HR Pulse - Fall 2008 - (Page 28)

>> INCREASING CEO ENGAGEMENT how CEO engagement is associated with individual and organizational success and decreased senior executive turnover. One popular misconception is that CEOs need to leave their organizations to earn more money. If that is really true, then the 39 highly successful, long tenured CEOs in this study must be underpaid. Yet, the evidence gathered in the research directly contradicts this. These CEOs told me that they were paid fairly and that whatever the potential differences in compensation might have been, the money just wasn’t enough by itself to cause them to want to move elsewhere. To condense the research findings into a practical model that can be applied to selecting and retaining hospital CEOs, I developed the “Six Building Blocks of Lasting Leadership.” These capture the primary tasks of the most successful CEOs, as reported and crossvalidated by both the participating CEOs and their chairs. Practical Strategies HR executives can use many strategies to increase the engagement, success, and tenure of their CEOs. For simplicity’s sake, these can be grouped into two overlapping categories: 1) what you need to know, and 2) what you need to do. What HR Executives Need to Know One respected CHRO said he’s observed that the fundamental failing of many health care HR executives is they lack an understanding of how the core business works and that any business needs to make money to sustain itself. He explained that HR professionals must have this understanding to have credibility as a business partner and to relate most effectively with other senior team members. He added that despite their commitment and good intentions, some HR executives do not understand that HR is not the sole reason that organizations exist. This faulty thinking causes them to look at individual issues from the perspective of “how does this affect me and my department,” instead of “how does this impact the organization as whole?” The “tail can’t wag the dog,” and HR should be seen as one of several critical and wholly integrated departments contributing to strategy and operations. Also, at the end of the day, we need to remember that CEOs and other senior team members may not always care about how our goals were accomplished. But, they will want to know that we achieved results that helped the organization to achieve its goals. Just as we need to understand the business, we need to really know the people with whom When the CEO leaves, four more senior team members are likely to follow that person out the door within one year. The Six Building Blocks of Lasting Leadership 1. Leadership In rallying others to a better future, the most effective leaders create a clear and compelling vision that they can understand. They anticipate and respond to others’ fears, goals, and dreams so that they will join their CEO and direct their actions toward achieving common goals. 2. Relationships The willingness and ability to proactively interact with others in a reciprocal manner to share information and promote mutual gains is critical. The best leaders know that over the long term, the best way to ensure their own success is to ensure that of others around them. Simply put, the more they give to others, the more they will get in return. 3. Communication This involves having clear, open, and transparent conversations with people at all levels of the organization. CEOs must be viewed as approachable, and their words and actions consistently support the mission of their hospital. 4. Selection This is the systematic process of surrounding oneself with talented others and applying their individual strengths to promote measurable gains toward established goals. CEOs form synergistic relationships with those around them. They understand that when you combine the right people doing the right tasks, one plus one can equal three. 5. Measurement Perhaps not surprisingly, the CEOs of the most successful organizations use a variety of objective metrics to evaluate their people, processes, and progress in order to maximize their efﬁciency and productivity. 6. Flexibility CEOs are preoccupied with the future, dissatisﬁed with the status quo, and relentless in their quest to propel their organizations forward. But, along the way, while they remain focused on the future, they ﬁnd ways to compromise and work cooperatively with very different people at all levels both inside and outside of their organizations. 28 HR Pulse Fall 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2008

HR Pulse - Fall 2008 Contents Pulse Points Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Irma Pye Sammy’s House: Making a Difference in Austin Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies Increasing CEO Engagement Pastoral Care Retaining Scarce, Critical Talent The Engagement Dilemma Diversity Considerations…More than AAP & EEO Quashing the Workplace Bullying Bug How to Become a Strong Human Resources Partner Citizen Lobbyists Descend Upon Capitol Hill Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Sponsors Exhibitors Advertisers’ Index

HR Pulse - Fall 2008

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