A second effective communication tool is communication huddles. Huddles are


frequent, quick briefings to help the team stay informed. These quick check-ins focus on important issues the staff are dealing with on a daily basis, such as equipment failure, patient workload, staff coverage for a required training, and so on.19,20


To


make huddles successful, keep the focus on shift activities and problem solving, and actively and consistently include team members. Also, keep the meetings short—1 to 10 minutes is ideal.15,16


resources to assist with huddle implementation.20 effective use of huddles are provided in Box 1.4.


BOX 1.4 Communication Huddles in Dietetics


Patient Meal Service: Nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs) huddle every morning to discuss patient food issues from the previous day, then attend the patient services huddle in the kitchen to share the identified issues with the kitchen team so they can quickly intervene.


Clinical Nutrition: Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) (who do not attend multidisciplinary rounds on weekends) huddle to determine which patients do not get early enteral nutrition over the weekend. They then convene with all RDNs who work the weekend to set up a mechanism in the electronic health record to identify and prioritize intensive care unit patients ventilated in the last 24 to 48 hours to assess and start enteral nutrition, if appropriate.


Writing Clearly


An important skill of leaders at all levels is the ability to write clear, simple, direct messages. Be sure to use a professional, neutral tone in all written communication in the workplace. Written communication has advantages in many situations. It is especially valuable when giving instructions because the receiver can refer back to the instructions later. The two most common forms of written communication in the workplace are email and text communication, with texting rapidly overtaking email. According to Text Request, a company that works with organizations on managing text communication strategy, texting is the most common form of communication for US adults aged 50 years or less, with the average person sending 15 texts per day.21 Business communication leaders recommend avoiding abbreviations that wouldn’t be understood across all generations (such as ICYMI for “in case you missed it”), and avoiding emojis or using them sparingly, since both make texts informal. The focus of workplace text messages, especially to clients and managers, should remain cen- tered on work at all times, unless the other party initiates a personal conversation about appropriate topics.22 The unprecedented increase in smartphone use and wearable devices such


as watches and trackers has made instant, discrete, and constant communication possible. Instant and spontaneous communication has benefits, but it also has det- rimental, unintended consequences due to grammatical errors, autocorrect errors, and judgment errors due to lack of thought.21,23


If you must respond immediately,


pick up the phone or acknowledge receipt of the message via text or email to let the sender know you will get back to them within a stated time frame with more thorough information.


The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has good Nutrition-focused examples of the


CHAPTER 1: Leadership Fundamentals


7


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