Question
What specific strategies can respiratory therapy leaders and team members use to build trust and reduce fear in their clinical environment?
Answer
Trust is built through consistent communication using varied formats, demonstrating humility and integrity, showing care and empathy, and checking in proactively rather than only reactively. You do not have to wait for a death or a critical incident to check in with a colleague. You can check in about everyday stressors, organizational changes, or just how someone is doing.
Shift the idea of leader to leadership: leadership is not a title. Everyone has the capacity to practice leadership behaviors. When people understand that leadership is a practice available to all, it creates a safer environment because the hierarchy feels less absolute. Similarly, there is no such thing as cultural competency. We only know what we know. Humility is the posture; cultural humility is the ongoing practice.
One of the most powerful fear-reducing practices is normalizing "I do not know." In healthcare, where knowledge is associated with authority, admitting uncertainty is difficult. But it is far better to say "I do not know" electively than to pretend you know emergently. I have even said "I do not know" when I did know, specifically to invite a patient or colleague to teach me something. It creates space for others to contribute.
When errors occur, the response should focus on learning rather than admonishment. This is why near-miss reporting programs exist. Reframing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than grounds for punishment encourages team members to report issues promptly. When you make an error in front of a group, correct it in front of the group. If you realize afterward that you gave incorrect information, send a follow-up message to the whole team. When errors are made visible and correctable, you model that it is safe for others to do the same.
If you are in a leadership role, ask new hires early on: how do you want to receive feedback, and how do you want to be recognized when you do something well? Some people find public recognition mortifying. Honoring individual preferences demonstrates genuine respect and signals that the environment is responsive to each person, not just to policy.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Supporting Neurodiverse Staff, Colleagues and Patients Teams, presented by Gabrielle Davis, MPH, MA, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, TTS, LPC, NCC, FAARC.
