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Leadership:“Hope is not a method”
Joseph G. Keary, MS, MBA
jgk leadership consulting
Member, Kansas City Chapter, CLMA
Introduction
General Gordon R. Sullivan is a former Chief of Staff of the Army
Involved in the earliest strategies of Army Transformation back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s
He began the journey from the bureaucratic “Cold War” Army, which paralleled the business model prevalent at the time – large, inflexible organization
Introduction
This journey has culminated in today’s “transformational” Army• Gone are rigid, large Divisions which need to
deploy together• Now we have Brigade “Units of Action”, which
are modular and carry intrinsic capabilities
What does this have to do with Leadership, and specifically, Leadership in the profession of clinical lab science?
Your Laboratory
You are the “Units of Action” As an integral part of your
organization, you have “proponency” – another term for “ownership”
You are the proponent for:• Organizational growth and development • Personal growth and engagement
Your Laboratory
Section/Department heads are the “front-line” leaders for the organization
You are role models and “centers of influence” in the health care community
You motivate and develop your lab into a dynamic and vibrant organization
The Paradox of Action
This refers to the fact that working harder and harder to do what you do better and better will NOT lead to success!
Action without strategic direction merely drives an organization deeper into a hole
The Paradox of Action
There are three “leaderships traps” which follow from this paradox
Each of them is easy to fall victim to; in fact, in many cases we are “trained” to follow the pathway down to the trap
Leadership Traps
Doing things too well:• When you are doing well, you lose the
vision and passion for change and fail to instill vision and passion in your staff
• You run the risk of losing touch with your organization and your stakeholders (employees, customers and others)
• You become overconfident, and like the story of the tortoise and the hare… you don’t see everyone pass you by!
Leadership Traps
Being in the “wrong business”:• More commonly seen in the business
world, it has parallels in our profession• Implies waiting to see what develops,
trading time for the prospect of more information and less uncertainty
• May result from the desire to wait for more resources, or an aversion to loss
• Is the laboratory seen as a “service” or a “partner”?
Leadership Traps
Making yesterday perfect:• The inability to cope with external
change• Changes are made, but always in terms
of the “old” paradigm• Leaders who practice this are great
“fixers”, but not innovators• Appears that things are moving forward,
but it is not “transformational”
Leadership vs Management
Management has to do with an organization’s processes:• The organization is controlled by dealing
with the functional parts of the whole i.e: Human Resources, Logistics, Nursing,
Ancillary Services, MIS, etc
Leadership has to do with an organization’s purposes:
Leadership
Leadership and learning are the tools to develop a high performing organization
Goes beyond creating the future and managing complexity
Also involves team building and in influencing and directing the course of the organization through them
Leadership
Leadership has three dimensions:
Managing Creating the future Team Building
Leadership is acting on an interpersonal level with small groups or individuals
Leaders Reconnaissance
Leaders need to constantly assess and evaluate the following:
• What is happening?
• What is NOT happening?
• What can I do to influence the action?
Leaders Reconnaissance
This trilogy captures the essence of strategic leadership
Knowing what IS happening in our organization is not enough
Leaders Reconnaissance
By focusing on what is NOT happening, we open our mind to broader opportunities and options
By asking how can I influence the action, we envision a greater range of responses than mere action and counteraction
Leadership Action Cycle
5 step process:• Observe: What is happening / not
happening? Be objective and make critical observations Focus equally on what is NOT happening Consider actions, morale, client feedback
and other metrics Don’t offer opinions at this stage – be a
silent observer
Leadership Action Cycle
5 step process:• Reflect: what can I do to influence the
action and formulate options Consider what you have seen and take time
to see what YOUR role is in each action Make sure you come up with several courses
of action / options• Consider both easy and difficult solutions to come
up with the OPTIMAL solution
Leadership Action Cycle
5 step process:• Decide: a Leader leads…
identify tasks, roles and set constraints, limits and measurable standards
Use a systematic and standardized approach to evaluate COA’s
Weighted Decision Matrix is often a great tool
Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process,
• Act: organization executes the decisions of the leader. The leader demonstrates sponsorship and involvement to reinforce the need for change
Follows the principle that “A leader…leads” Get involved in the following stages –
• Information on the decision• Overall implementation strategy• Desired outcomes and metrics of success
Decentralize the execution as much as possible
Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process,
• Learn: Most important step; closes the loop by relating the outcomes of decision and action to future actions; modify behavior and actions as a result of what we NOW know
Restart the critical thinking and evaluation process
This should be a continuous process
Values: the Leverage of Change Leadership begins with VALUES! Values are critical in that they:
• Bind expectations• Provide alignment• Establish a foundation for
transformation and growth
Leaders signal what will NOT change, providing an anchor and a context for decisions and actions
Organizational Values
Purpose: • We exist as a part of something bigger
and better than the individual • We are all part of the Laboratory
Profession• The Laboratory Profession has our own
Values• We are enriched by being part of this
profession and derive benefits from it
Organizational Values
Continuity: • History is a part of our profession.• Others in our profession have faced
challenges and succeeded. • The past is a reflection of our collective
identity• Traditions are important to morale
Organizational Values
People: • To value your organization, you must
value the people who comprise it. • This shows in our policies but also in
how we delegate and share responsibilities
• It also shows in viewing our fellow peofessionals as a “renewable resource” to be developed and cultivated
Organizational Values
Responsibility:• Many leaders want to TAKE
responsibility for all actions/inactions• Most effective leaders INVEST
responsibility in their subordinates• True empowerment which is not merely
freedom to do your job, but also to help define it
• Empowerment is about responsibility
Organizational Values
Integrity:• Not merely “honesty”• A broader, strong pattern of internal
consistency• Commitment to consistently “doing the
right thing” for the right reason and for the long run, despite short term pressures of temptations
The Six Imperatives
The Six Imperatives were the Army’s first plan for transformation
• Quality People• Leader Development• Training• Modern Equipment• Force Mix• Doctrine
The Six Imperatives
Pictured as a six pointed star, with a hexagon (signifying change) in the center
The “hexagon” reflected a trained and ready force
Same can be said about OUR organizations
The Six Imperatives
All of these are critical to our success All deserve our attention, but to
varying degrees We need to consider the effect of
change on each of the imperatives We also need to consider our role in
optimizing our role in each of the imperatives
People
Who do we work with?• Their strengths and weaknesses• Their motivators and distractors• Their culture• Their ethics (especially work ethic)
How are they engaged in our mission?
Equipment
The rapid innovations in technology• Point of care testing • High throughput analyzers and
consolidation of services
The cost of technology• Direct costs (equipment, reagents,
supplies and service)• Indirect costs (training, burnout, etc)
Regulations
The “alphabet soup” of regulatory agencies• CAP, AABB, FDA, TJC, CLIA, CMS etc
The need to specialize in regulatory affairs in order to effectively and legally operate in this environment
Training
Education needed to enter the profession
Continuing professional education New equipment/technology
education Leadership and management
education Self- development education
Staff Mix
Differences between• Ages• Cultures• Genders• Training (MLT v MT)
Optimizing the mix of staff to harmonize operations at a cost efficient level
Leaders
Every employee a “leader” Leadership training for all staff Professional development training for
the formal leadership team Developing a culture of engaged
leaders Avoiding the “impeder-leader”, “toxic
leaders” and other dysfunctional types
Leadership is a Team Sport
GEN Sullivan says:• “Your first task as a leader is to build your
leadership team” Our professional team includes our leaders
and members and also “influencers”• Family members• Other medical professionals
We live and lead through the power of Teams
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule One: Change is Hard Work• Tough job for a Leader• Involves guiding the organization
through today as well as getting it to tomorrow
• Involves a personal and very hands-on approach
• Taking and directing action• Building confidence to move forward
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Two: Leadership Begins with Values• Shared values express the essence of an
organization• They bind expectations, provide
alignment and provide a foundation for transformation and growth
• They signal what will NOT change and serve as a strategic context for decisions and actions
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Three: Intellectual Leads Physical• The development of the intellectual
framework of change predates the “organizational” and structural changes
• Imagining the future and communicating it to the team is critical
• Without intellectual change… physical change will be unfocused, random and unlikely to succeed
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Four: Real Change… Takes Real Change• Need to effect change, not just talk
about it• Change needs to take place at the
critical process level, not by mere adjustments at the margins
• Necessary to result in substantive and enduring transformation
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Five: Leadership is a Team Sport• Effective leaders forge alliances and
build teams• They empower their staff with a sense of
responsibility, to insure the momentum for transformation permeates the organization
• Unleashes the “Power of People”
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Six: Expect to be Surprised• Success comes from accommodating
the unexpected, exploiting opportunities and working through setbacks
• Leaders must build flexibility and resilience into their organization
• When the unexpected occurs, response needs to be prompt, action is deliberate and the organization stays on course
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Seven: Today Competes with Tomorrow• An organization has a finite amount of
“energy”, resources and even the best people capable of leading
• Most of these need to remain focused on today’s requirements of service
• Some must be focused on the change of tomorrow… a balance needs to be struck
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Eight: Better is Better• Better is NOT only about improved
quality, lower costs, improved access to care, empowerment or shared information
• It includes all these and more…• Better is about establishing and
sustaining an edge in tomorrow’s world• Better is about becoming something
different… about winning!
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Nine: Focus on the Future• Leaders must continue to focus on the
future• This develops a positive, creative
culture, marked by optimism• By promoting this culture, a leader
causes others to look beyond today and participate in the transformation
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Ten: Learn from Doing• Promote a “learning organization”• Share the knowledge and experiences
learned to reduce the risk and promote success
• By stretching the organization to do things “differently”, the Leader fosters an entrepreneurial spirit of innovation and growth
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Eleven: Grow People• The challenge here is to view your staff
as the most valued resource• Its not to be the most creative Leader or
have the most creative lab leadership… rather to have the most creative laboratory
• A laboratory is only as strong as its members… engage your employees!
Rules for Guiding Change
Rule Twelve: Reflect• Sharpen the habit of reflection• Use the three questions:
What is happening? What is NOT happening How can I influence the situation
• This is critical, in order to put events and situations in perspective
Common Organizational Ideals
What are some common ideals that
high-performing organizations see in their members?
Common Organizational Ideals
A genuine passion for what they do A sense of becoming and not merely
being An openness of vision that
accommodates risk taking – dare to succeed
A zest for learning from all they do A deep, abiding belief in their people
Conclusion
Remember, Hope is not a method… It is not a method of leadership, of
success, of excellence or even of life Leaders must lead, and by following
many of these strategic transformational practices, we can make our laboratories and our profession as a whole, more efficient, more effective organizations