44 - Successfully Walking Over the Bridge: From Excellent Clinician to Excellent Administrator

PAY ATTENTION – respond to what is around you, while integrating it with your own personal mission (why)

1) Self Development – first step. Takes self-awareness, humility, and self reflection
a) Recognize your own barriers first – how do you get in your own way? What is feedback you’ve received from others?
b) Strengths  how do you capitalize on them? Are they overused?
c) Weaknesses  do you try to hide them? How do you learn from them/overcome them?
d) Know your personal style? What is your voice, and how do you use it?
e) Who is your network? Identify those in your corner, those you need to bring into your corner, and those you need to handle gingerly.
2) Economic development – second step. Takes ability to comb through research, recognize National trends, and learn the language.
a) What are the regulatory requirements  no pass zones. These are NOT negotiable, but sometimes lead to creative processes to meet them.
b) Know your industry  learn the national benchmarks, industry standards, expectations/assumptions of the general public
i) Unless it is very obvious, assume your leaders know as much as the general public
c) Understand external pressures  local market, economic trends and implications (ie job market for new hires), coverage patterns, etc.
d) What is your constituency? Internal/External  community interface
**** NOW YOU MAY INTERVIEW FOR A LEADERSHIP ROLE ****
3) Organizational Development – understand the organization
a) How is the organization structured (for-profit, NFP, reporting structure)?
b) What is the MVV Statement  how is this MEASURED
i) This will give you a clue about the REAL mission. Are executive leaders aligned with the MVV?
ii) How does the organization tell its story?
c) What business models does the organization use? How are business plans created/disseminated? (ie Executive summary vs power point  you should be able to learn how to adapt).
i) Find out who is really good at it. Who gets what they ask for? What are they doing differently?
d) How does the organization develop and share strategy  where is the organization going, and how does your skill set fit in?
e) How does the organization recognize and develop talent  how will they help support you?
f) How does the organization integrate with the rest of the community  how are you going to be perceived by others when you tell them what you do and where you work?
4) Team Development – this often happens somewhat simultaneously, but you really need to know the organization before you can do this really well.
a) Who are your powerful people (good/bad)?
b) What are the team dynamics (interpersonal relationships, communication styles, change management)
i) Identify strengths/weaknesses just as you did for yourself, and engage the team in this process
c) What are the operational roadblocks (circles of control, influence, awareness)?
d) What is the integration with other departments/larger organization/community? How do you know?
e) Be CLEAR, not mean.