Members conduct all chapter business online.
When ideas are shared openly, feedback between and among chapter leaders is greatly improved. When members of different cultures work together, new ways of thinking emerge.
As the only virtual chapter chartered by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma), Phi Gamma Chapter is different from local or regionally based chapters in that it recruits and engages registered nurse leaders from all over the world who qualify for Sigma membership. Phi Gamma connects chapter leaders and members from more than 30 countries on six continents. Because these leaders and members are located so far apart geographically, the chapter’s success in helping to advance the mission and vision of Sigma is dependent on the ability to collaborate—individually and organizationally—and effectively share resources and talents.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, collaboration is “the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve something.” In her call to action, President Beth Baldwin Tigges, PhD, RN, PNP, BC, a Phi Gamma Chapter member, calls on all Sigma members to “connect, collaborate, and catalyze” to advance world health. “To fulfill the Sigma mission,” Tigges observes, “we need to be intentionally collaborative. By expanding our collaborative work with other nurses and partners outside of nursing, we can more successfully fulfill our mission.”
Phi Gamma Chapter’s leaders have taken that directive to heart in their day-to-day chapter management and promotion as well as in chapter efforts to provide continuing nursing education (CNE) to nurses around the globe. And, they work tirelessly at catalyzing chapter members to “pay it forward” through philanthropic efforts.
Members of Phi Gamma Chapter meet electronically, conduct all official chapter business online, and come together in person for fellowship at a Sigma event at least once each biennium. The Sigma key embedded in their membership pins reminds chapter members of the charge to uphold love, courage, and honor, and those tenets also provide the foundation for Phi Gamma’s collaborative efforts.
Clearly defined leadership roles are critical for a virtual chapter because Phi Gamma’s leaders work in concert with colleagues from all over the world. For that reason, position descriptions and strategic timelines are clearly delineated in the chapter’s Policies and Procedures document. Phi Gamma’s standing committees—Governance and Leadership Succession—oversee review of the chapter’s bylaws and election processes. The Membership Involvement Committee and Past Presidents Committee support member engagement at all levels of Sigma, and the Technology Committee keeps chapter members informed of activities. The board of directors provides overall management of the chapter.
For a virtual chapter, collaboration is key—whether producing an induction presentation or other promotional materials or reaching out to potential members around the world. When chapter leaders receive a request for information and determine that the best response is a video, selected components are developed independently by presenters, spliced together, and then shared with the host. Phi Gamma leaders join the meeting via an electronic platform to respond to member questions or comments. Such a presentation was made to colleagues in Egypt, and Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, FAAN, Sigma past president and Phi Gamma member, was among the respondents. Working together, chapter members have developed oral and poster presentations that have been displayed around the world. Phi Gamma members collaborate in person with members from other chapters during presentations at Sigma events.
Collaboration between Phi Gamma Chapter and other organizations has resulted in cooperative educational webinars. Already this biennium, the chapter’s Program Committee—with financial support from Lambda Sigma Chapter at Indiana State University and CNE credit provided by Omicron Delta Chapter of the University of Phoenix—has sponsored six offerings centering on 1) migrant healthcare; 2) global health nursing; 3) theory of technological competency as caring in nursing; 4) mHealth; 5) leadership; and 6) the 1st International Nursing Research Exposition, a virtual poster and audiovisual collaboration. Experts from Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States presented the webinars.
The second year of the biennium will feature the 2nd International Nursing Research Exposition and additional webinars focused on occupational health and safety, phenomenology and grounded theory, intellectual property and knowledge transfer, disaster management and mitigation, technology in nursing education, gene profiling and nutrigenomics, and leadership.
Other examples of collaboration include the following: 1) A memorandum of understanding between Phi Gamma Chapter and the Research, Development and Innovation Center of Our Lady of Fatima University in the Philippines has led to sponsorship of a number of Rising Stars; 2) members of Phi Gamma Chapter and Psi Upsilon Chapter (Western Governors University) participated as first-aid volunteers at the 9th Annual Asian Cultural Festival of San Diego, California, USA, held at the Mira Mesa Senior Center; 3) Phi Gamma has provided organizational support to Psi Upsilon; 4) Phi Gamma assisted with disaster recovery efforts by offering programming to members of Zeta Xi Chapter from Alabama’s Jacksonville State University following an EF-3 tornado.
There are many positive aspects to collaboration. When ideas are shared openly, feedback between and among chapter leaders is greatly improved. Identifying member strengths and weaknesses and capitalizing on strengths enhance assignment of roles and responsibilities, thereby facilitating division of labor and minimizing “turf wars.” By building trust and encouraging reliance on colleagues, collaboration helps move projects to completion. Collaboration encourages creativity and fresh thinking, thus increasing innovation and fostering ideas that build on knowledge surpassing that of individual members.
When members of different cultures work together, new ways of thinking emerge that enhance the overall project. Even with the language differences that exist among the chapter’s members, collaboration significantly reduces communication problems, thereby enhancing members’ ability to coordinate programs and chapter activities.
Admittedly, there are also downsides to collaboration. Perhaps chief among them is the time needed to gain consensus or project approval. Cultural differences may limit available options. Disagreements can impede a project’s progress. If too many individuals take leadership of a project, confusion may result, which is why clarification of roles and responsibilities—and reclarification, when needed—is critical to success. Finally, individual differences in working styles can impede progress.
Fortunately, the positive aspects of collaboration outweigh the negative. The positives can be enhanced by:
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities on an ongoing basis
- Clearly stating who will do how much of what, when
- Owning up to mistakes (the earlier, the better)
- Being respectful in airing differences of opinion
- Determining responsibility for all decisions, including how (and when) they will be finalized and shared
- Developing a site for working online that is accessible to everyone
- Encouraging utilization of available tools and technology by all involved
- Making project goals simple, clear, and outcome-oriented
- Reviewing progress made toward goals on an ongoing basis
- Ensuring a project’s goals are in sync with the goals of the participants, their chapter, and, ultimately, Sigma
Although some of the chapters mentioned above were chartered recently and others decades ago, the Sigma members involved have all benefited from the collaboration. Lessons learned from these collaborative endeavors include recognizing the importance of well-defined goals, clearly delineated roles and responsibilities, and ongoing evaluation. Electronic platforms can improve results, but positive outcomes ultimately depend on the interaction of the people involved, not on the technology used. Clearly, collaboration is key! RNL
Rita Munley Gallagher, PhD, RN, is president-elect of Sigma’s Phi Gamma Chapter. Now retired, she was previously nursing and healthcare consultant at TGC in Washington, D.C., and senior policy fellow for American Nurses Association’s National Center for Nursing Quality.
Editor’s note:
Rita Munley Gallagher will present Digital Disruption: Transforming Collaboration and Engaging Global Nurse Leaders on Monday, 17 September 2018, at Sigma’s Leadership Connection in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. On Sunday, 16 September, she will participate in presenting Phi Gamma Virtual Chapter: Connecting, Collaborating, Catalyzing, and Substantiating Virtual Connection: How Phi Gamma Connects with Nursing Leaders Worldwide. Register here for Leadership Connection.