In his book, Leaders Eat Last – Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don’t, Simon Sinek discusses the importance of a safe working environment for innovation, productivity and survival. He calls this leader-led space the Circle of Safety.
It is easy to know when we are in the Circle of Safety because we can feel it. We feel valued by our colleagues and cared for by our superiors. We are absolutely confident that the leadership of the organization and everyone we work with is here for us and will do everything they can to help us succeed. We become members of the group. We feel like we belong. When we believe that those inside our group, those inside the Circle, will look out for us, it creates an environment conducive to the free exchange of information and effective communication. This is fundamental to driving innovation, preventing problems from getting worse, and making organizations better equipped.
In the absence of a circle of safety, paranoia, cynicism and self-interest prevail.
![Circle of Safety Circle of Safety](https://33charts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_0228-1-768x1024.jpeg)
![Circle of Safety Circle of Safety](https://33charts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_0228-1-768x1024.jpeg)
Perhaps part of our burnout crisis in medicine comes from a lack of physician safety.
The world of healthcare is full of dangers. At all times, there are forces working to corrupt our ability to do our jobs. Without the Circle of Safety, clinicians burn through emotional energy to protect themselves from the onslaught of administrative tasks and increasing clinical demands.
For some doctors, there are:
- No sense of belonging.
- Lack of a medical culture based on a clear set of values and beliefs.
- No trust or real power to make decisions.
Although there is a tendency to blame the victim, these three elements are beyond the control of an individual physician. In other words, practicing doctors cannot will their way to a safe space, no matter how hard they try. It’s cultivated within organizations – it’s part of the culture of an organization. And that requires strong medical leadership. Someone to care for those in their care and shape the circle of safety, as Sinek describes it.
'When the Circle is strong and this feeling of belonging is omnipresent, the result is collaboration, trust and innovation.“Find strong physician leaders to create a circle of safety and you will be well on your way to overcoming physician burnout.
Easier said than done, that's for sure. But it's a start.
If you like this article, you might like this 33 Burnout Archive cards. It captures everything that is written here about burnout. In fact, each article has tiny tags at the very bottom that will help you find related material. Good reading!
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