Taking the Lead
Many institutional or corporate leaders blithely sail along, unaware that potentially toxic underlying issues could be lurking in their organizations. These problems can stay hidden as they build an increasingly unhealthy environment.
The Floating Hospital has always been very fortunate in its supporters, particularly those from the business community who take their volunteering responsibilities to visionary levels. One such supporter, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association’s Women in Healthcare Giveback Affinity Group, has been a reliable and enthusiastic source of help during annual events, such as Candy Cane Lane and Camp Rise Up, and has raised money for us through its own now annual Pickleball event.
Now, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association’s Women in Healthcare Giveback Affinity Group is providing elite organizational know-how to our department heads through its Women’s Leadership Workshop Series. The goal is to give them a better understanding of themselves as leaders, their teams, and the other sectors that make up the hospital, and how they can function more cohesively to improve performance and advance our mission.
According to Beth Bauer, who is on the global board of Women in Healthcare Give Back and has served as co-chair of the NY/NJ region for the last two years, when the group consolidated its focus on health equity, The Floating Hospital became a natural partner in its volunteer efforts. “We began providing assistance in whatever way we could, with typical volunteerism… But given the uniqueness of our organization—women in the business of healthcare promoting leadership in that space—we thought, ‘There has to be something more we can do.’ ”
They all enjoy working on our regular volunteer projects. “But at the same time, our goal is to lift up women in the business of healthcare and to grow leaders… We thought, ‘Is there something more that we could do where we actually utilize our skills to be able to give back to you?’ ”
Charlene Prounis, who is on our Foundation Board, has served as president of the HBA and chapter president among other roles in the HBA organization. She was a founder of two award-winning advertising agencies. The first, Accel Healthcare, was sold, and then she started Flashpoint Medica. When she suggested bringing the Leadership Series to The Floating Hospital, Bauer recalled that other members of the group “jumped on it. We agreed that it was an amazing idea.”
Prounis has helped many women in the HBA advance their careers in healthcare. This was a way to do the same thing for those in the hospital’s leadership while benefiting the hospital as a whole.
The department heads chose to address subjects such as feedback and accountability, effective meetings, building connections and managing teams, and effective hiring. “The workshops provided invaluable insights that have greatly supported me in my leadership role, said Shannah Charles, the hospital’s director of registration services. “One of the key takeaways for me was learning how to better integrate my staff with other departments through improved communication. The sessions gave me the tools to foster a more efficient and collaborative work environment.”
The first topic, “delivering effective feedback and accountability,” set the tone and still resonates through the series. The subjects can be uncomfortable and even emotional. Tackling them at the beginning led to an openness and sense of a safe space that continues to promote sharing.
Bauer said people often think about accountability “as something bad: ‘I'm going to hold you accountable’ versus being accountable, which is a very positive thing. Where you're saying, ‘I recognize that my actions have an effect on you, and now I'm going to take proactive steps to make sure that I don't have negative effects on you,’ or at least we minimize the negative effects.”
Feedback can have similar negative connotations. “Feedback is something where you actively describe a situation, why it's causing pain, and you create an openness to being able to problem solve together to fix it. We pointed out that feedback is not ‘I don’t like you.’ Instead, it’s more of a security camera–-showing the current situation.” But it’s possible it could still sting. “If you are emotional about it, you may need to step away and say, ‘I appreciate your feedback. I'm so grateful that you took the time to provide it, but we need to talk another day, okay?’ ”
The meetings were initially scheduled to be an hour long, but they soon grew to three hours. “Time flies by. We have to intentionally end them, because we’ve really created a vibrant dialogue,” Bauer said.
“People often think about accountability ‘as something bad: I’m going to hold you accountable’ versus being accountable, which is a very positive thing.’ ”
“The opportunity for self-reflection during the workshops was especially impactful. It allowed me to assess how I can more effectively support my team and address their needs,” Charles noted. “I have become a stronger advocate for my staff, learning to speak up more openly on their behalf, and this has enhanced my ability to lead with confidence.”
When the year was up, there were still more topics that the participants wanted to explore. “There are things that are coming up in the overall ether of business today,” Bauer said. “Interestingly, the ones that are the hottest topics outside the hospital are also the hottest topics inside that are now surfacing up.” These subjects—goal and value setting—will also be new topics for this year’s programs.
Although value is commonly thought of in terms of monetary return, its meaning can vary from position-to-position and situation-to-situation. Ms. Bauer brought up the value of prevention in the field of healthcare. While prevention of disease is universally acknowledged as a laudable goal, many assume that its effect is not quantifiable. But she cited an example from her prior work looking at Medicare patients with metabolic disorder where the data showed that medication adherence, one form of prevention, not only had quantifiable results, but highly valuable ones for patients and their providers. “Healthier people create wealthier people,” she noted.
Similarly, everyone in an organization provides something of value to the whole. Seeing the value in your job and in others is key to understanding how departments function, as well as aligning goals across the organization. It can be as basic as understanding the importance of cleaning or safety to the organization and extrapolating it into larger, more complex and specialized roles.
“Ultimately, the series equipped me with skills that have not only improved my leadership style but have also helped me build stronger connections with my team,” Charles observed. “The experience has been truly enriching.”
Bauer said even a great program can only be as good as its participants. “It starts from all of you. You've inspired us. And that's how it works, right? That's how communities grow,” Bauer said. “We’re pushing each other forward.”