Author: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA
This article was updated in 2013 to reflect the current market.
There’s no such thing as watching what goes on in your organization from an ivory tower these days. If you’re in a management role and or working with others, you have a responsibility to be a leader. As someone who works with physicians, patients, consumers of your product including employers, you’re accountable for positioning your organization in its best light.
Likely, you are charged with making sure you contribute in meeting the organization’s immediate and long-term objectives, all the while keeping your focus on your obligations and the target groups you are assigned to grow.
Whew! It’s not an easy task, to say the least. As we make our way through these challenging economic times, assess your personal leadership skill set and determine how you can make improvements. You’ve also got a great opportunity to spread your leadership skills to your team and initiate a strategy that can energize and inspire the organization.
Today’s challenge: Take a closer look at how you can implement these principles into your organization. What areas are you already strong in, and which ones could use some improvement?
Consider these elements as part of that strategy:
Listen first. Don’t assume that you know what the other person will say. Many of us are great talkers but only marginal listeners. Encourage input from others. And if you ask for feedback, you need to put it to use or tell your source why you didn’t.
Lead by example. If you’re charged with getting a task done and have a hard time recruiting people to support your cause, keep focused. Above all, do what you believe is right and you’ll find that others will respect you for it.
Admit mistakes, and do it quickly. One of the challenges of today’s world is that there’s not enough time to do the research and be as thorough as we want. Make a decision when you need to, evaluate its correctness, admit if it wasn’t the best choice, then correct it and move on.
Be organized. Meet your deadlines and be prepared for meetings, both formal and informal. Prepare what you’ll say ahead of time and back up your thoughts with documentation.
Create a knowledge base. Use objectivity to make your decisions. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of good decision making. Within your department, realize that others look to those with solid information. Share your knowledge graciously.
Mentor others. Within many departments, there’s a hierarchy and sometimes a need to make the rookie “learn the hard way.” Let that go and do everything you can to create a smooth transition for new staff. Let them shorten their learning cycle and minimize their anxiety by offering your support.