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Parlor games to strengthen clinical teams

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— Photo by Jennifer Belaco

Fred Pelzman, M.D., a New York primary-care physician, writes about how to make a better clinical team with higher morale, “at the cost of a truth and a lie” at some nice parties.

He writes:

“Lately, I’ve felt sort of giddy, as our team may have discovered the secret sauce, the magic that might make us work better together.

“Believe it or not, we call these Color Group Socials.

“Our practice is divided into the Red, Green, Blue, Purple, and Yellow teams, and each area has a practice leader.

“On our administrative morning, when the practice is closed, we divide up into our separate areas and everyone gathers in the waiting areas where patients usually sit, and we play parlor games.

“It has been remarkable to watch how much fun everybody has, how relaxed everyone is, and how the barriers between us all fall away, as we play something as simple as A Truth and A Lie.

“Everyone writes down on a slip of paper something true about themselves, and something false. Then everybody has to try to guess who wrote which, and which is the truth and which is the falsehood.

“Everyone ends up laughing and having a great time, and we’ve learned that people have amazing lives beyond the walls of the office, beyond the roles we fill when we come to work.”

To read his essay, please hit this link. 

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