Chairman's Message

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of The Interim Report. Each month we are going to share some general management reflections on issues facing healthcare executives. We will try and keep you updated to significant trends, changes and perspectives in managing talent at your organizations. In addition, we’ll have some inspirational quotes, industry facts and some shameless self-promotion about our company.

I’ve been quite busy these last few months preparing for a wine-tasting trip through Bordeaux. I’m happy to report that all went as planned and I had a great time. It did occur to me, during the trip, that choosing a fine wine has many things in common with filling an open position. Both involve a great deal of planning, excitement, intuition, experience and bumps along the way, not to mention the potential for wasting lots of hard earned money. Given this stunning insight, I’d like to kick off the first edition of The Interim Report with a look at three unnecessary mistakes often made by healthcare executives when hiring for senior positions.

Best regards,

Mistake #1: Not Paying Enough Attention to Cultural Fit.

Several years ago, I met a woman on an interim assignment at a New England hospital. She was eminently qualified, had wonderful references, and was filled with enthusiasm and energy. She was two months into the project, and the assignment wasn’t going so well.

Unfortunately she had been placed into a union shop, with a nursing staff much older than she and populated by people who had worked in the same place their entire lives, the interim manager, while highly qualified in general, was like a fish out of water in her attempts to change a group of people who didn’t want to – and frankly, didn’t need to – change. Good person, bad fit.

What the hospital learned from the experience is that when you place a candidate, you need to pay special attention to culture. Do you need a bulldog, or would someone with a delicate touch be more appropriate? Too often, I see companies attending only to qualifications and experience, and overlooking the critical, human side of the equation.

Mistake #3: Involving More People Than Necessary in the Process.

I’m well aware that filling a senior level position in a healthcare organization is a very complicated process. I also know, however, that most organizations overcomplicate the process by involving too many people.

In my experience, for example, it’s not uncommon for a CEO candidate to spend ten days (ten days!) interviewing. Naturally, it’s important to get buy in and to properly scrutinize a key team member. The problem however, is that unnecessary delays cost you money, and in some cases, can even cost you a perfect candidate, who may get fatigued by the whole process. This is particularly true when selecting an interim placement.

Before setting off on your interviews, sit down and make a list of who must be involved. With interviews, as in drinking wine, you should have just enough…but not too much.

In summary, please keep in mind the pitfalls of cultural misfits, premature postings and bloated selection teams.

I thank you for reading and do hope you’ll take a moment to click here and pass this issue along to friends and colleagues who might also find it valuable.

"Age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill."

- Anon

About Us

LFT, Inc. is a leader in healthcare interim executive management. We work with top hospitals and healthcare institutions across the country to find, place, and support healthcare executives and directors, exclusively on an interim basis. You can find us on the Web at http://www.leadersfortoday.com.

Leaders For Today, LLC
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Plymouth, MA 02360

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Leaders For Today, LLC