 |
MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July
2007 |
In
this issue:
Take
This Approach to Develop Motivational Supervisors
Test Your Motivational Skills with This Quiz
Staff Matters: Being
Critical Correctly is Critical
Five
Simple Steps to Management Success
Six Things Managers Can Do to Maintain Engagement
Answers to Quiz: Are You a Motivational Manager?
Is
Your Risk Management, Patient Safety or Quality Seat Empty?
Professional Search Services: Management Recruiting for the Health
Care Community
|
Take
This Approach to Develop Motivational Supervisors
|
In
the market for a new supervisor? Why not simply promote your best
employee? Because good employees don’t necessarily make the
best supervisors. No matter how adept you are at motivational management,
your talents will be wasted if you inadvertently promote supervisors
who undermine your efforts. Take these steps to find topnotch supervisors:
- Zero
in on critical skills. In addition to their
job-related talents, the best potential supervisors exhibit
these skills and characteristics:
• They’re
a good fit with the company.
• They have a talent for relationship-building.
• They’re
good team players.
• They use their time wisely.
• They have a strong work ethic.
• They’re
principled but also flexible.
• They’re
analytical thinkers.
• They’re
decisive.
• They’ve
demonstrated an ability to coach or mentor.
• They motivate the people around them to feel better and do better.
- Rely
on assessment tools. Take advantage of advanced
assessment tools that can help you identify employees who have
the skill and wherewithal to excel in a supervisory role. The
most comprehensive tools combine automated and face-to-face
simulations to gauge an employee’s readiness to take
the reins.
- Offer
supervisory prep courses. Once you’ve
identified the strongest candidates, help them prepare by providing
supervisor-development courses. If possible, use a variety
of training methods such as classroom instruction, job-shadowing,
role-playing, and self-paced e-learning.
- Put
candidates on trial. Provide potential supervisors
the chance to show off their abilities by giving them a trial
run. Put them in charge of a team or project and see how well
they perform in a real-life situation. Then query other participants
to see how they rate these candidates in terms of leadership
and the ability to motivate and engage other workers.
- Follow
through with training. Your development efforts
shouldn’t end when the employee is promoted. Seek input
from other supervisors to create a special orientation program
to help new supervisors hone their leadership skills and prepare
for the challenges ahead.
Adapted
from “The Often-Ignored Art of Supervisor Selection,” by
Greg Levin, in Call Center Magazine. Back
to Top |
Test
Your Motivational Skills with This Quiz |
Are
you a good motivator? Or could you do better? Find out by taking
this quiz. Rate how well you’ve complied with the following
statements.
1
= poor 2 = average 3 = good
_____ I have met
individually with all members of my staff to discuss my
expectations of their performance.
_____ I understand the personal career goals of everyone on my staff.
_____ I strive to provide ongoing training and development to each
member of my staff.
_____ I routinely provide both positive and negative feedback to employees
to help them improve their performance.
_____ As much as possible, I give employees the freedom to decide how
they should carry out
assigned tasks.
_____ I publicly recognize workers for their efforts on behalf of our
department.
_____ I am quick to share what information I can with my staff.
_____ I act quickly to resolve departmental conflicts and to maintain
a
positive working environment.
_____ I respect that my employees also have personal priorities, and
I strive to make sure they
take adequate time off to
recharge their batteries.
_____ I frequently ask workers to offer their take on how I’m
doing as a manger.
_____
Total Score
(see “Answers
to Quiz”)
Source: The
Motivation Manager, February 2007
Back
to Top |
Staff
Matters: Being
Critical Correctly is Critical
|
by
Stephen O'Connor
Most
experienced managers understand
that employee retention and the
higher productivity
that comes with high morale depend upon how
people are treated
much more than how they are paid.
Your employees
are more likely to run away
from a poor working environment than
to run toward more money somewhere else.
A
positive working environment where employees feel appreciated and
are allowed to grow is a difficult thing to create and maintain.
There are those times when a manager needs to train and direct
an employee through criticism. How that is handled has everything
to do with the morale of the department.
In
a good-faith attempt to redirect your employees’ behavior,
there are certain things you never want to say. Things like, “Bob,
I like you. You remind me of me when I was young and stupid.” Obviously,
you don’t want to use sarcasm in providing constructive feedback
to your staff. Expressions like, “Thank you, Mary. We are
all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view,” or “How
about never, Jim. Is never good for you?” are seldom constructive.
In addition, overtly hurtful comments are totally unacceptable.
Comments such as, “I don’t know what your problem is
but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce,” and “I’ll
try to be nicer if you’ll try to be smarter” simply
don’t further the cause of employee morale.
Luckily,
there are helpful guidelines for the managerially-impaired supervisor
who is trying to provide constructive criticism. Highlights
Magazine from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan published
12 guidelines to remember the next time that you have to criticize
someone:
1 |
Direct
your criticism at the action, not the person. |
2 |
Make
the criticism specific. Not “You always miss deadlines,” but, “You
missed the March 15 deadline for your report.” |
3 |
Be
sure that the behavior you are criticizing can be changed.
Foreign accents, baldness and other things cannot always be
changed. |
4 |
Use “I” and “We” to
stress that you want to work out the problem together, rather
than making threats. |
5 |
Make
sure the other person understands the reasons for your criticism. |
6 |
Don’t
belabor the point. Short and sweet; no lectures. |
7 |
Offer
incentives for changed behavior. Offer to help the person correct
the problem. |
8 |
Don’t
set a tone of anger or sarcasm. Both are counterproductive. |
9 |
Show
the person you understand his or her feelings. |
10 |
If
you’re putting your criticism in writing, cool off before
writing the letter or memo. Be sure only the person it is intended
for sees it. |
11 |
Start
off by saying something good. |
12 |
At
the end, reaffirm your support and confidence in the person. |
Using
these methods is a good business practice because it can help you
avoid approaching that line of creating a hostile work environment.
So, the next time you hear one of your managers remark to an employee, “I’m
not being rude; you’re just insignificant,” it’s
time for some constructive intervention.
This
article originally appeared in Michigan
Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with
permission.
Back
to Top
|
Five
Simple Steps to Management Success |
If
you’ve just been promoted, check out this quick-and-dirty
guide to managerial success. It might provide a solid reality check
for veteran supervisors as well.
- Split
the difference between chummy and cold. “Leaders
have to manage their social distance,” says Rob Goffee,
a professor at the London Business School. “It is tempting
to become one of the boys.” The best bet: Remain cordial
and sympathetic, by staying far enough above the fray to keep
the perspective and authority you need to lead.
- Forge
partnerships with your people. Leading by edict
fosters feelings of intimidation and defensiveness. “You
need to say to them, “I’d rather have a power-with
relationship, for us to work together as partners,’” suggests
Judith Glaser, author of The DNA of Leadership (Platinum
Press). “Remember, you are no different now than you
were five minutes before you got the job.”
- Seek
out unvarnished feedback. Mentors and direct
reports with a gift for delivering constructive criticism are
worth their weight in gold.
- Keep
repeating strategic goals to the team. “One
of the biggest stumbling blocks for someone who is a new manager
is they tend to take on too much,” notes Bob Hatcher,
a division director for Robert Half Finance and Accounting.
Give your people every opportunity to pitch in — and
groom the best to become managers, too.
- Never
stop learning. Embrace formal and informal
development opportunities. They’ll help keep you sharp-and
prepare you for the next rung on the ladder.
Adapted
from “New Boss? Some Tips to Make Promotion a Success,” by
Dana Knight, in the Indianapolis
Star Back
to Top |
Six
Things Managers Can Do to Maintain Engagement |
- Don’t
let newbies sink. “Take away all areas
of frustration for new employees,” recommends Douglas
Klein, president of Sirota Survey Intelligence. “Letting
people sink or swim frustrates the hell out of people. That’s
not a healthy way to begin a relationship.
- Create
a physically comfortable work environment. Design
it to minimize outside stresses.
- Eliminate
perks that favor one level of employee over another. These
include heated parking garages, special cafeterias, keys to
the washroom, and giving stock options only to leaders. “Those
perks imply that everyone else is second class,” Klein
says, “when in fact everybody’s contributing to
the business.”
- Avoid
micromanaging. “I micromanage my children;
I don’t micromanage adults,” Klein notes.
- Spill
the beans. “Whenever you’re worrying
about whether or not you should tell employees something-tell
them,” Klein suggests. “Trust me, they already
know. When Mikey kissed Kathy in school, kids knew about it
three floors below you and two grades to the left of you. That
doesn’t change. When you face tough times and hard choices,
of course you should tell the employees. Maybe you can enlist
their help in protecting against the known negative effects
of what’s coming at you. That’s what partners do:
They work together for the common good.”
- Observe
basic courtesies. “I can’t tell
you how many times I’ve been in meetings with employees
and they talk about how managers don’t think they’re
important,” Klein recounts. They walk past you and don’t
make eye contact. They don’t smile, and if you hand them
something they don’t say thank you. I’m not talking
about rewards and recognition. Just say thank you when somebody
hands you something. Open the door, say good morning, say goodnight.
“When
you walk past people every day and you never look them in the eye,
it makes them absolutely crazy,” he adds. “They begin
to create all these fantasies about what’s going on. When
leaders wrinkle their nose at the idea they should behave with
courtesy, my comment is: ‘You took on a leadership responsibility.
Treat it with the due level of professionalism.’”
Source: Employee
Recruitment & Retention, April 200 Back
to Top |
Answers
to Quiz: Are You a Motivational Manager? |
How
well did you do on the motivational quiz? Tally your score, then
review the discussion points below.
10-15 Congratulations
on your honesty. Not many managers would admit placing such a low
priority on motivating workers. But unfortunately, your failure
to prioritize motivation means you probably have to spend a lot
of time recruiting new workers.
16-24 A
score in this range means you’re an average motivator – which
is fine if you’re happy being average.
25-30 Well
done! Clearly you understand the importance of motivational management,
and you’re no doubt reaping the benefits. But remember: Motivation
isn’t a one-time exercise. Keep up the good work.
Source: The
Motivation Manager, February 2007
Back
to Top |
Is
Your Risk Management, Patient Safety or Quality Seat Empty? |
 |
The
Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute and MHA Service
Corporation’s
Professional Search Services have teamed up together to provide
you the
support you
need to
fill your risk management, patient safety or quality management
vacancies. We offer temporary staffing; search services for a long-term,
permanent replacement; and mentoring and coaching once you
find the right person. |
|
|
|
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Back
to Top |
Professional
Search Services: Management Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
Steve
O'Connor, SPHR,
Senior Director
|
Professional
Search Services
- Large national
candidate pool
- Internet recruiting
at www.mhaservicecorp.com
- Background checking
service
- Low contingency
fee
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
MHA Service Corporation
Professional Search Service
Corporate Office:
6215 West St. Joseph Hwy.
Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 663-5755
E-mail Address: soconnor@mha.org
Back
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|
|
Professional
Search Services
|
Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
6215 West St. Joseph Hwy. • Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 663-5755
E-mail: soconnor@mha.org
Full Service Background Screening
and Applicant Tracking
Sales Department
3009 Douglas Blvd., 3rd Floor
Roseville, CA 95661
(800) 943-2589
www.absolutehire.com
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