Delegation is essential to helping an ASC thrive, according to Indianapolis-based VEI Michigan Vice President of Operations Jim Stilley, who was interviewed by Roger Manning on the Excellentia Podcast.
Mr. Stilley is the previous administrator and CEO of Northwest Michigan Surgery Center in Traverse City, as well as past president of the Michigan Ambulatory Surgery Association.
"A lot of people get promoted in our industry based on their competency and they stand out in one area," he said. "But a natural leader who can delegate both upward to folks that are above them and down within the chain of command is paramount to the success of any surgery center."
Two reasons why:
1. Leaders who don't delegate get blindsided. "When you try to do everything yourself, you're so mired down in the day-to-day operations of getting things done that you're not really [able] to stand up above it all and keep an eye on what's happening," Mr. Stilley said. "If you're not seeing that big picture, you many times will get hit with some threats that you didn't see coming. More importantly — because I think our threats in our industry are pretty well-known — you don't see some of those opportunities."
2. Delegating improves staff fulfillment. "When you do it all and you're not delegating, it removes the opportunity for growth from the people who report to you and that you're responsible for," he said. "Many times, your best and brightest may leave without ever seeing the full potential for their upward mobility. So, it takes a very confident leader to delegate authority without viewing it as diminishing your individual power base."