HR Pulse - Winter 2007 - (Page 42) >> HEADING OFF A LEADERSHIP DRAIN During the one-day simulation, a participant assumed the identity and responsibilities of a senior leader of a fictitious healthcare system. Throughout the day, the participant answered phone calls and e-mails and met with a regulatory official, a physician and a direct report, all while preparing a strategic planning presentation and managing day-to-day operational challenges. All of the exercises were carefully designed to draw on critical leadership competencies. A Participant’s Perspective “I had no idea what to expect,” says Patty Massey, vice president and chief information officer at Memorial Health, who was assessed to see what skills she needed to progress to the next position above hers. “And it seemed to me that it would be hard to simulate a day in the life of a chief operating officer at a healthcare center.” What Massey discovered surprised her. “It was challenging,” she says. “In terms of the variety of issues, the problems I encountered and how fast everything happened, it was pretty authentic—and demanding.” By the end of the day, Massey admits that she gained some new insights about herself. “Before the assessment, I always thought I did a good job of handling patient complaints,” she says. “But I learned that wasn’t quite accurate, partly because I had a tendency to assume that other people knew as much about a situation as I did. That forced me to step back and look at the bigger picture more closely. I learned what my strengths are and where I need to improve. It showed me how I performed on the job and provided valuable insights on what I need to do to become a better executive.” Since putting its first candidates through the assessment experience in December 2006, Memorial Health has filled one spot on its senior leadership team. More importantly, the organization was able to identify gaps in bench strength before other positions open up and work on developing the internal talent to fill those spots when the time comes. Ready to Hit the Ground Running: Hamot Medical Center Leadership succession proved to be an ongoing challenge at award-winning Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa., as well, where a fair number of senior leaders will retire over the next five to eight years. Along with replacing the departing top executives, the healthcare system wanted to devise a comprehensive approach to developing internal talent, with the goal of maintaining leadership continuity and strategic direction. 42 HR Pulse Winter 2007 Find Your Perfect Match Today! Recruiting high-quality healthcare executives is more competitive than ever before. At ACHE our members are leaders who are committed to professional development and equipped with the latest healthcare knowledge. Visit ACHE’s online resume bank to find your perfect match among the membership of healthcare’s leading professional society, all for free! There is no charge to post jobs or to search our database of more than 4,000 resumes. Find the highly skilled, healthcare leaders you’re looking for today! Visit the career services area at ache.org to find your perfect match. 315412_American.indd 1 1/15/07 2:40:32 PM
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