Denver Public Health paving the road toward organizational leadership excellence

The essential factor to consider when assessing organizational leadership development is to identify obstacles in the current system that prevents optimal team communication. Effective communication training is the missing link between theoretical solutions and the practical application of a shared skilled set. The deployment relies on an entire organization embracing the improvement of communication from bottom up and top down.

In 2008, the Director of Public Health formulated an idea to improve organizational team functioning. A communication committee was established. The Communication Committee utilized a survey to assess communication gaps in the department. Survey participation was 65% with 105 respondents expressing their opinions. Over 75% of respondents agreed they would benefit from a communication skills training. The committee researched various strategies for improving organizational communication. A dialogue mastery course was selected as the ideal strategy to cultivate more direct communication and improve team functioning.

The two day course provided skills for mastering dialogue and enhancing problematic interpersonal communication. The course was delivered to all 140 employees by three internal trainers within a four month timeframe. A departmental needs assessment will be conducted in February, 2010 to determine sustainability activities for the newly acquired skills. An additional survey will be conducted in 2010 to evaluate changes in departmental communication.

The vision of the committee is to promote a healthier and more productive workforce by empowering all employees to become masters of dialogue.