Oona Solution 2: Coordinated Operational Leader’s Response Decriminalization Group

My question is how will you make sure the quick-response leadership team stays ahead of problems, for example if staff don’t agree with the policy changes, or stigma-related issues, or unclear rules? How will the team keep things organized with clear leadership and responsibilities across all the settings within the hospital? Peer support has been mentioned but I’m thinking particularly from a leadership lens.

Oona’s response addressed the complexities of ensuring quick-response leadership stays ahead of emerging problems, particularly when faced with staff disagreement, stigma or unclear policies. Oona referenced a part of her article pertaining to the Crisis Resource Management (CRM) which is a framework, rooted in aviation and later adopted in healthcare, that explores simulation training (Stoller, 2020). She highlighted the value of anticipatory action, emphasizing how simulation-based training offers leaders firsthand experience in managing unforeseen events which helped to build resiliency and readiness for dynamic changes (Stoller, 2020). She also referenced having an almost militant stance when executing policies surrounding decriminalization – structured so that individuals have clear roles and responsibilities during periods of change (or policies related to crises). Oona made it clear that proactivity, as documented in her referenced article, is an essential leadership trait that allows teams to pre-empt challenges in a way that is both supportive and adaptive to evolving situations (Stoller, 2020).

Leading with a real-world example of leadership’s experience during the launch of the 2023 decriminalization policy was an effective strategy to capture the audience’s attention and engage listeners.

Oona’s slide on the implementation and challenges of the leadership committee was well done. The visual of the puzzle pieces accompanied by clearly extended points, was visually appealing and easy to follow. Also, the identification of the ‘rooted’ challenges at the bottom of the slide was insightful and effectively highlighted underlying obstacles. The use of the large, legible font on this slide also contributed to the slide’s clarity.

A particularly strong point in her presentation was the emphasis on clear and consistent communication from the “core leadership” or “brain of the response.” Oona articulated the necessity of spreading streamlined messaging throughout the organization, noting how daily repetition of these messages helps maintain clarity, organizational structure, and clearly defined roles across all settings within the hospital.

Additionally, she referenced the lessons learned from major crisis events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining how adaptive leadership strategies and collaborative crisis management can be informed by recent history to strengthen flexibility and organization in times of uncertainty (Stoller, 2020). Oona demonstrated a clear understanding of the material she presented noting how leadership, practical applications of CRM principles, and the critical role of communication and role clarity help prepare for dynamic changes during periods of uncertainty in healthcare.

The presentation could benefit from an expanded description of the proposed solution, beginning with the initial description slide. The solution is described as an ad-hoc committee meeting framework but the specifics of the framework including its structure, specific membership, meeting frequency and decision-making processes are not explained. It was difficult to conceptualize how the committee would operate relating to the decriminalization policy. Providing more details would reduce ambiguity and help the audience understand how the solution would function and operate in practice.

The connection between the rationale, particularly the CRM model, and the proposed solution could be strengthened. Although the CRM framework is explained, the presentation does not explicitly link how the solution leverages CRM principles to address the challenges of policy implementation. Elaborating on this connection would clarify the theoretical basis of the solution and enhance the reason and influence of the argument.

A couple of the slides contain heavy blocks of text, which can make them overwhelming and difficult to follow.

1. Expand the Solution Description: The initial description slide introduces an ad-hoc committee meeting framework but lacks detailed explanation about the framework’s structure, roles, processes, and how it would function in practice. Providing this detail would enable the audience to more fully grasp the concept and operationalization of the solution, reducing guesswork and enhancing clarity.
2. Strengthen the Connection Between Rationale and Solution: While the presentation explains the CRM training model, it does not explicitly connect this rationale to how the proposed solution (committee framework and training) integrates with or influences CRM principles. Clarifying this relationship would strengthen the solution and demonstrate its alignment with evidence-based practice.
3. Improve Slide Clarity and Readability: Some slides contain excessive text, which can be visually overwhelming and obscure main points. Simplifying slide content through concise wording, bullet points, and visual aids would increase engagement and comprehension, making the message clearer and more appealing.