Building community in the healthcare workplace, Part 4. Partnering with union members to create community

Squeezed between mounting budget pressures and staffing demands, healthcare managers have little room to maneuver as they are buffeted by incessant new strategies. So what is the constant that they can use to keep a steady course through all the chaos? We suggest the overarching constant is "community in the workplace." Although community building may have both short- and long-term benefits, it is not a strategy but a career-long philosophy to help managers tie together all the facets of their daily work into a more meaningful and satisfying purpose. This article, part 4 in a 4-part series, discusses partnering with union leaders and members to create a sense of community in the organization. Using a case study of an organization that had significant success implementing the community philosophy, this article describes concepts, structures, and processes that work, and a few that do not, in a unionized environment. Part 1 (July/August) described the negative dynamics that obstruct sustainable change and reasons for moving to community at work. Part 2 (September) discussed the basic characteristics and principles of community building. Part 3 (October) illustrated community implementation options and obstacles.