Are you creating and executing a roadmap that will assist you in moving up within your organization?

The whole concept of internal transition or advancement for executives I find is often neglected. Like overall career planning, without a roadmap, executives have no rudder or direction in mind.

As a result of having no real advancement direction or plan, these are the most prevalent outcomes:

• Career growth in their current company is slow to nonexistent
• They leave the organization too early and possibly create a negative ongoing pattern predictable change

Neglected areas are often:

• No plan for growth within the organization
• No key stakeholder list
• Lack of appropriate self-promotion
• Poor outcomes alignment with immediate boss
• Weak political acumen
• Ineffective soft skills
• No clear vision and strategy
• Lack of developing a strong team

These are certainly not all of the issues but key ones I often see. Setting a roadmap, following the path and focusing on the key areas needed for your success will help you reach your end goal. That next stop on the career path may be within your existing organization or you will be well positioned for that next opportunity outside the organization.

What is that old saying?

What is that old saying? "If you don’t know where you are going you will never get there."

Enjoy the drive!

Jim

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

As the health care system confronts the need to change and adapt in the new era, leadership is required throughout the entire organization.

Nursing Leaders are the centerpiece of care delivery and are extraordinarily vital and influential in carrying out the mission and vision of any healthcare organization. As a result, their leadership has a direct effect on the quality and fiscal outcomes that are of vital importance to an organization.

At Wiederhold & Associates, we know an organization can optimally increase a nursing leaders’ capacity for successful outcomes through professional Nursing Leadership Coaching. It is the single most powerful way for a leader to achieve their potential for superior leadership, strategic thinking, and measurable results.

Coaching is customized to every situation and organization, with outcomes driven models implemented to ensure success.

Who can benefit?

• Senior Nursing Executives
• Nursing Directors and Managers
• Newly hired Nursing Executives who wish to position themselves out of the gate for great success
• High potential Nurse Executives who can benefit from expanding their strategic thinking
• Nurse Executives who want to continue to provide optimal leadership for the patients and the people who care for them

Nursing Leadership Teams

Team Coaching is different from training in that it specifically targets the needs of a group, while providing direction to challenge them to meet a targeted outcome. Teams that can benefit from our approach include:

• High functioning teams wishing to expand their capacities
• Teams experiencing significant changes or challenges
• Newly formed Nursing Leadership Teams

Want to move your organization forward?

Invest in your core: Nursing Leadership.

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

The majority of us plan for our children’s college education, or to get married or stay single but unfortunately very few executives plan their careers. Many potentially successful executives fail to climb the executive ladder because they don’t plan where they want their career to advance to.

Healthcare professionals can progress in their careers, but only if they position themselves for success.

In my experience, less than 5% of healthcare executives plan their career. Most, as I would say, “wing it”; taking advantage of opportunities as they present.

I describe career planning like building a straight fence. You define where you want to go and then identify the points and steps it takes to get there.

Successful executives complete a gap analysis: what are they missing for experience and skills. Skills fall in two categories: hard skills and soft skills. Executives often focus on the hard skills areas and miss the needs for developing soft skills: communications, conflict management, effective messaging, emotional intelligence, relationship building etc.

Through my work with executives in transition, 95% of people in transition lost their job due to a lack of emphasis and engagement in the soft skills.

Preparing to climb the ladder requires a plan that includes the skills both hard and soft to be successful. Successful executives must master emotional intelligence and navigating the political landscape to stay at the top of that ladder.

Here’s to your success!

Jim

When you think of an --Effective Leader-- what comes to mind?

You might picture someone who never lets their temper get out of control, no matter what problems they are facing. Or you might think of someone who has the complete trust of their staff, listens to their team, is easy to talk tThese are qualities of someone with a high degree of emotional intelligence (EQ). Research shows that EQ scores climb with titles from the bottom of the corporate ladder upward toward middle management. Middle managers stand out with the highest EQ scores in the workplace because companies tend to promote people into these positions who are level-headed and good with people. The assumption here is that a manager with a high EQ is someone for whom people will want to work, and always makes careful, informed decisions.

These are qualities of someone with a high degree of emotional intelligence (EQ). Research shows that EQ scores climb with titles from the bottom of the corporate ladder upward toward middle management. Middle managers stand out with the highest EQ scores in the workplace because companies tend to promote people into these positions who are level-headed and good with people. The assumption here is that a manager with a high EQ is someone for whom people will want to work.

But things change drastically as you move beyond middle management. For the titles of director and above, scores descend with CEOs, on average, having the lowest EQ scores in the workplace.

The truth is that for every title the top performers are those with the highest EQ scores. Even though CEOs have the lowest EQ scores in the workplace, the best-performing CEOs are those with the highest EQs. You might get promoted with a low EQ, but you won't outshine your high-EQ competition in your new role.

Your emotional intelligence is completely under your control. Work on your EQ and it will boost your performance. Your effort can also ensure that you don't experience declines as you climb the corporate ladder. Even if your employer promotes you for the wrong reasons, you'll still outperform your contemporaries.

To help you get started, here are some EQ-boosting strategies for leaders:

• Acknowledge Other People's Feelings
• When You Care, Show it
• Keep Your Emotions in Check
• Sleep
• Remove Negative Self-Talk

Focus on your EQ and your executive performance will soar!

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

Are You Ready to Embrace the Possibilities?

Coaching comes in many forms but the goal is to help you become the very best version of yourself as a leader, executive, and whole person. Executive coaching is like a blend of therapy, strategic discussion, and athletic training.

The focus is on your advancement as you define it, a definition that usually evolves over time. It is important to find a coach with experience working within your industry and the vision to help you realize your evolving personal goals.

What does Executive Coaching aim to accomplish?

Coaches facilitate a process of change or development which enables individuals and organizations to realize their potential.

If you're considering coaching, here are several key benefits:

• Better Performance - greater productivity, career advancement, business results

• New insights - about yourself, how you're perceived, where you can improve
• Accelerated action - advancing faster and with greater precision
• A safe place to dialogue- talk through challenges and gain perspective
• Greater Awareness -of perspectives, beliefs, and attitudes that may be limiting your success
• Support and encouragement - it feels less lonely at the top
• Feedback that others won’t share
• Help with improving specific skills - communication, delegation, conflict management, team building, persuasion, etc

Effective coaching requires someone to have a desire to learn and grow.

If you're the type of person who wants to grow and improve, and is willing to trust someone to support you, I highly recommend working with a coach.

Ready to get started?

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

The first few weeks and months of an executive’s tenure are critical. Getting it right can dramatically accelerate the transformation of a new recruit or promotion into a fully functioning business leader. But getting it wrong can be very costly.

In fact, recent studies indicate that 30-50% of newly hired leaders fail and leave within 18 months. Failure to establish key relationships and failure to align with company culture are indicated as leading factors that derail new executives early in their leadership roles.

Organizations that spend thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in efforts to recruit key talent, recognize the critical importance of ensuring cultural fit as part of the hiring process. But often, the rigor, focus and attention given to the recruiting process don’t seem to carry forward to a solid commitment to assimilate and positively onboard new executives.

Executive onboarding is far too important to leave to chance. The stakes are high for the individuals and the corporations involved. The impact on revenues, employee morale and the company’s corporate image when an executive fails in a newly-assigned role are felt by the organization long after the executive has departed.

Onboarding, not orientation.

Onboarding is not the same as orientation. Consider whether your organization’s internal process achieves the following:

• Identifies executives’ strengths and developmental areas, and ensures they have the key competencies for success
• Brings role clarity
• Accelerates integration with organizational culture, strategy, and leadership team
• Maps key relationships
• Delivers critically timed feedback from key stakeholders
• Offers counsel on goal identification
• Provides early warning indicators and hazard avoidance

The Solution for Success

Our Onboarding services pick up where the executive search process ends, and help organizations integrate new executives in a more structured and effective way. Focusing on the early stages of an executive’s tenure, we reduce the time it takes for new executives to start making a meaningful impact, and maximize the leader's personal engagement with the organization and culture. We believe in customizing our program to our clients needs and work with new hires and internal promotions.

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

Early in my 30 year career in executive recruitment and coaching, I was responsible for recruiting and training sales executives at NCH Corporation. I find my background in sales training to be extremely helpful as I work with executives in transition.

When I was in my sales position with NCH corporation, I learned several key things:

• We had clear plans and targets for sales and we didn’t go home until those were met. We had the tenacity to reach out and make contacts and have clear goals to achieve.
• People buy from people they like. The primary focus is to build relationships with clients as part of the sales cycle.
• Practice is essential and role playing is a key part of training.

Executives in transition are shifting from leading and operating organizations to selling a commodity, themselves. A successful transition, like a successful sale takes focus, energy, a clear plan, and intentional action. You have to know your product, have a clear brand, a value statement, know your market, identify your sales targets, and be confident in representing your product.

I find most executives have no formal background or training in sales and often feel very unprepared for the demands of a successful job transition and search. My role is to be a coach and guide, to help executives in transition find their rudder, set their course and make a successful journey.

Executives successful in transition are the ones who use the time in transition to learn more about themselves and their goals for the future. Creating the right attitude and exuding confidence is a key to mastering your transition and achieving your goals.

In my practice I primarily work with healthcare executives. So I know the market, the role demands, and the key tools required to be successful. I not only provide my clients the tools, I provide the coaching and support for clients to learn through their journey and find a successful path forward.

I’m proud of the many executives I have helped through my 30 years and find the wisdom and experience to be a valued commodity for my clients.

Here’s to your success!

Jim

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

After 21 + years in the career development business, I have seen the unique skill sets required for effective healthcare leaders. One key I have discovered is that effective leaders are continuous learners who never stop growing and developing their skills and talents.

I have found important learning traits that effective leaders require:

• New levels of perception and insight into the realities of the world and also into themselves
• Extraordinary levels of motivation to go through the inevitable pain of learning and change
• The emotional strength to manage their own and others' anxiety as learning and change become more and more a way of life
• New skills in analyzing and changing cultural assumptions
• The willingness and ability to involve others and elicit their participation
• The ability to learn the assumptions of a whole new organizational culture

An essential part of effective leadership and growth is networking. Wiederhold & Associates has developed the most in-depth premium network of senior healthcare professionals in the country. The Premium Active Network program was developed for individuals who see the value of networking, gaining visibility in the industry and building mutually beneficial relationships.

At Wiederhold & Associates, we are a leading provider of career development, transition services and executive coaching to the healthcare industry. We help individuals and organizations with the tools and resources to develop and sustain exceptional leadership performance. Through networking and coaching, we are always focused on relationship building with a personal touch.

Throughout the year, I will be sending periodic communications through email and social media that will keep you informed of topics on leadership effectiveness and managing your career for a lifetime.

Here’s to your success!

Jim

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join our Active Network Program.

Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN), a publication of the American Hospital Association (AHA), featured an article this month on the traits needed to be a successful CEO in today’s environment. This week, in the first part of a two-part blog post, we’ll begin looking at some of the new challenges and new skills needed for success.

For decades, Jon B. Schandler acted as CEO of White Plains Hospital in Westchester County, just North of New York City. In 2010, seeing retirement on the horizon in just a few years, Schandler worked to create a seamless transition of leadership as his hospital sought to develop more specialized services and find physicians to provide them.

Schandler ultimately found a worthy successor in Susan Fox, an MBA and an RN. Not only had Fox worked as a pediatric intensive care nurse, but her time as senior manager of consultants at Ernst and Young gave her over a decade of experience in strategic planning and managing integrated physician operations.

Fox came to White Plains Hospital as senior vice president of administration in 2010, and spent the next five years honing her skills. Her background in nursing led her to introduce multidisciplinary rounds, coordinating care with everyone from therapists to case coordinators. Today, Fox is CEO and revenues are up while the average length of stay is down at White Plains Hospital.

While this particular hospital is a success story, hospitals all around the country struggle to find the crucial leadership and vision they need. CEO turnover rates are currently at record highs, averaging over 17 percent in the past five years. White Plains Hospital is just another example of the vital importance of finding skilled CEOs in a healthcare industry that is constantly evolving. And the ideal candidate will have a unique combination of skills.

First and foremost, an ideal CEO must be adaptable to change. A recent AHA survey found that over 80 percent of hospital executives see change management as one of the most critical of leadership skills. Carol Geffner, president of Newpoint Healthcare Advisors, says that bringing about change requires both imagination and flexibility. Geffer believes that healthcare is just beginning to move from volume to value simply because reimbursement often does not support value-based care.

Next week, we’ll explore some key traits in detail: the need for CEOs to be data-driven, financially focused, motivated to take action, adept at resolving conflicts, skilled in matrix management, and willing to gain a greater understanding of clinical competency.

To learn more, visit the AHA’s online publication, Hospitals & Health Networks: http://www.hhnmag.com/Magazine/2015/June/cover-new-health-care-CEO

Chris Van Gorder, CEO of Scripps Health, has reduced turnover by half while leading a financial turnaround at the $2.6 billion health system that employs 14,000 people. He engages with staff during “Friday leadership rounds,” when he visits one of the system’s five hospitals or 28 outpatient clinics. He has also implemented a program called “Employee 100,” which provides front-line staff with opportunities to regularly meet with him and share their thoughts on the business.

Scripps Health was on the verge of bankruptcy and losing $15 million per year when Van Gorder took over. Employee morale was low and turnover was nearly 20 percent. He implemented an on-boarding process for new employees that helped increase their comfort level when joining the organization. As part of a year-long training program for new employees, he meets with each new manager joining the organization, and he views front-line managers as key individuals who have “the most difficult management job there is.”

He says that making “the rounds” to meet with employees is all about building relationships, and that executives should schedule time to do it otherwise it can get overlooked as a key priority. Being accessible during the Friday visits with staff makes people more comfortable with raising issues and asking questions, he says, and his unconventional approach to meeting with employees has resulted in significant benefits, including major improvements in patient safety.

Van Gorder wrote a book about his leadership and management style which has received positive reviews from editors and consumers alike. “The Front-Line Leader: Building a High-Performance Organization from the Ground Up,” also details his career development, which included positions as a clinical laboratory manager, hospital emergency room clerk and even a hospital security guard.

During a chance encounter 35 years ago with a hospital CEO – while Van Gorder worked as a security guard – he was hoping to exchange a brief word with the CEO or even just get a handshake (it was the middle of the night when the two crossed paths in the hospital’s basement). The CEO didn’t even acknowledge his presence, which led Van Gorder to think that if he ever became a manager he would be sure to acknowledge employees and their work.

You can read more details in the articles linked below:

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/how-scripps-health-ceo-chris-van-gorder-engages-employees-every-day/2015-04-10?page=full

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/leading-way-scipps-health-ceo-takes-hands-approach-frontline-staff-engageme/2015-04-09?page=full

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/the-best-leaders-focus-on-the-front-line-q-a-with-scripps-ceo-chris-van-gorder.html

What are the four traits of a successful change leader? What are the seven phrases you'll never hear come out of a successful leader’s mouth? What are the nine irrevocable office sins?

Last week Becker’s Hospital Review published a round-up of ten articles on leadership—all providing insights and interesting angles on how to succeed at the top of your organization. Here’s a quick rundown on some of the advice:

>> Show that you are open-minded and can collaborate across different levels of the organization.

>> Surround yourself with people who have different backgrounds and then ask questions fearlessly.

>> Don’t be afraid to hire people who are smarter than you.

>> Learn to prioritize critical responsibilities ahead of time-consuming activities that can be delegated or even eliminated.

>> Keep looking to the future and don’t be afraid to make bold decisions.

>> In-person meetings may be time consuming, but they reduce the chance for miscommunication.

>> Showing compassion instead of competitiveness fosters the collaboration needed for effective problem solving and organizational success.

What are the nine irrevocable office sins? telling lies; gossiping; complaining about your job; emotional hijacking; accepting credit for another person’s work; bragging; betraying a colleague; ruining relationships; and bringing a stinky lunch.

See the list and links to all ten articles at Becker’s Hospital Review: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/10-notable-reads-on-strategic-leadership-management.html

Becker’s Hospital Review recently published an article on five common management mistakes within health systems that lead to failure and business erosion. The first among those listed was inadequate development of the next generation of leaders. When organizations neglect to develop second-tier leaders who can replace outgoing executives, the organization can struggle. According to the article, “many great health systems with wonderful CEOs do not have the depth to steer and drive the organization for the next generation. In fact, this lack of depth in leadership often causes systems to look for strategic partners.”

According to a survey administered by the Society for Human Resource Management, employees indicated that the most important factor in their job satisfaction involved opportunities to use their skills and abilities. The article states that many health systems have been guilty of not allowing great leaders to thrive, and that “a core job of leadership is to constantly be grooming and working closely with great people so there are always opportunities available for those people to thrive.”

Another common error in leadership involves inadequate planning for rapid changes in health IT systems, including revenue collection systems. As a case in point, one successful hospital fell into bankruptcy due to “uncollectibility over a sustained period of time.” CMO of McKesson Enterprise Information Solutions, Michael Blackman, MD, recommends that providers anticipate and plan for their IT needs well into the future.

Failure to develop a strong marketing brand in conjunction with a business strategy is another common oversight. Many community hospitals have seen their businesses decline because they neglected to define and differentiate their services from competitors.

The article also notes the potential pitfalls of expansion plans. One hospital deemed “hyper-successful” added a second facility, but ended up splitting cases with the first facility. The initial facility, which was highly profitable, was in essence replaced by two facilities that were both significantly less profitable.

You can view the article at Becker’s Hospital Review: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/5-core-management-mistakes-in-health-systems-key-causes-of-failure-and-business-erosion.html

The Harvard Business Review published a blog last week titled, “Nine Habits That Lead to Terrible Decisions.” The authors conducted a study to determine the factors that contribute to poor decisions. After analyzing data from 50,000 leaders, they found nine factors that can contribute to a bad decision.

Their analysis compared leaders who were “perceived to be making poor decisions” with leaders who were “perceived to be making very good decisions.” The list below is prioritized in order, starting with the most significant factor:

1) Laziness – regardless of the “perception versus reality” factor, these leaders were perceived to be sloppy in their work and unwilling to work hard.

2) Not anticipating unexpected events – it’s critical to develop a list of the problems that may arise from your decision.

3) Indecisiveness – when analysis takes too long, decisions get delayed and opportunities are missed; some leaders believe that a single mistake will ruin their careers, and as a result, they avoid prudent risk-taking.

4) Remaining locked in the past – it’s important to be innovative, and that requires looking for new approaches to solving problems.

5) Having no strategic alignment – every key decision must be part of an overarching strategy.

6) Over-dependence – if collaborative decision making gets bogged down, then act independently.

7) Isolation – it’s critical to collect input from experts, which requires good networking skills.

8) Lack of technical depth – complexity is increasing, and the best executives develop deep expertise, and they know how to find the right talent to help them.

9) Failure to communicate – sometimes good decisions lead to bad results merely due to poor communication about the decision itself, including why the decision was made and how it benefits the organization.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can improve your approach to executive decision making. To learn more, visit the Harvard Business Review blog at: http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/09/9-habits-that-lead-to-terrible-decisions/

This week Becker’s Hospital Review published an article about actions that hospital CEOs can take today to help ensure their future success:

1. Get involved – this could include joining a new local or national healthcare association, which will provide you with more exposure and additional networking opportunities.

2. Embrace change – keep an open mind, even when potential opportunities seem out of the ordinary.

3. Be visible – engage employees on a personal level; and for larger organizations, consider social media as a way to remain “visible” even when you’re not physically present.

4. Delegate – learn to trust your people; you need a team effort to be successful.

5. Have free time – be sure to schedule free time if needed, especially if you are in “continuous work mode.”

6. Read – never stop learning; use reading as a way to stay in touch with ongoing developments in the healthcare industry.

7. Make tough financial decisions – don’t be afraid to “step on political landmines” in order to control costs.

You can read the entire article at Becker’s Hospital Review by visiting: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/leadership-management/7-things-ceos-can-do-today-to-advance-their-careers.html

In a report released last month by the American Hospital Association, a survey of 1,100 healthcare executives revealed emerging “talent gaps” in hospital management. In the report, titled, “Building a Leadership Team for the Healthcare Organization of the Future,” the executives cited key gaps in their organization’s capabilities. Pinpointing the areas where more skills are needed:

54% said their management teams needed more experience leading nontraditional health partnerships, including strategic partnerships with payers and retailers

48% cited a need for greater talent in the areas of community and population health management

41% indicated a lack of experience in change management and transformational change

37% noted a deficit in advanced financial expertise

34% said their management staff lacked key skills in innovation and creativity

29% pointed to a shortfall in data analytics experience

In the AHA report (link below), healthcare organizations indicated they were actively working to close these talent gaps in a variety of ways. Many organizations said they planned to address these deficits “through the addition of new executive team positions to lead and galvanize support for initiatives in top strategic areas.” Evidence of this trend was noted in the report, which stated that “60 percent of survey respondents said the senior management team of their organization is larger today than it was three years ago.”

Other topics addressed in this informative report include:

Challenges to Achieving Strategic Priorities
New Leadership Roles, New Capabilities: The Emerging Health Care Organization
Traditional Roles Evolving
Broad Leadership Skills Needed
Overcoming Organizational Barriers
Building the Leadership Team for the Future Health Care Organization
Evaluating Board Composition

To learn more, the report can be accessed via the AHA website at: http://www.hpoe.org/Reports-HPOE/leadership-team-future-2014.pdf

At its annual conference held May 15-17 in Chicago, Becker's Hospital Review sponsored a presentation by three healthcare executives on the key attributes of successful health systems. The panel was moderated by Chuck Lauer, previous publisher of Modern Healthcare.

During the discussion, four essential themes emerged as the leading attributes of great health systems:

1. Crystal clear visions and missions.
2. Engaged, energetic leaders who are comfortable with ambiguity.
3. Having a “wide lens” when defining who they serve.
4. Board members and executives who aren't hospital-centric.

On the topic of leadership, the panel pointed to the need for executives to perceive difficult challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. Raising the issue of “old school” versus “new school” ways of approaching problems, Deborah Proctor, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health in Irvine, California, and chairperson of the Catholic Health Association, remarked that today’s leaders need to “live in ambiguity and live in it comfortably.”

For more information on the key points raised in this panel discussion, visit: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/leadership-management/4-signs-of-great-health-systems.html

This week the Wall Street Journal published a special report titled, “Inside the Executive Brain.” The material addresses topics such as how executives approach the decision-making process.

For example, how do the most effective leaders make the best decisions? While it’s important to gather the facts and logically analyze relevant data, it’s also critical to incorporate your intuition, which itself is based on your cumulative years of experience.

There are two key components to decision making: 1) analytical thinking and 2) social thinking – and social thinking is more important than you may assume.

The difference between an “average leader” and an “exceptional leader” is often determined by the ability to view a problem from multiple perspectives, which involves not only getting input from key stakeholders, but also thinking about how a wide variety of people will respond to your decision.

A dilemma for those in leadership positions is that individuals are often predisposed to applying either analytical thinking or social thinking when making decisions. However, the key to success is cultivating skills in both areas.

Another key element of effective leadership is the ability to inspire people. The key here is to stay positive (use the carrot, not the stick); the most effective leaders inspire people with encouragement and positive praise.

Related to successful inspiration is the ability to articulate a vision. Ideally, you want your people to be able to clearly see the big picture of where the decision is taking them and where the organization is going. This is critical to getting people to buy into your strategy.

This special report from WSJ includes several articles by experts on topics such as the “Four Qualities of Successful Executives” (decisiveness, confidence, flexibility and humility), and “Why Successful Executives Should be Coaches, Not Generals.”

You can access the information at: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303725404579461722158151180

What should you do when an opportunity goes away?

The opportunity represents the short term; we now need to focus on the long-term.

How to do this:

FOCUS on the recruiter you worked with, how will you stay in touch; the employers you connected with, how will you stay in touch; the other contacts you reached out to for information about this opportunity, how will you stay in touch?

You now need to think through:

• How will you stay in touch, what will the process look like?
• How did you react to the news, demonstrate your professionalism?
• People feel guilty when they deliver bad news, how will you take advantage of it?
• How can you ensure getting some honest feedback from the people in the process so that you can improve your process?

As promised, we are introducing another new program we have talked about for months. We believe that transition is more than just finding another job, it's learning new skills along the way. With the arrival of healthcare reform, we have developed the concept of the three-legged stool. Each one of these legs is extremely important for any healthcare executive to be successful in their careers. These are: quality, strategy and finance.

Our second program is focused on finance. The process will work as follows. Each individual that we work with at the appropriate level will be assessed by our expert. Once the assessment is completed and reviewed by our expert, he will meet with that individual by telephone one-on-one. During that meeting he will review their results and make suggestions that may include additional training in the area of finance. If any additional training is needed, this individual can create an agreement with our expert. The assessment part will fall under the Wiederhold & Associates program. Any additional training will be handled by the individual and our expert.

I do not think anyone can disagree that finance will be a major focus of healthcare reform and that anyone who lacks in that area will have his/her challenges. We are very fortunate that we have located an expert in this area who brings a long history of success in healthcare. Let me introduce you to Jim Morell  Please review the short bio below.
______________________

Jim Morellis an acknowledged industry leader with over thirty-five years’ experience as a consultant, administrator and patient care provider.  His knowledge, integrity, and objectivity are reassuring for organizations seeking to develop and implement winning strategies, improve operational performance, and plan for the most appropriate healthcare facilities and sites.

JCM Advisors, LLC (JCMA) and its predecessor firm Morell & Associates (MA)
JCMA is the preferred source for healthcare providers seeking a strategic advantage in today’s unsettling environment.  Jim integrates years of experience in strategy formation, operations improvement, facilities development, and financial feasibility to effectively formulate viable solutions for the toughest management challenges facing today’s healthcare organizations.  This experience is also helpful to vendors to the healthcare industry as well as the courts in the areas of bankruptcy and medical malpractice. Jim also applies these years of experience in his coaching of boards and management teams.

Ernst & Young, Chicago, Illinois
Jim was an up through the ranks Partner in the Healthcare Management Consulting Practice. Early in his career he worked in the finance practice performing financial feasibility studies primarily for hospital bond offerings. He eventually assumed responsibility for the review and sign-off on all of the demand note sections of each financial feasibility study issued by the firm. During this period of default risk every organization successfully met their debt obligations, much to Jim’s and the firm’s relief.

Following these assignments Jim assisted healthcare provider and vendor organizations in the development of their business strategies for a number of years. With this background Jim shifted his focus to the development and leadership of the firm’s operationally focused facility development practice. This consultancy looked at the site and facility needs of healthcare providers through the perspective of strategy formation, operations improvement, and financial performance. Throughout Jim’s tenure at E&Y he worked with both audit and non-audit client organizations ranging from academic medical centers to small rural hospitals, stand-alone hospitals to healthcare systems, faculty practice plans to small physician group practices, and for-profit as well as tax exempt providers located throughout the country.

In addition to his own consultancies and his tenure in public accounting, Jim has also provided management consulting services with two boutique healthcare firms.

Signature Leadership Qualifications
Jim serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University, Chicago. He teaches the capstone Strategic Analysis course for both MBA and undergrad business majors at the Driehaus College of Business. As the capstone name implies, this is the final class for each student before graduation at both the MBA and undergrad levels. The curriculum is designed to bring the real world into the classroom with a curriculum that includes the following activities.

• Classroom presentations and discussion focused on the text, the research project, the simulation, and career development
• Text study and related quizzes
• Research project designed to prepare the students for interviews through a comparative study of targeted firms of their choosing in the same industry. The analytics address each company’s strategy, operations, management reports, and financial statements looking for alignment or dissonance. Depending on the size of the class, students are required to make one or more presentations relative to their research.
• Capsim computer simulation team competition. The students form teams to operate a high tech company. Each team competes against other teams in the class as well as against an equal number of computer operated teams. This exercise is designed to have the students work together to apply what they have learned in class, through their respective research projects, and the body of knowledge and experience they have developed to date in their careers. Each team makes a presentation discussing their performance at the end of the competition.

Jim is a former federal auditor having served as an Inspector General – Audit for the U.S. Army. During is active military service Jim conducted financial audits of hundreds of military units through the Office of the Inspector General, 2d Armored Division.

Jim is a frequent speaker at the ACHE’s Annual Congress on Administration, the AAHC’s Fall Conference as well as various national, state and local professional associations. Jim has published articles on a variety of healthcare management issues.

Prior to making the commitment to management consulting Jim served as an administrative resident and administrator at The Ohio State University Hospital & Clinics, now The Ohio State University Medical Center. Jim also worked as a certified nursing assistance at the University of Minnesota Hospital & Clinics, now the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

Education and Certifications

• Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology (with a focus in Organization Design) from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio and a Master of Science in Hospital and Health Services Administration from The Ohio State University, Columbus.
• He is a Fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE or the College) and the American Association of Healthcare Consultants (AAHC or the Association). He is a Past Chair of the Association’s Board and has chaired many of the Association’s committees. He is also a Past Chair of the College’s Consulting Special Interest Area, now the ACHE’s Healthcare Consultants Forum.
• The program Jim has prepared for those individuals needing additional assistance in the development of their financial acumen is multi-disciplinary and based in part upon results of the 2012 WA Financial Acumen Survey, his experience across a broad range of healthcare organizations, and his work at DePaul University. Elements of the Financial Acumen program include an assessment process, a customized skills development plan, associated learning modules, as well as individual coaching and consultation.
• This program is designed to be customized to best meet the needs and goals of the individual executive. The goals of the program are to (1) assist each executive in their preparation for their upcoming interviews and (2) provide the financial acumen tools necessary to more effectively lead their new organization through these turbulent times.
• If you have any questions or comments. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. On an additional note, we will offer Jim Morell's services beyond just those individuals involved in the Wiederhold & Associates transition/career development program.

Message from Jim Wiederhold, president of Wiederhold & Associates

As many of you are aware, we are in the transition business, career development and executive coaching. We believe that transition should be an holistic approach meaning not just getting people through the transition to the next opportunity but adding skills and knowledge that will make them even more productive in the next opportunity. We have been talking up for several months the introduction of three new programs. The first one is ready to launch and we want to make you aware of it. With the arrival of healthcare reform, we have developed the concept of the three-legged stool. Each one of these legs is extremely important for any healthcare executive to be successful in their careers. These are: quality, strategy and finance.

Our first program is focused on quality. The process will work as follows. Each individual that we work with at the appropriate level will be assessed by our expert. Once the assessment is completed and reviewed by our expert, she will meet with that individual by telephone one-on-one. During that meeting she will review their results and make suggestions that may include additional training in the area of quality. If any additional training is needed, this individual can create an agreement with our expert. The assessment part will fall under the Wiederhold & Associates program. Any additional training will be handled by the individual and our expert.

I do not think anyone can disagree that quality will be a major focus of healthcare reform and that anyone who lacks in that area will have his/her challenges. We are very fortunate that we have located an expert in this area who brings a long history of success in healthcare. Let me introduce you to Debra Honey.

Debra Honey is a visionary Nurse Executive with more than 30 years of progressively responsible and diversified Nursing Leadership experience. She excels at leading healthcare transformational change initiatives and promoting impeccable standards of care within the industry.

Honey Consulting, Inc.
Debra is President of Honey Consulting, Inc., a progressive, hands-on consulting firm offering practical solutions for opportunities and issues facing healthcare organizations today. She provides expertise in nursing services, nursing operations leadership, and operations support to assist and facilitate improvements in performance and outcomes. Debra also provides Chief Nursing Executive coaching and interim Executive Nursing support.

Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver, CO
Debra was previously Vice President for Clinical Operations and Clinical Leadership Development for Catholic Health Initiatives, a national not-for-profit healthcare organization comprised of 68 U.S. hospitals located in 19 states. In this role, she was responsible for nursing clinical operational support for system initiatives and market based organizations. She served as the Executive responsible for system-wide strategy for and implementation of clinical competency programs including competency assessment and staff development for all hospitals. She was a valuable clinical resource on a diverse set of national work groups and task forces.

Signature Leadership Qualifications
Debra is a member of the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow Program, 2008 cohort, and her diverse leadership experience and areas of expertise include:

• Overall Clinical Operations
• Medical Staff Operations
• Performance Improvement
• Board Communication & Collaboration
• Quality and Safety Initiatives
• Accreditation & Regulatory Compliance
• Patient and Staff Satisfaction
• Service Line Assessment & Optimization
• Staff and Leadership Assessment, Development, & Coaching

She earned valuable direct patient care experience working as a clinical nurse in critical care, emergency services, and surgical services. In addition, Debra taught Nursing at the diploma, bachelor, and masters levels.

Education and Certifications
Debra earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She holds a Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. She is a Registered Nurse in the states of Tennessee and California.

Debra prestigious healthcare certifications include:

• CENP - Certified in Executive Nursing Practice, American Organization of Nurse Executives
• FACHE - Fellow Status, American College of Healthcare Executives
• CPHQ - Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, Healthcare Quality Certification Board

The program that Debra Honey has designed for those individuals needing additional training in this area will include the assessment process, an individualized learning plan, the learning modules, individual coaching and consulting, and simulations.

The program is designed to be customizable to best meet the needs and goals of the individual executive. Gaining expanded competencies and quality and safety in healthcare provides a demonstrable competitive advantage to senior executives in the field.

If you have any questions or comments. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us. On an additional note, we will offer Debra's services beyond just those individuals involved in the Wiederhold & Associates transition/career development program.