How our Olympians and the English Premiership League can inspire improvement in Healthcare performance
One of the challenges for leaders is to instill hope in their teams. Inspiring leaders can engage their teams in the strategic objectives of the organisation so that there is united discretionary effort, such that the collective is greater than the sum of the individuals. As outlined in my last blog, the latest challenges for private hospitals are not limited to talent, and there is no doubt that these are challenging times for Healthcare and many other industries too.
Who hasn’t followed the fortunes of Australians such as gold medal winning canoeist Jess Fox during the Paris Olympics? As one of our deserved flag bearers at the opening ceremony, an implied leadership befell Jess, which would no doubt have added some pressure on her. How she has responded to that pressure can only have inspired the team – and probably a nation. (As I write this we have just won our eighteenth gold medal – the most in our history.) I’m sure that a huge percentage of us either watched live or tried to find the news of her performances upon wakening. The joy she exhibited on her sister’s victory in the women’s slalom kayak cross only added to her status, what a legend!
In a similar vein, during the year 2014/15, Leicester City Football Club were at the wrong end of the ladder in the English Premier League (EPL) and there was a strong likelihood that they would be relegated to the second tier division for the following season. However, they somehow managed to win seven of their last nine games – against all odds – to remain in the topflight for the following season.
Anyone familiar with the EPL will know that the richer clubs have a distinct advantage, with only four clubs being the successful champions over the last 10 seasons, and Manchester City winning six of those. Given that, how would Leicester fare in 2015/16, having just avoided relegation in the previous season? By no means did they a have a team of stars and their new manager, Claudio Raneiri, was best described as a journeyman who had no major titles on his CV. At the start of the season, they were at odds of 5000-1 to be declared champions of the EPL.
The team put a plan in place and a number of ‘unknowns’ achieved peak performances during the season. The team just gelled and sped up the right end of the ladder during the season. Despite beating a number of the bigger clubs along the way, the football world was waiting for them to ‘hit the wall’ and be overtaken by the more fancied clubs. However, as you may have guessed by now, that didn’t happen and with two games to go, Leicester City were declared the champions. (There is no finals series in the EPL.)
The news of that success crossed international boundaries, as did the victory by the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball in the US at about the same time – their first in 108 years! Live in hope St. Kilda fans 🙂
Executives in Healthcare will be continuing to seek to enhance their organisation’s reputation with its stakeholders, including patients, staff and specialists. They will be looking for innovative ways to reinvigorate growth in the sector, strategically expand the range of services they offer and attract new healthcare professionals. Revenue generation, such as from improved casemix and coding and diversified income streams will be a priority, along with ongoing cost control and diligent financial management.
Returning to our sporting analogy, Jess Fox and Leicester City are proof positive that leaders can inspire. Having the right people in the right place at the right time is critical for any organisation. With a sound strategy and the tactics to implement that strategy, great things can be achieved. When they’re engaged, people want to know how they can contribute to achieve success. That is a weapon.
If you would like further advice on attracting and retaining talent in private hospitals or in the broader Healthcare sector, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Join me on Wednesday 4 September for AI in Healthcare, an in-person event in Melbourne for executives with an expert panel of industry leaders. Contact me to find out more and register your attendance.
Vincent Borg has extensive experience in the health sector, having worked both in private and not-for-profit organisations. His previous roles as General Manager at Healthscope, St. Vincent’s Private Hospital and Epworth Healthcare saw him oversee large, multi-site facilities in the acute and sub-acute services, including greenfield operations. Vincent’s recent operational experience means he is well-connected with industry thought leaders, across all segments of the sector. As such, he has a clear understanding of issues many hospital executives are currently experiencing and the emerging issues impacting health care providers. Read more…
