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Communicate Often and Tell the Truth

04/08/2009

Chairman's Message 

As we tiptoe into the second quarter of the year, all eyes are on the future and with few exceptions, we're all asking the same question: "Will the recession deepen, or is there light at the end of the tunnel?"

No one can say for sure, but when it comes to your staff, it's important to share as much information as you possibly can regarding the overall health of your organization. Keeping the lines of communication open and allowing people to ask questions and get honest answers will be the key to maintaining trust and goodwill, regardless of what may be around the corner.

Communicate Often and Tell the Truth

Establishing a basis of trust is essential when interim leaders assume highly visible roles during periods of change. Typically, by the time an interim is announced to employees, morale is low and anxiety levels are high. Add to that our current economic climate, and you've got a real situation on your hands.

Jeanette Clough, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, knows firsthand about the importance of communicating well early on. Ten years ago, this nurse CEO assumed the top leadership role and steered the organization away from overwhelming operating losses. Jeanette, who was recently elected to the Board of Trustees for the American Hospital Association, graciously shared her insight with us.

Any time a new person steps into a leadership role in the midst of turmoil, trust must be established immediately. How did you do that at Mt. Auburn?

The process began on day one when I addressed the hospital employees for the first time in my welcome speech. I knew I had to connect with others immediately and convey my vision and the mission for the hospital, as well as establish my ground rules regarding communication and sharing. I also knew it was essential to convey a sense of hope and a degree of rapport very early on.

In the speech you said, "I will communicate with you often and I will tell you the truth. The truth will sometimes be difficult to hear but it will be the truth." How refreshing! What else did you do to connect with your employees?

Each month I spent an entire day in a different department. I would put on scrubs and work on the floor, or in the pharmacy or in the kitchen. I also sat side by side with staff in the coding department and the billing department - places where no one else went. It was important for people to see me throughout the Hospital, and it was equally important for me to get to know people and see the kind of work they were doing. This gave me a tremendous amount of credibility.

I established various lines of communication, including a President's Hotline where anyone could call me directly for a straight answer, and a President's Advisory Committee. I also held informal meetings with physicians and a quarterly President's Forum - there was something for everyone.

Tell me a little about the President's Advisory Committee.

It's still going strong 10 years later with twelve staff members from different areas of the Hospital. We sit and talk every month about all kinds of issues. Last month I asked members if they thought the group was still necessary and was overwhelmed by the response - a resounding yes! It's still extremely important that staff feel they can voice their concerns through these committee members.

What advice do you have for interim healthcare professionals?

Having been the interim Chief Executive Officer at Waltham Hospital for a year, I can tell you that my best advice is to run your department as if it's your own for the long term. Of course taking care of patients is the first priority at the Hospital, but the second is to steady the ship and realize that you can effect change, even during a short period. A strong interim leader can mean the difference between keeping good employees and creating a safe and optimal environment for patients instead of letting things slide into more instability and uncertainty.

Jeanette Clough presently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a regional teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School serving the metropolitan Boston/Cambridge area. She has extensive experience in various clinical and administrative roles, including having served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Deaconess Waltham Hospital, Chief Operating Officer of WalWest Health Systems, Inc. and Vice President for Patient Care at WalthamWeston Hospital & Medical Center. Ms. Clough began her career as a staff nurse and clinical nurse specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from Boston University. She also holds a Masters' Degree in Science from Boston College where she was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of Nursing. She also received a Masters' Degree in Health Administration from Suffolk University earning a Dean's Award for Highest Academic Distinction.

Partnering with physicians, employees and the community, Ms. Clough has overseen the opening of new programs and expanded services at Mount Auburn Hospital since her arrival in November 1998 and has doubled the Hospital's revenues in her ten-year tenure. Mount Auburn Hospital stands as one of the top five hospitals in Massachusetts for its operating margin for five years in a row. Under her leadership the Hospital was recently recognized as a "Top 100 Hospital" for Cardiac Services and also received the Community Leadership Award from the American Cancer Society. Mount Auburn was named to the '06, '07 and '08 list of "Best Places to Work" by the Boston Business Journal. 

Management Quote

"A common definition of gaffe is when a politician tells the truth."

~ Alexander Chancellor  

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