Building leadership capacity

The Health Media Industry Survey 2009, of USA health providers, showed that only 9% of hospital leaders listed the development of future leaders as a priority. 49% of those surveys indicated the development of leadership capacity was in need of attention - but not necessarily a priority!

How do you go about developing leadership capacity in your hospital? By plan or by chance?

Evidence suggests a planned approach to leadership development pays dividends through improved management teamwork, a breaking down of functional silos, improved decision making, increased loyalty and perhaps most important, known and understood future leadership capacity. From a governance and staff perspective, people would rather have a new leader they had some knowledge and experience of, who has demonstrated their ability to lead and manage, than someone of unknown quality.

Consider the possibility of creating an accelerated leadership program, whereby potential leaders in your organisation work together as a team on self selected program, while also developing their leadership competencies through planned professional development, mentoring and coaching. The organisations benefits in many different ways, the individual managers benefit and the pathway to succession is a lot clearer.

To discuss how you implement such a program in your hospital call John on +61 3 55612228 and we can discuss how we might help you.

Let The Journey Continue
John Coxon



John Coxon & Associates
Taking You from Frontline Manager to CEO
www.johncoxon.com.au
Email john@johncoxon.com.au
Skype: john_coxon
Blog: http://healthsector.blogspot.com
Blog: http://nfp-management.blogspot.com
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40 'dumb' questions

I follow the ‘projectshrink’ Bas de Baar, from the Netherlands, on Twitter. Bas writes stuff on project management. As you know, John Coxon & Associates has a workshop, ready for your team, titled Practical Project Management for Non Profits. (Give John a call on +61 3 5561 2228 to organise). Anyway back to Bas. He pointed me to a squidoo lens titled Not So Dumb Project Management Questions, hosted by Hal Macomber.

Even if you don’t have any interest in project management you gotta read this list of so-called dumb questions. They are not really that dumb – what is so dumb is that many people fail to ask them in the first instance. While written in the context of project management, every one of these questions applies to every other aspect of organisational management. I will even bet there are few in this list that you have failed to ask from time to time and wish afterwards that you, or someone, had done so. How dumb did you feel after not asking?
Let The Journey Continue
John Coxon

John Coxon & Associates
Taking You from Frontline Manager to CEO
Email john@johncoxon.com.au
Skype: john_coxon
Blog: http://healthsector.blogspot.com
Blog: http://nfp-management.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoxon
Follow john_coxon on Twitter
Join John Coxon on Facebook

Hospital Front Line Management research

Back in 2006, researchers Lauren Arnold, Phd, RN, and Greg Nelson, conducted research titled Developing the new frontline manager. As a result of their research they identified five steps for preparing nurse leaders for success, these are:

1: Gaining management support
2: Creating a success profile of the ideal leader
3: Determining fundamental leadership skills and gaps
4: Training for gain
5: Sustaining momentum

In gaining support of management you need to demonstrate your understanding of key aspects of healthcare delivery - quality, retention, patient through put and leadership. When you apply for leadership development, frame your request along the lines of how the PD will help you develop this understanding.

Understand management models and those characteristics that determine effective leaders. Be aware of your own strengths and weakness and put in place a process for maximising strengths and turning weaknesses into strengths. Develop a training plan to help you achieve the knowledge and skills you need.

Sustain your momentum by taking on more responsible tasks, stretch yourself, work with mentors, apply the knowledge you have learned in the workplace at every opportunity.

If you are an aspiring nurse manager or already in a nurse management role and would like assistance to develop your full potential, call John Coxon on +61 03 5561 2228 to discuss how you would like to develop you career. We are able to help in many different ways.

Let The Journey Continue
John Coxon

John Coxon & Associates
Taking You from Frontline Manager to CEO
www.johncoxon.com.au
Email john@johncoxon.com.au
Skype: john_coxon
Blog: http://healthsector.blogspot.com
Blog: http://nfp-management.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoxon
Follow john_coxon on Twitter
Join John Coxon on Facebook

Generational Change

Look around your management team. What do you believe the average age to be? If your management team is typical, then the average age will be somewhere between 50 years and 60 years. Sure there will be a handful of younger managers, often in front line management roles. The reality is that over the next decade many of those on your management will retire. They will be replaced by those younger managers currently in front line management roles.

This change will present many challenges. Being young and ambitious is not a qualification for executive management, it is simply a characteristic. Those younger Gen X managers moving into the executive suite over the next decade will need to build relationships with older, wiser, more experienced baby boomers. To not tap into the combined knowledge of those baby boomers still in the workplace will be a risky strategy.

For those currently aged in their 30's, with ambitions for leading our health providers, it is important, having achieved the top role, to avoid falling into the trap of believing you have all the answers. Effective leaders recognise the strengths others bring to an organisation. They gather round them people able to work together in a collaborative manner; that are aligned with the strategic direction of the organisation. The mantle of leadership is not a title to be claimed, it is a recognition bestowed by others, as a result of being seen to lead in a manner that develops trust, respects individuality while facilitating collaboration and ensure people are treated with dignity.

Let The Journey Continue
John Coxon
John Coxon & Associates
Taking You from Frontline Manager to CEO
www.johncoxon.com.au
Email john@johncoxon.com.au
Skype: john_coxon
Blog: http://healthsector.blogspot.com
Blog: http://nfp-management.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoxon
Follow john_coxon on Twitter
Join John Coxon on Facebook