I just finished listening a podcast conducted by Professor Bonica with the COO of Alliance Management Services, Tom Lavallee. I figured I would take this opportunity to write my blog about what I learned about the importance of long term care and some advice that Tom had for being a good leader. Long term care has been something that I really haven't had much desire to pursue my career in. However, after listening to this podcast, I learned just how important it is to healthcare overall and how you can really make a fulfilling career out of it. I also learned just how much the industry has changed over the years and how nursing homes have really developed into more complex facilities with the ability to take care of much sicker patients. Tom mentioned how the Baby Boomer generation is growing old and that there will be a rapid increase in the amount of people who will need a place to go such as a nursing home. It is definitely an area that is not going anywhere for a while.
Tom also talked about what he believes makes a good leader. He said the leaders need to set the tone for their organization and be will to go out there and be engaged with their staff. This reminded me of the idea of not being a "carpet administrator", which Professor Bonica has talked about previously in class. The idea behind not being a carpet administrator is that you will leave your carpeted office and go out on the patient floors and make yourself very present to the staff. Another good piece of advice he had was that "whatever you expect out of your employees, you better be doing it yourself". I thought that this was a really great piece of advice because your employees will have so much more respect for you if they know that you are willing to put in the work as well and not just sit there and demand things from them. By having employees that trust and respect you, you will have a much more successful organization.
Link to podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/abridged-thomas-c-lavallee-coo-alliance-health-management-services
Glad you found the interview of interest. I hope you share that with Tom on Monday.
ReplyDeleteRule number one of management, regardless of the type of organization or setting: "never ask your subordinates/employees to do something you wouldn't do yourself."
ReplyDeleteEqually important is to lead from the front. Getting "out there" (management by sometimes walking around) keeps you in touch with what's going on exponentially more effectively than just sitting behind a desk, reading emails and memos. Elevator talk, water cooler talk, and the like can cue you into to workplace undertones and currents very effectively. Stopping by subordinates' desks on occasion, just to chat for a moment, pays big dividends in a multitude of ways. It also makes you appear as an approachable human being, not someone a subordinate should fear bringing bad news or a problem to. A manager has a very big problem when subordinates feel they can no longer bring a problem to him/her.
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I was going to reply with the quote that D. Stafford posted until I realized he had already posted it! That is definitely rule #1 and a good thing to remember.
One thing I would also add is that, as every person is different, each person works best under a different management style. Some people may like regular check ins, others may prefer a touch base once a week. It is important to get to know your employees and their work preferences to better engage with and motivate them.