Relationships are everything at UT Southwestern
What is “UT Southwestern Medical Center?” Maybe your first answer is something like “it’s an academic Medical Center.” This is certainly true in a literal sense, so let’s take it a step deeper and ask what is UTSW comprised of? Well, it’s a collection of sophisticated facilities; diverse people and their behavior; and complex agreements about how all three work together. And I would say, without actual humans in the picture, the facilities and operating agreements don’t mean much. Finally – and this is the key part – the institution is not comprised of a bunch of disconnected people doing their own thing. Rather, it’s comprised of all the relationships among those people.
The relationships among the people are what define any organization or institution. UT Southwestern is nothing more than a rich and complex set of relationships among a diverse set people. What this perspective means to me is that if you want to create any kind of change within an institution like UTSW, it is essential that you focus your efforts on the relationships involved. Below I’ll highlight what I believe are the three most important aspects of building stronger relationships.
Task vs. Relationship
First, it’s important to distinguish between task and relationship. So much of what you do in your work is task focused. You make a diagnosis, you treat a patient, you manage a clinic, etc. The task side of things are based in logic, expertise, and management. The task side is critical; without it, you’d never get anything done. At the same time, the task is always intertwined with the relationships involved. Human relationships, on the other hand, are governed by emotion. The most carefully planned out task can be easily derailed by broken relationships.
Trust and Safety
Separating the relationship side from the task side allows you to put a more effective emphasis on relationships. Building effective working relationships is all about creating trust and safety. This starts with transparency. Being as transparent as possible with others about how you’re feeling in the relationship is fundamental and it must be intentional. Creating time and space for open dialogue about the relationship (not the task) is absolutely essential. This is usually unspoken, so I like to describe it as getting real and talking about what’s under the surface.
Clear Agreements
Finally, every relationship must be governed by clear agreements. This is true whether we’re talking about a married couple or two co-workers. Agreements about what we need, what we want, how to communicate, and how we’ll make decisions are all areas to create agreements within relationships. The nature of the relationship will affect what agreements get made. You’ll know the relationship needs clarifying agreements when you find you are not satisfied with how things are going. Importantly, this applies even when we’re dissatisfied with the task side of the equation. If you find you’ve been struggling to make progress on a task involving other people, it may be time to put your attention on the relationship itself.
That’s really the bottom line here. Relationship work is every bit as important as the task work that you do. Leading people requires strong relationships. Serving patients requires well-functioning relationships. Nothing you do in the institution is exempt from the need to nurture the relationship involved.
Mike Caracalas
Professional Executive Coach
michael.caracalas@utsouthwestern.edu
About the Author
Before becoming a professional coach with his own Leadership Coaching firm, Mike Caracalas worked for Sun Microsystems and YUM! Brands in training, HR, and leadership development. He holds a B.A. in psychology, M.A. in organizational psychology, CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach), and PCC (Professional Certified Coach).