Those in Central Service (CS) management and leadership positions must acquire and effectively use a wide range of basic on-the-job competencies.

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2 Lesson No. CHL 349 (Supervisory Continuing Education - SCE) Sponsored by: by Jack D. Ninemeier, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Michigan State University How To Be A successful Leader part III Learning Objectives 1. List basic competencies necessary for leadership success 2. explain the importance of and provide examples that illustrate how leaders develop and maintain effective work relationships 3. Suggest how work habits can be improved Supervisory Continuing Education (SCE) lessons provide members with ongoing education focusing on supervisory or management issues. These lessons are designed for CHL re-certification, but can be of value to any CRCST in a management or supervisory role. Careful READING OF THIS LESSON s TITLE WILL SHOW a SLIGHT change from the titles of the first two parts in this series. In the first two lessons, we discussed commonly used tactics that make leaders unsuccessful. In this, the third and last part of the series, we will review information that will help leaders be successful on their journey toward attaining their department s vision and mission. Competencies for Leadership Success Those in Central Service (CS) management and leadership positions must acquire and effectively use a wide range of basic on-the-job competencies. Figure 1: Focus on You and Your Professional Career Competencies identify what one must know and be able to do to be successful in a position. While specifics may vary somewhat by position, department, and healthcare facility, Figure 1 identifies some basic manage- Earn Continuing Education Credits: Online: Visit for online grading at a nominal fee. By mail: Mailed submissions to IAHCSMM will not be graded and will not be granted a point value (paper/pencil grading of the SCE Lesson Plans is not available through IAHCSMM or Purdue University; IAHCSMM accepts only online subscriptions). Scoring: Each 15-question online quiz with a passing score of 70% or higher is worth two points (2 contact hours) toward your CHL re-certification (6 points) or CRCST re-certification (12 points). More information: IAHCSMM provides online grading service for any of the Lesson Plan varieties. Purdue University provides grading services solely for CRCST and CIS lessons. Direct any questions about online grading to IAHCSMM at Competency Interact with others Communicate effectively Make decisions Use technology Manage resources Understand organizations Utilize information Use basic skills Demonstrate personal qualities Example Facilitate the work of employees; interact with customers. Write letters and memos; speak in public; converse with employees, peers, bosses, and customers. Solve problems; think creatively; analyze alternatives. Apply technology to collect and analyze information and to communicate with others. Maximize the use of limited resources to attain objectives. Know and use information about how business, social and political systems work. Collect, organize and study necessary data as needed for effective management. Read, write, speak, listen, and use mathematics and science-related abilities. Practice ethical, time, and self-management, and social skills, and respect oneself and others. may / June 2015 Communiqué

3 Figure 2: Human Relations Competencies Are Always Important requirement, consistently comply with it. Administrative positions may require professional business attire that is not provided by the employer, and it should be conservative in nature. Technical Skills Human Relations Skills Conceptual Skills Tactic #2 Remember the names of those to whom you are introduced You need to write them down or, perhaps, use a system that helps you to relate a name to something else. Tactic #3 Take careful note of your own supervisor and others who are successful in your facility. What do they seem to have in common? What can you learn from them that will help you with your own performance? If he or she is someone who you admire, consider asking that person to be a mentor to help guide you in your career. Supervisors ment competencies and provides examples of each. CS is labor-intensive, and Figure 1 notes the emphasis on people with competencies relating to interaction with others, effective communication, and understanding organizations (which are comprised of people). Notice, also, the emphasis on basic management competencies, including those relating to making decisions, using technology, managing resources, and utilizing information. Finally, the manager or leader must have appropriate personal qualities to be effective. This is increasingly critical today and will certainly be true tomorrow as managers lead by facilitation rather than by direction. Figure 2 further illustrates the importance of human relations competencies. Top-Level Managers When reviewing the figure, note that supervisors require significant technical skills, while their top-level manager counterparts utilize more conceptual skills. However, human relations skills are an integral requirement of a manager s job at any organizational level. Develop and Maintain Effective Working Relationships Numerous tactics can be used to develop and maintain effective working relationships with one s own boss and his or her subordinates and peers. Good news: the same tactics can be useful in all positions throughout one s healthcare career. Here are some examples of these tactics: Tactic #1 Dress the way you are expected to dress. If there is a uniform Tactic #4 Consider use of a personal time planner. All leaders must use effective time management skills. At the end of the day, think about what you need to accomplish tomorrow. Alternatively, at the beginning of the day, think about your plans for that day and make an electronic note, or just use a pen and paper. Tactic #5 Be punctual and work on priorities. Don t make others wait for you. Don t get into a routine; ensure what you are doing is the right thing to be done at the moment. Tactic #6 Be friendly and communicate effectively. Say, Hello, how are you? because you are genuinely interested in the person with whom you are speaking. Listen more than you talk. Be quick to praise others when they have earned your praise. Solicit feedback. Ask your manager and your peers for advice about your performance. Incorporate, if applicable, the improvement suggestions you receive into how you do things. Communiqué may / June 2015

4 In addition to formal training and educational opportunities, there may be informal alternatives including job rotation, job enlargement, and/or job enrichment that will provide a greater breadth and depth of knowledge about your position and profession. Tactic #7 Solve problems and make decisions. Practice conflict resolution to avoid confrontation (remember, the other person may be your boss tomorrow). Look for solutions rather than problems. Remember the old saying that, You re either part of the solution or you re part of the problem. Tactic #8 Don t count on fairness. Remember that neither life nor your position is always fair. Over time, however, you are likely to be rewarded according to the extent of your efforts. Tactic #9 Emphasize teamwork. CS managers are typically successful because of their teams. Be a team player and give the members of your team credit for their accomplishments. Contribute your skills and talents freely to help your team be successful. Tactic #10 Don t get involved in office politics. Stay away from the grapevine (the informal channel of communication through which rumors often flow). Don t complain about your supervisor, and look for opportunities to build, not tear down, your CS department and healthcare facility. Tactic #11 Find a mentor. Some healthcare facilities have a formal mentoring program; participate, if possible. If a formal program does not exist, try to identify someone, perhaps even in another department, who can give you advice. Tactic #12 Volunteer for special projects and network. These activities can help you learn more and, at the same time, show your management team that you want to be as helpful as possible. Meeting people outside of your department through networking can be an effective way to learn about your facility and advance in your career. Tactic #13 Think about your present and future. Work hard to succeed in your current position, but recognize it may just be a step in what can be a challenging and diverse career. Keep alert for job openings within your facility. Many organizations promote from within. Pay attention to the requirements for these positions and carefully evaluate them for growth potential. Tactic #14 Carefully consider professional development opportunities. Think about activities in your current position that you might be able to do more effectively. In addition to formal training and educational opportunities, there may be informal alternatives including job rotation, job enlargement, and/or job enrichment that will provide a greater breadth and depth of knowledge about your position and profession. Note: Job enlargement occurs when additional tasks that are part of a position at one organizational level are added to another position at the same organizational level. In contrast, job enrichment occurs when one learns tasks that are traditionally performed at another organizational level. Improve Leadership Work Habits The first two lessons in this three-part series identified numerous traits that can lead to leadership failure. To become more effective, it is important to change habits and behaviors. The information above provided an overview of ideas that can be useful to do this. How does one move away from undesirable leadership habits and, instead, begin to practice more effective ones? This last section of the lesson addresses this question with the understanding that a single process cannot be used by everyone. Instead, basic steps and their sequence for use will vary based on the judgment of the manager desiring change. Step #1 Understand the context within which inappropriate behaviors occur. Managers typically have subconscious thoughts based on past experiences that arise in situations they have previously encountered. They react in ways without thinking about what they are doing; their actions become a habit. These habits are difficult to break because they have always been used, and little thought is given to alternatives. Step #2 Identify the habits that must be changed. Hopefully, the discussion of ineffective traits in the earlier lessons in this series identified potential personal challenges and explained why their continued use may contribute to leadership failure. Recognize that it can be very difficult to modify one or two, let alone may / June 2015 Communiqué

5 Change for the sake of change is not typically useful; however, purposeful change that is well-planned is important, and it can enable concerned managers to remain on track of achieving professional improvement goals. many, poor work habits, so start with one that appears easy to change. Then you can celebrate an early success and gain insights about change tactics that are (and are not) personally useful. Step #3 Develop a change plan. Make habit-changing a personal goal and include specific elements of your plan in your daily to do list. Then the effort will be equally as important as other activities you are considering and planning. Should you change a behavior all at once or over time? The answer depends on you, and your response to this question will drive your planning. Step #4 Consider replacement habits. Assume you normally reprimand employees in public in front of their peers, and you are now aware that a private discussion is almost always more appropriate. Consciously think about this and make an effort to implement this new practice when you are confronted with a situation where negative reinforcement is required. As you do so, you will be replacing an inappropriate habit with one that will make you a more effective leader. Step #5 Be aware and use self-discipline. Remain alert for slip-ups in your behavioral change plans. Remind yourself why a replacement tactic is desirable. Self-discipline will provide the motivation and perseverance to stop the unwanted behavior. Step #6 Reward yourself for success. Initially, you might use the planned behavior some, but not all of the time; however, prolonged use of the desired habit will eventually occur because you will notice the benefits generated by the change. Both short- and long-term successes should be rewarded. What type of reward is most useful? This question must be answered by you, but it must be something you enjoy, and the reward should occur soon after the proper behavior has been used. Interim rewards might be the purchase of a desired specialty coffee or extra time spent on a hobby. When you are confident that the change process is complete, the reward should be greater to provide the proper incentive to move ahead toward your next leadership goal. Step #7 Anticipate challenges, allow for them, and recognize that you will do better. It s true that habits, including ineffective leadership tactics, are hard to change. It is unlikely that one can consistently do things in a different way beginning with the first attempt to do so. Perseverance is necessary (just keep plugging away) and be optimistic about success. Set-backs can become challenges to improve, and they can provide motivation to get back on track. Remembering them the next time a specific situation arises can help to recall what not to do, and help you to focus on the better tactic that is your goal. Step #8 Involve others; seek support. It is often helpful to ask others, including colleagues at work, to help with your behavioral change plans. They can do so, for example, as they provide positive reinforcement when your actions are in line with your desired behavior. They can also remind you when your behavioral change goals are not being addressed. The results of both of these types of input will be accountability and the added motivation to show others that you will attain desired performance goals. An additional benefit: you might be encouraging them to make positive changes in their behavior, as well. In Conclusion Change for the sake of change is not typically useful; however, purposeful change that is well-planned is important, and it can enable concerned managers to remain on track of achieving professional improvement goals. The desire to be an effective leader is very important, and there are frequently numerous challenges to be addressed. Typically they may be relatively minor issues that, by themselves, are not significant. However, taken in total they can be more serious. Then a desire to change along with a strategy and timeline to do so can make the difference between being a decent leader and a highly successful one. WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR? IAHCSMM is seeking volunteers to write or contribute information for our CHL Self-Study Lessons. Doing so is a great way to contribute to your own professional development, to your Association, and to your Central Service department peers. IAHCSMM will provide guidelines and help you with the lesson to ensure it will be an enjoyable process. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Berrios (elizabeth@iahcsmm.org). Communiqué may / June 2015