Clintcast

The best managers highly involve those at lower levels (closest to the problems) in the problem-solving process. Employees in those areas tend to understand the problem better and also tend to be more familiar with potential solutions. Therefore, they should be highly engaged in the problem-solving process. The decision-making process on the other hand, falls squarely in the lap of the manager as the final decision must be, by definition, decisive and customer driven. As such, the final choice may not always be popular, but managers need to have a firm grasp on how to go about decision-making nonetheless. Listen in for tips today on how to make the most of this key managerial skill.

Teaming makes it easier - this concept is the main thrust behind rapid-cycle teams. What about those teams that involve timelines that are much longer than 12-weeks for standard rapid-cycles? Some are required by organizational rules/bylaws/regulations/etc. Some occur at a high level. Like any team meeting, as long as these have a purpose, a priority, an agenda and an outcome, than it is okay to utilize them towards the betterment of the organization. That said, there are some things to be aware of that can drag down the effectiveness of these longer baseline teams if you are not careful. Check out Clint’s checklist of points to consider when implementing long standing committees!

There are sometimes employees that are not performing up to par. This often occurs over a range of possible values of sub-par behavior (such as rare/accidental occurrences, routine limit-testing, flagrant lack of responsibility, etc). As long as this is an employee you have not completely given up on (they are in process of de-hiring), there are some techniques you can employ/coach to have them take responsibility to bring their performance levels back into the expected range. Check out these helpful hints to keep your staff continually pushing their performance levels higher.

Making a difference is important in the healthcare profession. Our customers need and expect this of us, no different than we would if we were in their position. Today, Clint comments about a colleague, client and true difference-maker, Mike Berry, who recently passed away and discusses the long-lasting impacts and positive effects he had on those around him.

It is a defeatist phrase uttered way too often around the country... ‘oh no, another admission’, indicating that one’s busy day just got busier. Clint affirms that we need to be vigilant in recognizing that another admission is a sign of success that we need to be excited about, even if things are a bit busy at the moment. After all, that customer could have gone somewhere else and with the economy such as it is, we all want as many customers as we can handle, as opposed to laying off employees due to lack of customers. Listen in today to learn why it is critical that new admissions be celebrated, not loathed. It should be ‘oh boy!’ instead!

Nothing demonstrates confidence in your own products/services as much as your choice to patronize those very products/services when you, or a friend or family member, needs these healthcare options. Today, Clint chats about the ‘ultimate brag’ which is act of self-promoting through internal channels. Most organizations have a marketing arm of some sort, but there is real power in realizing that every employee is a marketing force for the organization (and often far more powerful/effective). Learn some tips to help on ensure your organization's utilization of this powerful concept today!

In continuing the theme of teaming makes it easier, today Clint discusses a concept that will quickly be coming to the healthcare market as the reform efforts begin to come into effect. Entities known as ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations) will soon be widespread as the government mandates the concept of teaming and partnering between healthcare providers. The intent is to reduce costs while also lowering readmission rates for customers going through various acute recovery processes, such as congestive heart failures. Organizations need to be aware of these coming changes and be proactively planning partnerships now to be ready to take advantage of these opportunities which will soon be here. Are you ready to partner?

Occasionally with staff workers there will be times when work performance is not up to what is expected. As a leader, how should one go about dealing with these occurrences. Today, Clint discusses 3 primary types of ‘bad performances’ and ways to deal with them. These include ‘accidental violators, limit-testers and outlaws’. Learn the differences and how early intervention can make a world of difference!

As Care Crowd members have learned, in the effort to ‘make things better’, it is true that teaming makes it easier. That said, when a new change arises that will require an altered direction/process/etc in an organization, possibly requiring new ways of doing things, where is a newly formed team supposed to get answers or ideas? As Mr. Dylan said, the answer is blowin' in the wind. When building a solution with a team, it is crucial to get key information injected as quickly as possible up front so the team can factor this information into scope/ideas/timelines and so forth. Springing key info at the last minute is a sure way to induce paralysis, panic and uncertainty into a team that is then expected to be creative on the spot with no/little time to fully develop a solution and chunk out its implementation plan. When trying to pluck those ideas from the breeze, be sure you take time and information into account as the wind can sometimes be fickle or unpredictable and catching those butterflies may be more difficult than anticipated.

Today, Clint chats with Rick Marshall, Executive Vice President of the Christian Care Communities while working with their organization in Kentucky. Together, they discuss the various forces that are currently at work helping to shape the organization such as legislative changes affecting healthcare, community involvement initiatives, facility updates (they just celebrated their organization’s 125th anniversary in 2009) and more. Of prime importance is the need to drive continual improvements in the pursuit of customer-service excellence while also seeking out new revenue streams to help keep the organization financially healthy and to further foster growth opportunities. Enjoy!