At the Becker's ASC 21st Annual Meeting in Chicago on Oct. 24, three thought leaders from the ambulatory surgery center industry shared advice for managing teams, building great cultures and getting things accomplished at their respective organizations.
The session's panelists included Susan Kizirian, principal of Kizirian Healthcare Consulting, Judy Harless, administrator of SMI Surgery Center in San Diego, and Martha Colen, administrator of Virginia Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center. The session was moderated by Holly Carnell, JD, attorney with McGuireWoods.
On managing teams in an ASC versus the acute-care setting
Ms. Colen: "Personally, I think the way I'd describe it is everyone does everything in the ASC. You need to find individuals who have flexibility and willingness to adapt to a changing environment."
Ms. Harless: "Having experience managing a private practice, the pace is so much faster [in an ASC]. I think perhaps in private practice you may have a little more time to see and engage if that person is going to be a good fit. For the ASC, it's important that people can absorb the pace. That can sometimes be an issue."
Ms. Kizirian: "When I interview people who haven't worked in a surgery center environment before, I tell them, 'You have to like to go fast If that's not who you are, this is an environment that will not change for you.'"
On what they look for in employment candidates
Ms. Colen: "The most important trait I look for in a new manager is emotional intelligence. That term is thrown around a lot. The way I look at it is: They need to be self-aware of how they respond to situations and their own stress level. They need to manage themselves and be socially aware of how they impact people around them. I often ask very situational questions — why was a situation stressful and how did they manage it? I try to interpret their response on the basis of emotional intelligence."
Ms. Harless: "Trying to determine whether that person is going to fall into the culture of your center is critical. It's also important to get them at ease. Let them drop their guard and have more conversations with them [during the interview]. Find out about their management style through questions, but also make sure they will blend with the culture."
Ms. Kizirian: "When I'm interviewing, I'm looking for very authentic people who are genuine and comfortable in their own skin. They say what they mean and do what they say. Those are such critical things."
On disciplining employees while maintaining a positive culture
Ms. Colen: "Have very clear codes of conduct, so if someone misbehaves, you can be very clear: 'When you do this or say that, that's not acceptable.' You need to have physicians talking to physicians, not just an administrator. You really do need a very close working relationship with your board and leaders."
Ms. Harless: "If you see an employee going off track, coach them. The expectations are set in front and you are working with them to ensure they are the best possible employee they can be. There's no excuse for it to get to the point of more disciplinary action. Set the expectations and follow up on those. At times, your best efforts will not yield to the results you'd like, and that may lead to a separation."
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