10 steps for leading your practice through a crisis
Leading your practice through a crisis, and more specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, relied on specific leadership steps based on sound skills and principles that improve practice operations and achieve defined practice goals.
The key first steps for getting through a crisis are to be ready to shift gears and communicate often and early, Costas Kefalas, MD, MMM, FASGE, of Akron Digestive Disease Consultants Inc., said during his presentation at GI Outlook. The goal is to lead with compassion by managing the new normal that has resulted from the crisis itself.
Kefalas’ 10 critical steps for leading your practice through a crisis follow.
- Take ownership immediately. Stop the bleeding and minimize disruption on your operations.
- Assess the damage and get the facts. Ask questions of the right people to separate the clutter and fiction from reality.
- Dispel rumors and effectively communicate the next steps.
- The initial goal is to understand the real cause and make a plan to go forward. There is no time for emotion, excuses or blaming.
- Set expectations and responsibilities in your practice for initial tasks. The goal is to focus the staff on stabilizing the situation.
- If anything can go wrong, it will. Keep your plan clear and updated. Demand quick action when surprises appear.
- As the leader, your presence is of utmost importance. Be seen and be heard. Obtain understanding from staff for the job to be done.
- Once the crisis has passed, returned to business as usual. However, identify what you would have done differently.
- Acknowledge and reward the staff’s hard work during the crisis and learn from the experience.
- The most important aspect of a crisis is how quickly and effectively you can lead your team to eliminate confusion and restore order. There will always be a next time.
“One of the many blessings that's come out of the pandemic is witnessing your staff members and how many of them have not only risen to the occasion but exceeded the occasion,” Kefalas concluded. “More than ever GI practices require an abled leader to successfully navigate the new normal post COVID-19 and to prepare for the next crisis. Leaders should employ key specific skills during crisis management; leadership that is based on sound skills and principles will often improve practice operations and achieve defined practice goals.”
Collapse
Kefalas C. Leadership in GI practices. Presented at: GI Outlook; Nov. 18, 2021 (virtual meeting).
Read more about