Front-line manager development

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LEAD Front-Line Manager Development is personal; To create sustainable change to quality the discipline, the quality, and practice of management must be improved. The management culture must change.Learning is in the workplace, with the manager’s work, with the manager’s issues and concerns.

Here is what one manager said about their experience with LEAD:

Before LEAD, “I found myself juggling the role of technical and business manager with administrative tasks; having no time to really analyze problems and find workable solutions; and (I) struggled to stay positive and passionate about my work”

After LEAD, “I had a change in mindset. It was important to take a step back and analyze and investigate how my department was working to ensure that I was providing a quality service (which is not just about quantity). I improved my communication skills; I was empowered to lead my team, not just fire-fight. After LEAD I felt reinvigorated about my profession and really excited to think that executive management took the time to listen to us.”

John was a manager of a department of over 200 individuals working round the clock, 365 days a year.  When we first met John, he struggled to focus on the meeting because of the flurry of staff that came in and out of his office and the ongoing stream of phone calls to his mobile.  John was the “fix-it” guy. Staff were calling about their shifts, about a grievance, about an issue, about a purchase order, about a rumor, about a new process, about a meeting.  When we asked about his budget, he turned red, “look, it’s not my budget.  They gave it to me and now I can’t even buy a paperclip without sending the request to my boss for approval.  We are so tight that the work just keeps piling up or never gets done.  When the backlog gets too big, everyone works overtime to catch up and then we go right back to the same-ole, same-ole. Our overtime is over $300K a year” So here was a manager who couldn’t buy a paperclip but could spend $300K without question.  

Two years ago, John was one of those staff members and he was exceptional at what he did.  One day the boss tapped him on the shoulder and he was “IT”. There was a week of transition with the outgoing manager, a few meetings with the boss, directions to his new office and 10 invites to standing meetings.  His inbox filled to bursting and he was working well into the nights.  That was his reward for doing well, he got to do more. 

John knew how to do things what John needed was a way to find the confidence and strength in himself to seize control of his work, his career, and his life. 

Three months later John had completed his LEAD presentation and John was in control.  Staff were walking into his office to tell him how they solved a problem.  Overtime was gone.  Backlogs were gone. The feeling that John had of being a victim of his budget were gone. John was an energized leader with a toolkit that he had created for himself. 

In the back of his mind, John wondered, “If I do this job too well will I just get more work to do?” He paused and said almost out-loud “Bring it on!”

Investment in your managers must deliver a return that is more tangible than being empowered or more effective.  The LEAD program emphasizes that savings need to be delivered as a demonstrable sign that improvement has occurred.  Over the past 20 years we have found that managers struggle most with finding ways to improve the productivity of their group.  Working in concert with the executive leadership LEAD participants set goals and deliver.  Over $100K per year of cost improvements per LEAD manager. 

The LEAD approach builds leadership skills, but we never assume that LEAD manager training will work in any circumstance, environment or organization. When working with a new client we seek to understand key objectives and issues.  We conduct a brief assessment.  The outcome of the assessment is that we are able to meet your managers and they get to know and work with us.  We then develop stories about the potential opportunities told in your own team’s words, with their data, and their issues.  You have the opportunity to assess for yourself how well LEAD might enhance management skills and what outcomes to expect.

The assessment consists of introductory meetings, interviews, some limited data review, and in the workplace observations.

The product of the assessment is a presentation to the executive leadership team.

Sustainable quality and service outcomes can be enhanced only when managers acquire the discipline to manage both quality and productivity.

Hospitals and healthcare in general are missing out on both dramatic increases in productivity currently experienced by other industry sectors, and positive changes in patient outcomes.

Gains in patient quality are linked to gains in patient care. Without enhancing the culture and discipline of management and there will be no sustainable gains in either patient care or quality.

Managers who acquire the skill, disciplines, and behaviors of looking for ways to improve processes, communication, productivity and quality will deliver ongoing improvements to the way that patients are cared for, the staff are treated, and their teams perform.

With an enriched management culture sustainable improvement is possible with increases in quality outcomes, hospitals, and healthcare

When staff become managers, they cross into new territory with different roles, responsibilities, and typically with little support, guidance, or preparation.  Front-line managers, have the least development opportunities and support, and yet make most of the day-to-day decisions in related to spending, quality, coordination, and communication.  LEAD fills the development and support gap for these managers by providing a unique coaching program to work side-by-side with managers on their work.