What I’ve learned from 10 years in the Schwartz Community

1. Go for the top

When establishing Schwartz Rounds at your site, the importance of engaging, informing, and gaining the trust of key organisational executives cannot be overstated. Implementing Rounds, which Jill Maben et al. describes as a “counter cultural third space,” requires skill, time and effort. But this is essential to ensure that Rounds are introduced for ‘the right reasons’ in organisations rather than becoming a tick box exercise or time limited initiative.

Regular reporting of the value of Rounds to your organisation can help support sustainability, ease practical challenges, and facilitate inclusion of colleagues from across the whole organisation. Quotes from Round evaluation comments can be enormously powerful and convincing – ask colleagues “what has attending the Round meant to you today?”. Use steering group colleagues and other Schwartz allies to share any anecdotal ‘ripple effects’ of Rounds around the organisation.

2. The facilitator role is unique

The transition from one’s professional role into that of a facilitator can be a challenging one. Regardless of personal style, you need to be able to remain neutral and curious, to hold space and allow for silence.

Setting the tone of a Round, allowing it to be a space where the work of the audience can often be internal and invisible, is a subtle skill, and one which requires delicate handling.

Over the years, I have been privileged to observe a great many Rounds and to continually learn from colleagues. Mutual support and feedback from co-facilitators  and mentors can be invaluable in shaping and practicing skills and in providing the essential support for what can, at times, be an extremely demanding, emotive, challenging – and yet rewarding – role.

3. Plan well but stay flexible!

Robust forward planning for at least 6 months ahead is beneficial for sustainability, clarity of roles, diary planning, and stress reduction for all involved in Rounds!

An engaged steering group, paving a potential plan with built in contingencies, seems highly correlated with organisations where Schwartz has become embedded and part of their culture.

Of course none of us could have predicted or prepared for the profound impact the pandemic had in 2020.

It is a real testimony to all individuals in the Schwartz Community that new ways of working were embraced, however tentatively at first, and that crucially, the core ethos and values of the Schwartz model were retained, and at times enhanced, by moving Rounds online.

I must confess to having been initially sceptical and uncomfortable with the challenges of not being present in the room with colleagues. However, it quickly became apparent that the opportunity for individuals to connect through Schwartz Rounds and Team Time was needed more than ever. The flexibility and  determination in overcoming technical challenges was heartening as we all adapted to our new way of life and colleagues new to Schwartz were able to engage via the new platform.

It occurs to me now that a great many colleagues that I have worked intensively with over the past 2 years I’ve only met via a screen!

4. Stick together

It has been a great pleasure and privilege to have worked with colleagues, particularly in the North East of England, in developing Schwartz networks.

The apparent benefits of networks are compelling: creating an opportunity for shared learning, joint problem solving, creating sparks of curiosity and innovation and a sense of community belonging.

Colleagues have described their appreciation of mutual support in their Schwartz roles and in the opportunities to connect with others facing similar challenges. It is gratifying to see numerous collaborations arise via networks with additional opportunities emerging – particularly around research and expansion into ICS structures.

It appears that the ‘spirit of Schwartz’ lies at the heart of such networks and working closely with the Point of Care Foundation enables the development of Schwartz as circumstances evolve, while retaining core values and principles of the evidence based Schwartz model.