Amanda Hawkins, RN, of The Surgery Center of Charleston (N.C.) shares her thoughts on developing leaders in ASCs.
Question: What leadership practices have you found successful at The Surgery Center of Charleston? How does employing this leadership model impact your practice?
Amanda Hawkins: I don't use one leadership style at The Surgery Center of Charleston. I try to engage with everyone, communicating with all team members to make decision making and problem solving easier. The overall success of my surgery center is not only my goal, but the goal of everyone who works here. ASCs are growing and continuing success depends on the leaders we develop.
Q: What should ASC leaders consider when developing a leadership program and what differentiates a successful from a mediocre program?
AH: Developing ASC centers and leaders means redefining operational processes while maintaining quality of life outside of work. Sharing knowledge and looking for areas to develop leaders only helps operations, staff retention and long-term sustainability. Growth means adapting to change, delegating and looking for more ways to grow and be a financially successful practice.
Q: How do administrators identify staff members with the potential to be strong leaders at the center? What tools can an ASC provide to guide them along their pathway to leadership?
AH: I look for leaders in everyone, but not everyone is a leader. It is a hard task to find all the values you want: independence, strength, leadership, work ethic, fiscal responsibility and the same desire for success. You may invest into one person sharing tools in areas including compliance, regulatory, financial and human resources to find out they are overwhelmed and not fit for the position.
Why not spread the information out and train new leaders in every area? For example, a new scheduling leader may have trouble at first stepping away from a staffing position into a leadership position. However, after a few months of coaching and guidance through staffing assignments, adjusting physicians' schedules and dealing with difficult personalities, you will soon see the new leader is comfortable leading their peers.
You are your leaders. You must strengthen the team you have and develop your talent.
Learn more from Ms. Hawkins at the 24th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs in October 2017. Click here for more information.