focused on their agenda.

By practicing pausing, you can gather data to make more informed decisions and discover a better way forward. To succeed, it’s essential to ensure your team is aligned with a shared purpose and that you understand their motivations. By connecting these dots, you can unify your team, improve outcomes, and prioritize their well-being.

Remember, moving too fast may cause you to lose your team's support and hinder your progress.

• Have you considered any setbacks your team might face? If so, what steps can you take to overcome them and steer your team toward success?
• How can you determine if your team is working cohesively towards a common goal, or if their focus is elsewhere?
• Can you identify and leverage your team’s fundamental drivers to strengthen your shared purpose? Once identified, will this help foster collaboration and achieve goals?

As leaders working with individuals or larger groups, we often find that there’s a desire to move ahead as quickly as possible. We want to push through the agenda, the strategy, and the deadline so we can move on to the next challenge. Our heads are down and focused on execution, rather than looking up to account for all our changing conditions.

There are endless moments to practice with the power of the pause — to elongate the space between the action happening and our response. Next time you’re in a team meeting and feel the urge to respond quickly, pause for a moment instead. When engaging in a heated discussion, account for your own emotions and motivations — as well as those of others in the room — before choosing an appropriate response.

As healthcare becomes increasingly complex, organizations require leaders who can leverage their technical expertise to execute with precision and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances to achieve success. Equip your enterprise leaders with a fresh perspective on advancing critical priorities and an enhanced capacity to make the difficult decisions necessary to fulfill your organizational purpose.