Welcome to my blog, Management on the Mind! Here you will find all my musings on what it takes to be a great leader in the Healthcare field. Although I do not have much authority on the subject yet, I hope this blog will lead me to not only explore, but prepare myself for my future management endeavors. One of the readings assigned for class this week talked about transformative leaders and what that looks like for an organization. The article, “The Leadership Challenge” discussed how when there needs to be change in an organization, it is the role of the leaders to make this go smoothly (Tichy, 1984). In a TED talk, “5 Ways to Lead in an Era of Constant Change” Jim Hemerling also explores the topic of transformation. His viewpoint is a little different, as he claims that we are in an era of “Always-On transformation.” In his updated view, Hemerling argues that we should always be changing and adapting. As a self-declared creature of habit, I am someone who is often quick to resist change. At the same time, I have come to learn that change is the only constant in life. What I do have control over is how to approach whatever change may happen. This is especially critical to understand as a leader. Hemerling outlined how a good leader will put people first during times of transformation, which is almost always happening nowadays. I loved how Hemerling explained that a strong leader will empower their employees to handle whatever may come their way. A boss does not have to handle everything on their own, but instead empower the entire company to continuously learn and grow.
The idea of transformation and how to address as a leader is especially relevant in the world of healthcare. There is always new technology and new methods that professionals have to learn about and adopt into their everyday operations. By empowering employees, a good leader can inspire their staff to be excited and ready for any changes. I hope to do this as a manager one day. I do not want my employees to see change as a hassle, but instead as another chance to develop. I hope to follow Hemerling’s advice and put my employees first to help with both their personal growth but also the growth of the organization.
A link to Hemerling’s TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jim_hemerling_5_ways_to_lead_in_an_era_of_constant_change
Tichy, N. M., & Ulrich, D. O. (1984). The Leadership Challenge- A Call for the Transformational Leader. Sloan Management Review.
I've bookmarked the TED talk to watch later. Healthcare has been in a state of constant flux my entire career - and it was before as well. It's unlikely to change (i.e., stop changing) in your career. Good stuff to think about.
ReplyDeleteGave you a mention in my weekly newsletter... http://tinyletter.com/markbonica/letters/rwl-newlsetter-60
DeleteHealthcare is vulnerable to change due to numerous regulatory agencies, inspections (both state and federal) and a multitude of separate reimbursement processes. When a change comes your way which potentially affects the entire organization and everyone working there, perhaps use this basic structure to help your subordinates embrace the process:
ReplyDelete1. "What?" Explain what's happening and what's driving it (new Medicare regulation/requirement, new or revised requirement for Blue Cross to reimburse, merger with another hospital chain, etc.).
2. "So what?" Explain what might happen if the new requirements are not met (reduced reimbursement, difficulty passing next inspection, etc.).
3. "Now what?" Explain what the 'new normal' is going to be, but do this from the standpoint of informing the employees how this potentially adds to their opportunities for career growth, increased services and associated revenue flow, and how you're looking forward to working with everyone as a team. Give the subordinates a perspective which encourages their buy-in versus just stating the news.
My apologies for failing to introduce myself: Don Stafford, MHA/MBA student of Dr. Bonica at the Army-Baylor program. I've been a nurse anesthetist for 24 years, and a military officer in various healthcare leadership roles. Looking forward to reading your blogs this semester.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful response and volunteering your time to read my blog! Also, as Evan said, thank you for your service!
DeleteI really like your strategy on helping people adjust to any new change. It is a great idea to tie in the "So what?" with the "Now what?" because it relates both the implications for the organization and individuals.
Hi Ashley and Don,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Evan Dressel, I graduated from the HMP program in 2014 and have been in the hospital setting since. In my last role, I managed a few departments within our revenue cycle and dealing with change management was arguably the most difficult aspect of the role. Like Don mentioned, there are multiple factors impacting healthcare organizations both internal and external. Although these changes are typically aimed at improving the "triple aim" (cost, quality, access), they can cause quite the administrative headache.
I learned to view operational roles in a very procedural way (e.g., flowcharts with specific tasks along the way). Each of the tasks within the chart must be executed by a human (obviously). This means that the person has to learn that role and execute with precision to avoid billing issues, denials or clinical access hiccups (within the rev cycle world). It takes a while for folks to become really proficient in a position (I'd say maybe 1-2 years). Where this becomes a major issue is when there is CONSTANT change going on. This meant that employees had to constantly execute their role with precision, while learning the new skills to adapt to whatever change was happening (could be a process change, software change or requirement change). Inevitably, this leads to some grumbling amongst staff which can quickly swirl into a cancerous negativity. One of the ways we tried to combat these issues was by first listening to the staff and trying to understand where we as leadership could actually help alleviate some of the stress, but more importantly was to create an effective incentive program. This might be something you want to look into as we found this to be quite valuable. There's a whole social science behind designing an effective incentive program as well as it must align with the values of the employees. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts throughout the semester.
And to Don- Thank you for your service to our country and soldiers/families. Coming from a military family, I understand some of the sacrifices that are made for that career path and just want to extend my gratitude.
Best wishes to all,
Evan
Hi Evan! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and provide valuable insight!
DeleteThat is a great idea! Thank you for sharing your personal experience. I had never thought of how frustrating that would be to try to master a skill just for it to change. The incentive program is a great idea to help create more personal investment in whatever work employees are doing!