Executive Summary

Healthcare Management

Managers today face a myriad of opportunities and challenges. Strong managers welcome opportunities and embrace challenges as new opportunities in disguise. To be our best and leader our companies well, managers must tackle time management, motivating and growing the managers that they lead, addressing personnel shortages, recognizing and resolving conflicts, and providing the highest quality product or service possible. We are here to help managers address these challenges and turn them into opportunities for growth and success.

The place to begin is with personal time management. Our Time Management Improvement Program will assist executives in addressing this issue and moving toward a satisfactory resolution.

A key component of successful time management is proper organization. We assist executives in assessing their organizational structure and configuring it so as to maximize effective management.

No organization is going to be effective without competent supervisors at all levels in the organization. Training in supervisory skills is especially important for middle managers as many of them come from a non-managerial background with no experience or training in supervision at all. We engage and train supervisors to use proven techniques and methods that will achieve the desired results of a more effective and productive workplace.

High on the list of problems confronting executives today is the chronic shortage of qualified personnel. This shortage usually shows itself in high employee turnover and chronic understaffing in key areas. Although there are four generations of workers in today’s workforce, the majority of those workers are millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000. This generation responds to management differently than others, which can result in a disconnect that shows itself in high turnover and low employee retention. We show you how to communicate effectively with these employees and motivate them to stay with you and work hard.

Anytime change comes to an organization, there is the risk of conflict. The effective executive recognizes the signs of organizational conflict and strategically moves to resolve those conflicts before damage is done to the organization. We assist executives in recognizing those signs of conflict and implementing proven strategies to resolve them.

Institutional success in today’s marketplace demands an emphasis on quality improvement at all levels. One area that proves high quality standards is the pursuit and achievement of accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting authority. We have significant experience in assisting with achieving national accreditation from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and can implement this program in an organization so that accreditation can be readily achieved. We can also develop a program specific to the accrediting body of other types of organizations and assist in implementation to achieve accreditation.

John C. Maxwell said, “The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development.” Now is the time to take your skills and organization to the next level of excellence. We are poised and ready to help you achieve your success goals. With over 35 years of management experience, our methods are tested and proved effective. We are dedicated to your success.

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Service Methodology

Our Service Methodology is best illustrated by the LODE method: Listen, Observe, Develop, and Execute.

First, we listen carefully as the client describes the situation for which help is needed. Careful listening ensures that we grasp the essentials of the problems they face and enables us to begin formulating a plan of assistance. In listening, we can also identify underlying challenges perhaps not identified by the client, but that also need to be addressed for future success.

Next, we seek to observe the areas described in the listening sessions. Based on our extensive experience in management, observation helps us identify problem areas. We are able to see and assess aspects of a manager’s practice previously unnoticed by the manager because of the familiarity of their routine. This guides us as we develop a strategic plan to address the identified issues.

Using the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) model, we can map out the best way forward for the manager. This process helps clearly identify the issues in achieving resolution of problem areas. As we present our findings, the client will be able to see more clearly areas to be addressed as well as areas where they excel and should continue without much change. Addressing the critical issues without detriment to areas which are already successful is key to moving forward.

Finally, we assist the client in executing the agreed-upon plans. Execution is the essential (and often missing) element in achieving the desired outcomes. We are able to help managers achieve these goals by providing an accountability partner as well as an encourager.

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Service Options

Companies can elect whether they just require Appleton Greene for advice and support with the Bronze Client Service, for research and performance analysis with the Silver Client Service, for facilitating departmental workshops with the Gold Client Service, or for complete process planning, development, implementation, management and review, with the Platinum Client Service. Ultimately, there is a service to suit every situation and every budget and clients can elect to either upgrade or downgrade from one service to another as and when required, providing complete flexibility in order to ensure that the right level of support is available over a sustainable period of time, enabling the organization to compensate for any prescriptive or emergent changes relating to: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Information Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing; or Production.

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Service Mission

Our Service Mission is to assist managers in increasing their competence and performance through the application of proven management strategies and sharpened executive judgment. No manager is perfect; therefore, there is by definition room for improvement for every manager. Every manager has inherent strengths and weaknesses and those who excel are those who improve their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. The use of a consultant in accomplishing these two processes has proven to be very practical for many managers over the years. The consultant is able to see and assess aspects of a manager’s practice previously unnoticed by the manager because of the familiarity of their routine.

Our strength is to be able to draw on many years of experience in helping managers improve their practice and tailor a program to the specific situation of any client that will accomplish the objectives of improving managerial strengths and overcoming weaknesses. Using our LODE methodology (Listening, Observing, Developing, and Executing) we help managers to make tangible improvements in their performance of their duties. We guide our clients onto a pathway of continuous evaluation of their own practice and develop ways to improve any aspect that shows a need for improvement.

A critical component of our service is developing an Action Plan for each manager outlining specific goals to achieve and reasonable target dates for their accomplishment. We are able to help managers achieve these goals by providing an accountability partner as well as an encourager.

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Service Objectives

The following list represents the Key Service Objectives (KSO) for the Appleton Greene Healthcare Management service.

1. Time Management

   The place to begin is with personal time management. Our Time Management Improvement Program will assist executives in addressing this issue and moving toward a satisfactory resolution. The goal of this program is to produce managers that manage their time well and are able to accomplish their personal and corporate goals within required parameters and deadlines. To accomplish this, we use the LODE method: Listen, Observe, Develop, and Execute. Implementation of the LODE method is the result of over forty years of upper level management experience as well as training managers in healthcare and relate fields. The service generally works like this:

   Listening: Personal time management improvement begins with listening as the manager describes the usual workday, paying careful attention to the presence of time wasters.

   Observing: We observe the manager in the workplace in order to verify impressions and learn examples of time-wasting activities. Examples of time-wasting activities we see most often are: Interruptions, Reading impersonal email messages, inefficient use of the telephone – especially text messaging, Unfocused internet browsing, and informal conversations with co-workers.

   Develop a plan: Then in consultation with the manager, we develop a plan to overcome the discovered obstacles that are impediments to productive time management.

   Execute the Plan: Then we assist the manager in the execution of the plan, providing coaching and positive reinforcement as needed. Optimal time management requires the development of some new skills and the discarding of some old habits. These steps are not necessarily easy, so we continue to work with the manager to achieve the maximum benefit from the program.

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   As the manager becomes more efficient in this area, he/she is then capable of teaching his/her team the same principles and assisting them in using their time more efficiently. This can also translate into more effective use of time for the team as a whole in achieving its objectives. Time is our greatest resource and one over which we have the most control. Managers who learn to maximize the use of their time are the most likely to be the most successful.

2. Organizational Improvement

   A key component of successful time management is proper organization. We assist executives in assessing their organizational structure and configuring it so as to maximize effective management. At one healthcare institution our client was tasked with creating an Emergency Medical Service for a city of 100,000 residents in 30 days. Not only did we have to assemble the required organizational components, it was necessary to insure that the proper organizational assignments were made so as to optimize the effectiveness of the operation long-term. The procedure generally works like this:

   Listening: We ask managers to tell us about reporting relationships, span of control issues, and functions of upper and middle managers. This allows us to determine the optimal arrangement of management assets.

   Observe: Reporting relationships are examined to be sure they are grouped according to relatedness and efficiency. Responsibilities assigned to upper managers are examined for span of control issues so that these managers are able to address functionality of their assigned areas of responsibility in depth to be sure of a smooth operation. The responsibilities of middle managers are examined for the appropriateness of functional relationships and sensible reporting groups. As companies grow and expand operations, reporting relationships can sometimes be made in a fashion that does not contribute to efficient management. For example, administrative and staff functions can sometimes be grouped with production and line responsibilities. This can result in inefficient functioning as the requirements for good management differ for line and staff functions.

   Develop a Plan: The Listening and Observation steps will likely reveal organizational arrangements that are less than optimal. We then work with managers to develop a plan that outlines the corrective steps necessary to achieve optimal organizational structure.

   Execute the Plan: We work with managers to realign reporting relationships along more functional lines and streamline those relationships so that no manager has too great a pan of control.

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3. Supervisory Training

   No organization is going to be effective without competent supervisors at all levels in the organization. Training in supervisory skills is especially important for middle managers as many of them come from a non-managerial background with little or no experience or training in supervision at all. This is a particular issue in hospitals. Far too often a good clinical nurse is promoted to supervisor and then to manager without any training in management. Our procedure to remedy this prevalent issue generally works like this:

   Listening: We interview upper management and selected supervisors to gain a first-hand understanding of the issues extant with the client.

   Observe: We spend quality time with supervisors observing their management styles and performance to gain an understanding of the degree to which training is necessary.

   Develop a Plan: We engage and train supervisors to use proven techniques and methods that will achieve the desired results of a more effective and productive workplace in areas such as conflict resolution, talent development, promotion, and recognition of excellence. In addition, we help supervisors learn to set personal goals and assist their employees in goal setting. We then teach supervisors how to use these goals in evaluations of employees. We examine reporting relationships to assure optimal assignments that contribute to the organization’s goals and objectives.

   Execute the Plan: We work with upper management to schedule supervisory training as indicated by the previous steps and to be cost effective in the use of supervisor’s time.

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4. Employee Retention

   High on the list of problems confronting executives today is the chronic shortage of qualified personnel. This shortage usually shows itself in high employee turnover and chronic understaffing in key areas. Today’s workforce is largely made up of five generations, each of which responds differently to management and supervision. This can result in a disconnect that shows itself in high turnover and low employee retention. We show you how to communicate effectively with these employees and motivate them to stay with you and work hard. In addition, we work with supervisors to improve their listening skills as employees are more satisfied in the workplace if they perceive that their concerns are heard and addressed by management. The procedure generally works like this:

   Listen: We interview human resources personnel to gauge the degree of problems with high turnover and low employee retention.

   Observe: We review relevant statistical information pertaining to turnover and retention to gauge the intensity of problems faced in these areas.

   Develop a Plan: We work with human resources management on plans to improve communication skills, review benefits, and improve workplace conditions so as to address the most common problems that cause high turnover and low employee retention.

   Execute the Plan: We work with human resources management to put concrete steps in place that will address the problems found to exist in the organization.

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5. Conflict Resolution

   Anytime change comes to an organization, there is the risk of conflict. The effective executive recognizes the signs of organizational conflict and moves strategically to resolve those conflicts before damage is done to the organization. We assist executives in recognizing those signs of conflict and implementing proven strategies to resolve them.

   We work with managers to learn to identify ineffective conflict resolution strategies (Avoidance, Competing, Accommodating) and move toward effective ones (Collaboration, Compromising). Good negotiating skills are an essential element of Conflict Resolution. We help managers learn (1) identify the issues clearly and succinctly, (2) to define the desired outcome in concrete terms, and (3) to identify superfluous issues that are not central to the achievement of the desired outcome and (4) design strategies that will move toward the achievement of the desired outcome.

Achievements

“I led the team that created a not-for-profit purchasing co-op centered at Hendrick Hospital in Abilene, TX that ultimately benefitted ten rural West Texas hospitals.”

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“As a result of a pull-out by the former ambulance provider, the City of Grand Prairie, TX (approx. population 125,000) was in danger of being left without ambulance service. I led the team that created an ambulance service to serve that city, including procurement of equipment and supplies, recruiting and training personnel, and securing vehicles in thirty days. As a result, the city was never without adequate ambulance service.”

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“At Georgia Baptist Healthcare System, I had the opportunity to provide the first ultrasonic lithotripsy service to the entire State of Georgia. Under my direction, we renovated facilities to accommodate the equipment, purchased the equipment from the manufacturer in Germany, had it delivered in Atlanta, installed, and made operational. The result was a major improvement in the quality of care for patients suffering from kidney stones.”

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“I became Practice Manager for a leading psychologist in East Texas who was ready to retire but wanted to explore selling his practice. I led the transition to a more stable revenue stream – not dependent on him – which greatly increased the value of the practice to a prospective buyer.”

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“Another psychologist in East Texas had the opportunity to purchase a practice from a retiring psychologist but wanted professional management in place to assure success. I was retained and the practice is still going strong after twenty years of profitable operation.”

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More detailed achievements, references and testimonials are confidentially available to clients upon request.

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