Being a hospital leader is more difficult than ever in today’s changing healthcare environment. It can be easy to stray off course while dealing with regulatory compliance and financial constraints. It’s vital that a leader remembers he is responsible for one of the most precious and fragile elements of his organization: its culture. Here are five cultural truths to which hospital leaders must adhere to be effective.
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1. You set the tone for your organization/department.
If you’re telling others about your employees doing a bad job, it is a direct reflection of your leadership. It can’t be overstated that leaders are directly responsible for employees’ work environments.
Instead of complaining about people being lazy, gossips, or drama queens, ask yourself what you can do to change the environment. The vast majority of people want to do a good job. Perhaps there are things blocking them from working toward their full potential. Be empowering, not demoralizing.
2. There is a balance between staying in touch and accepting you don’t know what’s happening on the front lines.
The higher up in the organization they are, the less in touch leaders can be with frontline workers. That’s an unavoidable fact. The key is to understand this without completely withdrawing from the day-to-day functions.
Realize your limitations, and entrust subordinates to do their jobs, but don’t isolate yourself completely. Remain visible, not only to your direct reports but also to all levels of the organization. It’s paramount to effective leadership to go where the action is taking place.
3. Focus on the good of the entire organization, rather than personal gain.
Large organizations often have multiple layers of parallel leadership. The leaders within each silo tend to focus on their own best interests, particularly in tough economic times. It is crucial for hospital leaders to plan with an enterprisewide vision.
Whether intentional or due to a lack of communication, gains in one area that have a negative impact on another result in subpar performance and potentially lasting resentment. It’s up to leaders to focus on the mission of the entire healthcare system and to facilitate collaboration.
4. Don’t be intimidating.
Nothing good can come from an environment where leaders operate using fear and intimidation. Bullying employees into submission is not only disrespectful, it isn’t smart.
In a culture of fear, employees don’t bring forth potential problems, or they wait until it’s too late. In healthcare, we call that a medical error. In essence, leaders who capitalize on power trips and egos can cause patients harm.
5. Never lose sight of your customer.
As a hospital leader, never lose sight of your customer—the patient. If it takes getting up and walking the halls of the hospital, maintaining a part-time practice, or calling on your own experiences as a patient, do it. Remember that healthcare is about taking the best possible care of patients. When you embrace this truth, it sets the tone for the entire organization.
First published June 2, 2015, on the Horne Healthcare Delivery Institute blog.
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