Develop new leaders
St. John is now positioned well to weather the current economic downturn. Maryland and her staff have succeeded in realizing about $70 million of the $85 million they sought to trim from the budget last year. The health system reported revenue of $1.9 billion in 2008.
But in order to keep this kind of momentum rolling, you need to keep developing leaders to carry your culture and policy of fiscal responsibility into the coming years. That means both recruiting and developing high-potential employees.
You can help your cause by developing the kind of organization for which people want to work.
“It starts with, No. 1, the person,” Maryland says. “Your interview process has to be such that you can screen individuals for some of those qualities. But you also need to set the tone for the organization, set the tone for what your expectations are.
“People can choose to come to your organization or not based on how consistent you are with the expectations you have of your leaders. If you bring people in and find behaviors that are not consistent with the expectations you have set, you need to deal with those individuals quickly. If they don’t change, they shouldn’t be in your organization. In the end, it’s what you are willing to tolerate in your organization. That is why you need to deal quickly with individuals who exhibit behaviors that are inconsistent with your values.
“You are not defining the organization around the needs of any one individual. You’re defining the organization around the needs of the people you serve. In our case, that is our patients. You’re also defining the organization around its long-term financial viability. People and culture comprise your mission.”
How to reach: St. John Health System, (586) 753-1155 or www.stjohn.org