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Leader Role-Playing
Role-playing starts with a real case situation in which the students must improvise
an interaction with real dialogue between two or more characters in the situation.
For example, in some case sessions, I select physicians who want to make a yes or
no decision. Rather than asking why, I role-play a stakeholder. For example, I might
play the role of a boss, a family member, a colleague, or the media in the class dur-
ing a case study discussion to enliven the focal issue discussion. This method
engages the entire class, as they can visualize events, utilize interpersonal commu-
nication, and experience conflicting ideas. I do this to illustrate difficult conversa-
tions, such as how to say no to your chair, how to negotiate resources, or how to give
feedback on a performance gap to a fellow surgeon or an anesthesiologist.
Simulations
Computer- or paper-based simulations are commonly used to teach group problem
solving, effective decision making, and techniques for forming teams. They allow
students to experience the situation and apply the concepts. Simulations are designed
so that the physicians must deal with ambiguity, risks, and assumptions. To do well,
physicians have to work together to choose the correct strategy and tactics. I use a
3-hour management simulation on leading change called “Change Pro Business
Simulation.”^40 The learning goal is to apply some of the theories they have learned,
such as diagnosing the technical, political, and sociocultural systems in this organi-
zation, identifying resistors and early adopters, building key relationships, mapping
and using informal social networks, and leading change.^41 After 3 hours they have a
team-based success score based on the number of adopters, and they can see a dif-
fusion curve.
Multi rater Physician Leadership Coaching With Peer Coaching
Along with the use of individual and 360 assessment tools, leadership coaching is a
valuable method for educating and training surgeons. While training programs with
strong action learning can build physician knowledge, developing new leadership
behaviors and skills that build on that knowledge within the complexities of health-
care systems remains a significant challenge for many physicians. Organizations are
using executive coaching more and more as a critical tool for developing their phy-
sician leaders. Within physician leadership programs, coaching can be integrated
(^40) For this simulation, working in groups of five, the students have a clear mission and a time bud-
get of 120 days. They have been sent by headquarters to convince 24 busy managers to adopt a new
performance management system. The Change Pro Simulation® is a registered trademark of
Learning Ways Pte. Ltd.
(^41) Some of the theories include the science of persuasion, diffusion theory, social facilitation and
network theory, catastrophe theory, and attitudinal segmentation.
J.A. Chilingerian