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MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April
2007 |
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Let
Passed-over People Down Easy
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Take the sting out of telling staffers they didn’t get a coveted promotion by following these steps:
Adapted from “How Do We Soften the Blow for Those Not Chosen for Promotions?” in Dear Workforce |
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As it’s unwise to skip over people who are ready to be promoted, it’s also unwise to promote people who aren’t ready to move up. By doing so, you risk shattering their confidence and forcing them out of the company. (Most employees will leave before they admit they’re in over their heads.) Run these tests before you promote anyone:
Make sure they have the skills necessary to succeed at the next level before you move them there. Source: Leading for Results, www.managementresources.com |
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by Stephen O'Connor You
know how you just inherently know certain things to be true.
Nobody has to tell you.
In the work place, there are also things that you sometimes know are truly a bad idea but you see them happening anyway. One of them is promoting one of your top staff performers into a management position based solely on their history of being a top performer, without assessing their management skills. The ability to motivate staff, apply policies consistently, conduct strategic planning and manage a budget are not necessarily the qualities of your top performers. The temptation to promote from within is compelling. It’s easier, faster and less costly than going out into the job market to acquire an accomplished manager with proven skills. To make the internal promotion decision based on the issues of cost and time is to miss the point. Can the person demonstrate the skills necessary to be an effective manager? Will this internal promotion into management cause more harm than good? Does the risk of promoting an unproven manager from within outweigh the considerations of the recruiting costs of time and money by going to the outside? These are more important questions than whether your top performer is entitled to the next management vacancy by virtue of their productivity or loyalty. Career ladders are good things but you don’t want to loose one of your top performers to the Peter Principle because you push them up a ladder that is missing a few skill rungs. Shawn Kerachsky is a principal with the consulting firm 3C Associates Inc., and has written extensively on this subject. In the Fall 2001 issue of Employment Management magazine, Kerachsky has isolated eight questions whose answers will denote the management-ready candidate. Can they:
Further, he recommends a three-step approach to ensure success when hiring from within. Define the job, determine the required (management) skills, and assess the person’s qualities as they relate to those requirements. Kerachsky also advocates personality testing to see if your top performer has what it takes to be a manager. This article originally appeared in the March/April 2003 issue of Michigan Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with permission. |
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Promoting a staff member prematurely can cause no end of problems — for you, for your organization, and especially for the employee. Ask yourself these questions before making a decision. Is the employee:
The more questions you answer yes to, the better the chances for the promotion to succeed. Thoroughly investigate and resolve any no answers, however, before making any changes. Adapted from Practical Supervision (Professional Training Associates) |
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Before promoting an employee to a supervisory position, take care to avoid these common mistakes that were revealed in a survey by the Right Management consulting firm:
Source: Leading for Results, www.managementresources.com |
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For additional information
contact: |
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Steve
O'Connor, SPHR, |
Professional Search Services
When you need a healthcare management recruiter, call Steve O’Connor at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, MI at (517) 663-5755. He’s the search consultant who produces this monthly newsletter and has hundreds of management candidates currently registered with his service. Most are open to relocation. You are also invited to browse his web site for more information on Professional Search Services at www.mhaservicecorp.com. Available positions may include: CEO/CFO/COO/VP • Facilities Management • Finance • Food Service • Fund Development • Health Information Management • Home Health Care • Human Resources • Information Systems • Managed Care • Management Engineering • Marketing/Public Relations • Materials Management • Nursing Administration • Physician Practice Administrators • Planning• Rehabilitation Management • Social Work • Training and Development • Utilization Review For more information contact: Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director Corporate Office:
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Professional
Search Services
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Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
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Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
Full Service Background Screening Sales Department |
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