Interim Leader Presentation to the Department Team

March 1, 2022

Deborah Kumar

 

Interim Leader Presentation to the Department Team

 

Thirty days into a new contract and you are primed to begin work with your team to achieve the improvements and goals determined through your efforts of the first weeks.  You have presented to the leadership team and now have clear direction as to what goals you are tasked to achieve.  The next step is an exciting and emotional one as you present to and motivate your team to join you in making the improvements.

 

 

Let me share a story. 

 

I had the honor of working with senior leadership to turn around a lost division.  Data was poor and turnover was high.  During my interviews, I heard story after story of bullying and negativity.  After my leadership presentation, I was given full rein to tackle the issues and restore the team.

 

Preparation

I scheduled staff meetings and made attendance mandatory at one of the three times posted for all team members.   I had the individuals sign up for times and assured them that all team members picked a time.

 

I picked up snacks and water and allotted 2 hours for each meeting.  Next, I prepared the room.  I found a room with a large table that we could sit around.  I also wanted a room large enough for everyone to get up and take part in activities.

 

I prepared a PowerPoint presentation to showcase all the work I did during the first month.  I needed to be sure they understood the amount of information and data gathered.  As described in the January 2022 Leadership blog, all the information collected in interviews was collated into themes.   There were several themes.  (For example, themes may include staffing issues, bullying, equipment issues, practice concerns, workflow issues, policy issues.)   In each theme, there were multiple specific issues. (For example: in Equipment issues there may be multiple items, or in Staffing Issues, there could be issues about timing/shifts, skill set, nurse-patient ratio, the performance of team members, support staff, etc.)

 

The Meeting

The PowerPoint was presented and as I got to the Themes, I posted large sheets on the walls.  Each paper listed the issues identified for specific themes.    As the attendees looked around and read what I learned, I heard gasps and sobs.   In each meeting, I had a similar reaction: the entire group was overwhelmed that I had heard them and was recognizing their concerns and issues.

 

The next step was to prioritize.  In each theme, of the specifics noted, what was their highest priority? I gave each attendee 3 colored stickers for each theme with the instructions to place dots at their top three in each theme.  This placed the entire prioritization in the full teams’ hands.   Next, I split the group into a number equal to the themes and they moved from paper to paper until completed.   There was a lot of time and discussion among the attendees as they each made their choices.

 

At the end, we could clearly see what the teams’ top priorities were and I listed them out and discussion then ensued as to initial thoughts for solutions and recruitment of who wanted to take a lead in the solutions.

 

This is the beginning.  There is a lot of work to be done to grow the team and work toward the goals.  The next blog in this series demonstrates how to empower and lead the team in this endeavor.

 

 

November Blog: Healthcare is in Crisis Mode- Interim Healthcare Leaders Needed More than Ever.

December Blog: Using principles of Appreciative Inquiry to win the trust and build relationships

January Blog: Develop the big picture: What is working

February Blog: Presentation to the executive/leadership team

March Blog: Presentation to the department team.

April Blog: Using I2E2:  involving the team and creating a vision

May Blog: Creating change that continues after the assignment ends.

 

 

 

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