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Dean's Retreat Focuses on Moving Forward

James Neutens, PhD, Dean of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, hosted a Dean's Retreat on in March at the UT Conference Center, inviting leaders from the UT Graduate School of Medicine as well as The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Guest speaker R. Kevin Grigsby, DSW, Association of American Medical Colleges Senior Director, Leadership and Talent Development, facilitated the event with activities designed to help attendees consider the best attributes of the entire organization as well as team members' commitment to them.

Dr. Grigsby noted that while there is a lot of integration at the medical center, there is a need for much more in order to survive the current times in health care and medical education. In order to achieve further integration, Dr. Grigsby discussed the advantage of not looking at an organization as a hierarchy and instead managing from the middle. He also discussed the importance of collaboration. He said that effective communication, cooperative attitudes and integrated teams are the hallmarks of successful collaboration.

Dr. Grigsby characterized under-integrated systems as having inconsistency among parts, competition for resources, non-cooperation and duplication of effort. He recommended the best way to make decisions for an organization is through consensus where teams cooperate together, everyone is heard, and one mutual agreement is reached.

Dean Neutens said, "I believe Dr. Grigsby helped leadership to see the big picture as we move forward. To do this will require a modification in our current model or health care system—one that brings a win for everyone at the table as well as fosters growth in our mission of education, discovery and healing. In a way, this retreat was a 'kick off' for the future."

April 18, 2013