High performing leaders in healthcare organizations of today are challenged with the uncertainty of healthcare delivery in the future. Many hospitals face a challenge among key stakeholders. That challenge is a brand/reputation shift toward value based care. Mission, Vision and Values typically reflect claims of high quality and customer service, but key stakeholders (physicians, patients, families, employers, payers and regulatory bodies) are not buying the slogans of the past. In today's world, healthcare providers must demonstrate that they are living up to the value based equation (low cost, seamless, patient-centric, high quality care). Stakeholder demand and regulatory requirements drive organizations to demonstrate measurable results in cost, service and quality.
Creating a performance excellence environment is a highly successful leadership approach to navigate the ever-evolving imperatives of service delivery. Value based results will be achieved through a leadership philosophy of performance excellence:
Engage your people: Develop Governance, Leadership and Management structures to engage your key players, especially physicians and other clinical thought leaders to lead the effort. Create a shared Vision of Achieving Value Based Results. Now it’s time to execute your shared Vision.
Evaluate your data; identify best practice: Engage all key players in identifying essential metrics to understand your current performance and identify opportunities for improvement in Operational/Financial, Service and Clinical performance.
Know your process and design your process (es): Utilize advanced process management methodologies to identify current processes that yield current results. Establish consistency in your process improvement methodology. Identify best practices. Design your processes to achieve results.
Hardwire/Standardize best practice, process design to ACHIEVE 
Sustainable results will be achieved from your Action, if you are focused on Continuous Operating and Quality Improvement. Remember you may FAIL (“First Attempt In Learning”). Establish your culture of Performance Excellence. Start small, simplify, be resilient, be persistent and be unrelenting in your approach to achieving results. Be prepared to embrace “Polarity Thinking.” Every good conversation begins with good listening. Listen to your key stakeholders. Listen to understand, not to respond. Physician integration and value based strategies inherently present divergent opinions. Learn the power of leveraging Inquiry AND Advocacy: two critical leadership competencies. That’s how leaders achieve results.
Value Based Metrics:
The list of potential measures is endless. Identify what is important to your key players. Start with metrics that present and build a common understanding of current performance. Measure, monitor, report, analyse and improve your key metrics, focused on value: Operational/Financial Excellence, Service Excellence, and Clinical Excellence. A comprehensive list of potential metrics is available at: Mike Jones LinkedIn or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Key Takeaways:
- You have highly engaged employees, physicians, patients, family members, community representatives, employers and payers.
- You have defined a common and shared vision for your organization through gaining knowledge of your key stakeholders’ perspectives
- You have defined what outcomes you and your organization are trying to achieve in terms of Operations, Finance, Service and Clinical indicators
- You have measured your current performance
- Now you want to improve performance:
Everything is a process
Gain an understanding of your current processes
Identify your best practices
Design process to achieve best practice performance
Re-evaluate your performance to see if you are consistently achieving improved performance
Modify your processes when necessary to consistently achieve higher levels of performance
Hard-wire your processes to ALWAYS achieve best practice performance
Never stop monitoring to verify your preferred state performance/outcomes.
Never stop monitoring to verify your preferred state performance/outcomes.
Train for it (all Key Players)
Build consistency of approach
- Define your performance excellence culture
- Focus your leadership on the relentless pursuit of performance excellence
- Adopt your preferred methodology
- Formalize and standardize your methodology
- Listen to your key stakeholders
- Engage all parties in understanding improvement initiatives
- Gain understanding of performance through data analytics
- Design processes to achieve desired results
- Be prepared to Fail, but failing is your F (first), A (attempts), I (in), L (Learning).
- Achieve success in all you do
- Demonstrate that you are creating value based outcomes
Next Steps:
- View Additional Reference Information:
- In “Be an Inspirational Leader”, author Dan Nielsen portrays the incredible impact of inspirational leadership on your personal, professional, and organizational success. Read Dan Nielsen’s book: “Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower”
- Management of healthcare providers’ reputation and brand dramatically changes with consumer demand for value. An organization’s reputation is subject to more than marketing campaigns. Social media and ratings services have significant impact on consumer perception of healthcare organizations. If you do not have on-going audits of your on-line presences and ratings, it is wise to complete and assessment and take corrective action, as necessary. To learn more about Reputation and Brand Management view the work of Claire Faucett with engage5w.
- Learn more about “Polarity Thinking” and the two essential leadership competencies of Inquiry and Advocacy. View the work of leadership coaches James McKenna and Cliff Kayser, sponsored by Wiederhold & Associates.
- For a deeper dive into fostering a culture of performance excellence with high levels of physician integration, alignment and engagement please read:
- Article #1: Value Based Care is Here to Stay
- Article #2: Achieve Results: Governance
- Article #3: Achieve Results: Leadership and Management
- Article #4: Achieve Results: Knowledge Management/Transfer through Data Analytics
- Article #5: Process Management-Achieve Value Based Results
