Minor Adjustments

Annual performance reviews are critical to the success of any organization. As part of this process, here are the top things I recommend leaders consider before heading in to meet with a team member.

• Provide the opportunity for team members to reflect on their accomplishments and overall performance over the past year. Start with the team member and have them give an overall summary of their work. You might hear some surprising things and I often find they are more critical of themselves than you could ever be.

• Dedicate time for an interactive conversation about what is working and what could be improved. Always lead with the positive—the things that are going great—and then explore with the team member those items that, if improved, could take their performance to the next level. Remember to make sure it is a two-way conversation and that you are “hearing” them.  Encourage team members to provide constructive feedback on both their department and organization. It is also important to recognize that the annual performance review is not the only time to have these conversations. Leaders should meet with their direct reports on a quarterly basis to review performance as well as solicit feedback. This will ensure that there are no surprises. Let's be honest - no one likes to operate in the gray. When it comes to communication, people appreciate the black and white. Additionally, team members need consistent and frequent feedback to feel empowered, understand where they stand and that they have the tools they need to be successful.

• Make sure that expectations are set from the top down and that every team member has a clear understanding of the organizational strategy and goals. This is critical to success. Spend real time with your team reviewing the strategy for the organization and how their work plays a key role in what you all are trying to accomplish. Whether this is through one on one meetings or a town hall, your team members should possess a 360-degree view of the organization and where they fit in. By doing so, you provide meaning and purpose to each person’s role. And at the end of the day, it takes a team of people working towards a common goal to accomplish something great.  

• Once goals are set, confirm that your team has what it needs to be successful in executing these in the coming year. One of the most important questions you can ask your team members is “what do you need to do your job the best you can and how can I help?”  I am not talking about a salary increase or a corner office (while those might be appropriate at certain times). I am thinking more of those abstract things—like listening, support or training—that, when put into practice, can make a dramatic difference. This also demonstrates that you understand that their success is tied directly to your success as a manager and your ability to lead.

• Take the time to revisit your organizational structure.  I have found this to be an invaluable exercise. I take time each year to tweak our overall organizational structure to make sure that specific responsibilities and tactics are best accomplished by the team to which they have been assigned.  Over the course of a six-week period, I work with my direct reports and their teams to dig deep and assess the work that they are doing. Are they accomplishing the goals they set out to accomplish? And do these goals still clearly align with our overall organizational strategy? As part of this process, I stretch my employees to look both at the work they personally generate as well as the work of their team so that we can continue to come up with ways to be even more intentional, productive and efficient.  Each year, we come out of this process with several adjustments to our organizational structure and tactics that help drive our organization forward.

• Identify team members that have demonstrated leadership and growth potential and determine ways that you can invest in and nurture their skills. One of the real added benefits of this exercise is that it gives me the opportunity to increase the capacity of team members who demonstrate a real potential for leadership and growth. As in any organization, our future success lies in the talent and skill of our team members. By providing additional opportunities for these people, we not only help develop their talents, but we keep them in the organization and happy. 

The performance review period is not the time to annually reinvent the wheel and recast your mission as an organization. It is a period of reflection and to work with team members to make minor adjustment—small, but important, tweaks that will lead to continued growth and productivity. Often, it is those minor little adjustments—like tightening a screw on a wobbly table leg—that can make all the difference.

Continue following along with me both here and on Linkedin.

Making the Grade

Jupiter Medical Center is a community hospital and as such, our number one priority is the care, health and well-being of the community we serve. However, it’s not just about taking care of the patients that walk through our medical center or come and see us for treatment at one of our urgent cares or satellite facilities. We are also dedicated to providing a host of services to healthy members in our community, including students who attend the high school just down the road from Jupiter Medical Center.

As a father and health care professional, one of the programs that I am most proud to be affiliated with is the Jupiter Medical Center Academy at Jupiter High School. The Medical Academy is a career preparation program for students interested in pursuing a career in health care. Upon completion of the three to four-year program, the students receive an industry certification. Since its inception, hundreds of students have participated, with more than two-thirds ultimately entering the health care field.

Through the program, students have access to hands-on medical equipment, demonstrations and practicums, day-long observations and robust internships at the hospital as well as classes. Many of the students in the program see more medical procedures during their time in high school than most first- and second-year medical students. Students also attend a wide array of field trips. We are currently planning a trip to New York City to observe the staff at one of our partner hospitals - Mount Sinai.

Having students in the building is wonderful for me and my staff. Not only does it remind us of why we chose this profession, but they ask amazing questions. They have also been known to give us an idea or two!

I’m not the only member of my team who gets excited about the program and its eager participants. Nurses, lab technicians, doctors and other medical professionals constantly go above and beyond to mentor students, help with equipment demonstrations and answer questions. Our whole team has truly adopted the program.

Jupiter Medical Center Academy at Jupiter High School is a win-win for us and for our community. The greatest gift we can give our kids is the best education possible, and nurturing the next generation of health care professionals can only make a dramatic and positive impact on our field and community.

As a hospital that puts community above all else, encouraging young people to join us on our journey to achieve health and wellness in our community is the smartest thing we can do. Our goal is to give them an A+ experience and the opportunity to foster their interest in health care. Hopefully we make the grade.

Vulnerable Innovation

In the last few blog posts I have been discussing the resources needed within an organization in order to successfully implement an innovative program, product or strategy. We have discussed the attributes that both an organization and a team needs to possess to take the leap and execute an exciting new venture. The final piece is the tactics that you as the team leader can employ to drive innovation and growth in your organization.

As previously stated, I believe that true innovation comes from questioning - questioning assumptions, capacity and ability. And as manager, you need to lead by example and ask the questions of yourself that you have asked of others on your team. What assumptions do I need to challenge? What skills do I need to harness to not only get the job done but to motivate others as well? How can I think outside the box? How can I be both innovative and strategic and how can I coach and inspire others to do the same?

By asking yourself these questions, you are also putting yourself in a position to be vulnerable. And by vulnerable, I don’t mean in a position to be taken advantage of. In fact, I mean just the opposite. Leading through vulnerability means that you are willing (and have the courage) to take a 360-degree view of yourself in order to decide what work you need to do to help get your team across the finish line.

The payoff of leading through vulnerability is that it not only allows you to have what it takes to bring about innovation but what your willingness to be vulnerable signifies to your team. It shows an openness, a collaborative nature, a demeanor that is relatable and honest, and a demonstrated commitment to walking the walk and talking the talk - skills that are invaluable no matter what challenges your company is facing.

Finally, a willingness to be vulnerable is more than leading through innovation. It is about leading through it all. I believe that vulnerability, is a key trait of a transformational leader - a leader that I think we all aspire to be. As a transformational leader, your success (and that of your team) comes from your ability to connect and motivate others. And nothing is more powerful, more inspiring or makes a connection more meaningful than allowing yourself to be “seen” by your team members.

PS: if you want to read more about vulnerability and how it impacts leadership, I recommend this wildly popular (4 million plus views) Ted Talk by Brene Brown.