In this session, Walter Eppich asks: how do leaders turn everyday interactions into moments that build safety, trust, and genuine team connection?
From the 2024 APLS PAC Conference in Adelaide.
Speaker biography:
Walter is a paediatric emergency doctor, educator, and researcher with a passion for helping teams unlock their collaborative potential and optimise their performance in high-pressure environments. He builds on a 20-year clinical career dedicated to caring for children and families dealing with life-threatening illness and injury. His international teaching and research focuses on how to help teams across diverse sectors enhance performance and learn from adversity to emerge more capable and resilient. He studies the intersections between simulation and workplace learning with a focus on interprofessional collaborative practice, team reflection, and conversational learning. He has travelled to Antarctica to study how scientific teams adapt to ever changing conditions in this harsh environment and ensure mission success. He is the Professor of Work Integrated Learning at the Collaborative Practice Centre and Department of Medical Education, University of Melbourne.
Insights:
(powered by OpenAI)
- From “Them” to “Us”:
Healthcare still carries tribal divides — doctors vs. nurses, ED vs. ICU, juniors vs. seniors.
True teamwork begins when we dissolve these boundaries and recognise shared purpose over professional identity.
- The Hidden Cost of Silence:
Speaking up is often socialised out of clinicians who’ve witnessed ridicule or dismissal.
Yet silence in critical moments — even when well-intentioned — can endanger patients and stifle team learning.
- Psychological Safety and “Speaking Up”:
Posters and protocols can’t create safe teams.
Genuine inclusion is built when leaders explicitly invite contribution, respond with curiosity, and model respect for all voices.
- Inclusive Leadership and Language:
Simple shifts in language — like “What do we think?” instead of “What do you think?” — foster belonging and shared accountability.
Inviting input by name normalises contribution and strengthens interprofessional trust.
During team briefings, try asking “What could we have missed?” rather than “Any other suggestions?”
- Team Reflection as a Core Practice:
Reflection shouldn’t just happen after crises.
Pre-action huddles, in-action check-ins, and post-action debriefs help align goals, clarify roles, and build adaptive capacity under pressure.
- Learning Through Communication:
Teams learn through conversation and explaining their rationale — when people explain why they act, not just what they do.
Sharing reasoning openly turns routine interactions into powerful learning opportunities.
- The Debriefing Spectrum:
Not all debriefs are educational — some require emotional support or crisis management expertise.
Choosing the right kind of debrief ensures safety, wellbeing, and sustained learning after difficult events.
- Debriefing and Wellbeing:
Frequent team debriefs are linked with lower emotional exhaustion and better performance.
When people feel heard and valued, burnout decreases and collaboration strengthens.
- Voice and Silence in Teams:
Both speaking up and staying quiet can be productive — depending on intent and awareness.
Teams thrive when members are encouraged to share perspectives, question assumptions, and reflect together without fear.
- Everyday Leadership:
Leadership is not a title but a behaviour.
Inclusive, reflective communication — at every level — is what turns a group of professionals into a high-functioning team.
Dr Eppich reminds us that great healthcare teams don’t just work together — they learn together.
When communication becomes a space for curiosity, respect, and shared reflection, we move beyond “them” and “us” toward safer, stronger, and more human care.
From the 2024 APLS Paediatric Acute Care Conference in Adelaide.