Transcript Leadership Team 1,2 (LT) Process Some Practical Suggestions for Achieving and Sustaining Exceptional Organizational Results A Presentation for SOMC Leaders Kendall L.

Leadership Team
1,2
(LT) Process
Some Practical Suggestions for Achieving and
Sustaining Exceptional Organizational Results
A Presentation for SOMC Leaders
Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.
September 22, 2007
1This
2The
presentation assumes that we value the LT structure and intend to improve it.
LT process is still only partially deployed. Why is that?
Why do leadership teams exist?1,2
To
Produce
Exceptional
Results
For
Patients
1There
is still abundant evidence that SOMC leaders believe teams exist to make the members feel good.
has a great story about the desire to “dumb down” Kendall’s expectations for Ethics Committee members.
2Claudia
Exactly how do leaders achieve and
sustain results that matter?
They focus on results.
They improve the processes that produce those results.
They clarify the behaviors that make those processes work.
They hold people accountable for their behavior.
They select people for the abilities and attitudes
that produce desired behaviors.1,2
They create the energizing discomfort that catalyzes improvement.
1This
2But
idea that everybody is not equal makes people very uncomfortable.
our differences are the team’s potential strengths.
Slide 1 of 2
What patient-centered1 leadership team
process am I proposing?
• Decide that the leadership team
is the organizational structure
that will serve me best.
• Make the case.
• Design and deploy an
organizational Leadership Team
Process that will produce
exceptional results for me.
• Select an executive champion.
• Identify key decision-makers
who will see clearly, speak
frankly, select the best option
and hold themselves
accountable for producing
results
1Remember
the Four Ws. “What Would We Want?”
• Select the best-possible chair
who will always put my best
interests first.
• Arrange for appropriate staff
support.
• Conduct an annual SWOT
analysis as a part of the
Strategic Planning Process.
• Draft a scope document.
• Decide what results you intend
to produce for me.
• Draft a dashboard and set
performance targets for each
indicator.
Slide 2 of 2
What patient-centered1 leadership team
process am I proposing?
• Organize tabbed-meeting
notebooks.
– Agenda
– Minutes for past 12 months
– Current performance results
(Dashboard) including
enabling processes.
– Continuously-updated
annual TaskList with a
ParkingLot
– Annual Calendar
– Most recent “scope”
document
– Educational presentations
for past 12 months
• Utilize a timed agenda.
1Remember
the Four Ws. “What Would We Want?”
• Stay focused on results that
matter to me.
• Design, deploy and
continuously improve
processes that will produce
results that matter to me.
• Continuously monitor and
update the LT’s TaskList.
• Hold each other accountable
on my behalf.
• Provide actionable education
at every meeting.
• Remembering that you are
serving me, utilize business
travel to learn and complete
team projects.
When might a leadership team (LT) be the
best organizational approach?
• When multiple leaders are
involved1
• When physician involvement
is critical
• When different departments
or disciplines are involved
• When obtaining approval
through different
organizational levels is a
challenge.
• When meetings have become
an unbearable drudgery
• When you are having trouble
sustaining leaders’ focus
1It
• When building consensus
among key leaders is critical
• When repetitious meetings
are driving you nuts
• When you are having trouble
executing plans
• When leaders are reluctant
to take a firm position others
can depend on
• When you have found it
difficult to hold key leaders
accountable
• When you don’t know what
else to do
is actually easier to have one meeting than multiple meetings, but leaders can’t hide behind their power in LT meetings.
To whom must you make the case?
• To yourself1
• To the people you intend
to lead
• To the people you want to
serve on the leadership
team
• To other organizational
leaders
• To executives
1Personal
enthusiasm and commitment are prerequisites.
Why is it critical to recruit an executive
champion?
• You need to remove the executives
as barriers right from the start.
• You want this team to be a decisionmaking group, not just a
deliberative body.
• Having an executive present will
minimize the need to check with
others before launching your action
plans.
• The executive’s presence will make
the importance of the work clear.
• The executive will bring a global
perspective that other leaders may
not have considered.
• The executive will assist you in
holding team members accountable.
How can you get and keep the right people
on the bus?
• Stay focused on results.
• Select people based on their
demonstrated ability to work
with others to produce results—
not to make them feel included.
• Accept your responsibility to
always field the best possible
leadership team.
• Limit the participants to 8-10
people.
• Ask disruptive people to leave.
• Be clear about your
expectations up front.
• Consider asking people to sign a
letter of commitment.
• Consider conducting a 360degree evaluation of each other.
• Recognize exceptional
teamwork.
• Build strong relationships
through team travel and the
appropriate resolution of
conflict.
• Find effective ways to hold
yourself and your colleagues
accountable.
What are you looking for in a
chairperson?1
• Someone with a lot at
stake
• Someone with energy
• Someone with focus
• Someone with drive
• Someone with enthusiasm
• Someone who will ask the
right questions
• Someone who can explain
how
1Responsible
leaders are obligated to field the best-possible LT chair.
Why is it important to arrange for
adequate staff support?
• Constraining structure limits
wasteful distractions.
• Careful staff preparation helps to
compensate for committee
members’ laziness.
• Available resources encourages
timely decisions and discourages
procrastination.
• Crisp agendas demand attention
and encourage conformity.
• Documentation holds people
accountable and shores up weak
memories.
What is the SWOT analysis process?
• This is a facilitated
brainstorming process that
documents the participants’
perceptions about the business
unit’s
–
–
–
–
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities, and
Threats.
• This business process adds
value to the annual strategic
planning retreat.1
1And
since this is mostly about perceptions, everyone can contribute.
What questions should be answered in the
LT scope document?
• What is our mission?
• Why do leadership
teams exist?
• What were our results
last year?
• What results will we
achieve and sustain this
year?
• Why have we selected
these indicators?
• What customercentered processes will
enable us to succeed?
• What kinds of team
members do we seek to
recruit and retain?
• What will a typical
meeting agenda look
like?
• What are some of our
anticipated projects and
tasks?
How can you select performance indicators
that matter most to me?
• Choose performance
indicators that matter
most to me.
• Be able to explain why
these indicators matter.
• Measure key processes.
• Find comparative data.
• Find true benchmark
performance.
• Never, ever permit
yourselves to feel
satisfied.
Why should you utilize tabbed meeting
notebooks?
• Because these tools will increase focus and
keep the group on task
• Because this structure will clarify your
expectations
• Because people rarely prepare for meetings
• Because without constraining structure,
attendees will just show up and talk about
how they feel
• Because the information people need to
make good decisions should be readily
available
• Because such preparation will enhance the
group’s effectiveness
• Because your colleagues will appreciate it
• Because using these tools is an
organizational best practice
How can you keep the LT focused on the
results that matter to me?
• Begin each meeting with the results
you have achieved.
• Ask the questions you would want
answered if you were in my shoes.
• Review and revise 90-day action
plans religiously.
• Go over the team’s TaskList,
timelines and accountable leaders
at each meeting.
• Get and keep the right people on
the bus.
• Get the wrong people off the bus.
• Remind each other regularly why
you are there—to achieve and
sustain exceptional results.
How can you keep the LT focused on the processes that will
produce results that matter to me?
• Insist on writing a
straightforward process
(or group of processes)
to support each
performance indicator.
• Make sure each process
is embraced as accurate
by the process owners.
• Use unexceptional
performance as a
stimulus to improve the
enabling process(es).
• Identify a champion for
each process.
• Make process
improvement a part of
each 90-day action plan.
• Organize a formal PI
team when necessary—
but only when
necessary.
• Always ask whether the
process owners were
intimately involved in
any process
improvements.
How can you use the TaskList and
ParkingLot effectively?
• Use the tool to capture each
task, to set a timeline and to
hold people accountable.
• Limit aimless discussion
about feelings by asking
whether this matter can be
reduced to some meaningful
task(s).
• Table emerging issues for
further discussion on the
ParkingLot section of the
TaskList.
• Use the list as a way to
document accomplishments.
• Go over the updated
TaskList and ParkingLot at
every meeting.
• List all 90-day action plans
as tasks to increase focus
and accountability.
• Make tasks and projects
simple and concise.
• Always insist on a deadline
and at least one accountable
LT team member.
• Always ask about the
progress being made on
unfinished tasks.
• Update the TaskList and
ParkingLot at every
meeting—and between
meetings if necessary.
Why does an annual calendar make sense?
• This encourages planning
and increases focus.
• This decreases the likelihood
that things will slip up on
the team.
• This forces team members to
take a more organizational
view.
• This forces the group to set
priorities.
• This facilitates continuous
improvement.
How can you hold yourself and your
colleagues accountable?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Clarify your expectations.
Write them down.
Seek informed consent.
Insist on a personal re-commitment
each year.
Ask slackers to leave.
Refuse to add log knots to the team
just because they want to be there or
because of their rank.
Decline to lower your expectations to
make coasters more comfortable.
Insist that the chair field the best
possible team.
When you see that you are unable or
unwilling to pull your weight, be a
good example and leave the team.
How can you provide actionable education
at every meeting?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Explain why it is important.
Make it pertinent.
Make it practical.
Make it understandable.
MISEQ.
Explain exactly
– What needs to be done,
– Why these things need to be
done,
– How to get them done,
– Who will do them, and
– How they can get them
done.
• Break it down into simple
tasks.
• Break the tasks down to
simple steps.
• Invite clarifying questions.
• Select effective presenters.
• Tell me only what I need to
know, not everything you
would like me to know.
• Take the time to understand
my needs; seek to meet them
instead of your own.
• Extrude the unmotivated.
How can you complete a LT project while
you are traveling on business?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Invite all travelers to propose a
project.
Choose a project that everyone sees
as meaningful.
Select the best possible project
leader.
Pick a project that everyone can
contribute to.
Explain why this project matters.
Explain how you are going to
complete the project.
Reassure everyone that this will be
enjoyable and satisfying; then make
it so.
Avoid lectures of any kind.
Seek opinions based on the
participants’ experiences, not their
formal education.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Choose a project that can actually
be completed on the trip.
Limit the “work” to the formal
meeting and working meals to allow
for some personal relaxation and
group bonding.
Attempt to deliver a draft of the
project to attendees before the trip
ends.
Explain what will happen to the
completed project after the trip.
Thank everyone for investing time
and energy in the trip.
Make sure each participant gets a
copy of the completed project.
Take and share some pictures to
create mutual history.
Where can you learn more?1
• Stewart, Kendall L., et. al,, A Portable
Mentor for Organizational Leaders,
SOMCPress, 2003
• Ali, Moi, et. al., Successful Manager’s
Handbook, DK Publishing, Inc., 2002
1How
do we want to make this learning available to our leaders?
Are there other questions?
www.somc.org
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