“As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Man Sharpens Another”
Proverbs 27:17
When people have a partner they trust, they will always reach for
more because they know that they have a colleague, coach or mentor helping them, and expecting them, to attain that goal.
The future of healthcare management in the US and the World for
that matter rests largely in the hands of mid-careerists health executives as well as those only now entering the field. Our
future health executive leaders are those who aspire to new and greater management opportunities and understand they must
develop leadership skills to be effective in their work.
What Makes Yoda an Effective Coach?
The Star Wars Saga
In the second film
of the Star Wars saga, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker discovers that he needs help on his journey to become a Jedi
Knight. He recognizes that he cannot achieve his true potential without some guidance and training. He needs someone to provide
direction and practical knowledge so he can acquire the understanding and skill to use The Force, the energy in the universe,
wisely and effectively.
Yoda, whom Luke meets on an isolated planet in
the galaxy, initially appears to be an unlikely guide for such a momentous journey. Yet the elfish character puts up with
Luke's initial insolence and arrogance, takes him under his pointed ears and manages to bring out the Knight that is within
him. Yoda demonstrates, as the coach of coaches, how to give support to a promising individual, how to offer challenges that
permit one to learn and grow, and how to provide vision so that the "protégé" gains confidence and,
eventually, independence to lead.
For Every
$1.00 Spent $7.90 is Earned in Return
Booz Allen Hamilton
HealthYncubator is a firm that supports and augments a healthcare organization’s
Board of Director’s succession planning as well as the CEO’s mentoring and executive development initiatives.
Our model is executive coaching and unlike traditional organizational development consulting, we use our coaching platform
as a foundation to achieve short and middle range goals, and our alumni mentoring program to keep them on track throughout
their careers. We further customize our coaching relationship to meet the demands of the CEO or Board, and the individual
needs of the protégé.
A recent survey by Manchester Consulting of their Fortune 1000 clients found that respondents’ utilization of professional
coaching resulted in:
77% improved relationships with their direct reports;
71% improved relationships
with their bosses; and
61% noted improved job satisfaction.
Additional evidence shows that executive coaches offer a substantial return on investment. According
to studies conducted by MetrixGlobal LLC, several employers, including consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, have received
an average return of $7.90 for every $1 invested in executive coaching. Among the benefits to the organization are better
team chemistry, improved performance, and higher retention rates.
The Pressure to Avoid Failure can Lead to It
U.S. Productivity
While on-the-job experiences
and continuing education go a long way toward preparing tomorrow’s leaders, the value of executive coaching and long-term
mentoring these individuals is a must in today’s rapid change environment.
Professional organizations such as the ACHE, MGMA, AHCA and ACPE all outline mentorship programs
they ask their members to take on as an important aspect of a protégé’s lifelong learning and leadership
skills development process. However, as health organizations continue to deal with reimbursement issues, regulatory and ethic
concerns, rapid changes in service markets, mergers with other organizations, downsized and/or reorganized staff, executives'
job responsibilities and workloads are in a constant state of flux where the executive team’s time has tripled in value
over the past 10 years.
This pressure can prevent
capable executives from making visionary and innovative decisions. While your team may be performing their jobs effectively,
they may not be developing the skills necessary to grow and evolve into the leaders your organization or the country needs
to lead the changes required for future survival and success. To combat this situation, you should consider how an executive
coach can enhance your executives’ performance.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats
Marion Kaufman Foundation
Coaching
in health management is relatively young, but over the past ten years Fortune 1000 company CEOs have increasingly turned to
executive coaches to improve their personal and team performance. Today many of these companies are hiring executive coaches
to train hundreds of their executives and potential executives at a time.
To be forward thinking health executives, we must understand that innovation is needed to compete
today, not only in the ways we provide health services to our customers and deal with our suppliers, but also in how we develop
ourselves and those future executives taking over when we retire or move on to another position.
Just as business consultants perform SWOT analysis on the organization, an executive coach performs
a SWOT on the individual executive in order to assist him or her to define their strengths and weaknesses, and understand
the opportunities and threats that exist in their current work environment. Once an assessment is completed and gaps are identified,
the executive coach creates a plan with the individual and guides the executive through the specific goals taking advantage
of this knowledge and the desired results outlined by the CEO and/or Board.
For the individual protégé, the impact of executive coaching can be the difference
between a dead-end job and a fast-track career. Our executive coaches can help healthcare executives smooth out the rough
edges in their personalities and manage their time efficiently so they can balance their long hours at the office with quality-of-life
concerns such as enough time for personal health, family, civic service, hobbies, relaxation, and faith needs.
Execute Your Plan
Peter Drucker
Health executive coaching does not preclude
the need for mentoring. Rather, it is another tool to help you, whether you're an early careerist or a seasoned senior executive,
improve your skills and become even more successful in your field.
Please contact me personally, so I may answer anymore of your questions and we can discuss how
to engage our firm to serve you.
Sincerely,
Gordon
Gordon Jones, DHA, MHSA, PAHM, PPM
Principal & Chief Innovations Officer
706-564-9275