Make good decisions
Hauser learned a lot about management during the first few years of SummaCare’s existence. One of the most important thingsan executive has to do is make difficult decisions, and Hauserquickly realized the best way to handle a tough decision is to getlots and lots of input.
Hauser considers himself a bit old school when it comes to hisdecision-making approach, because despite the technologicaladvances that can bring bits and pieces of information to your fingertips in the time it takes to click a mouse, he would rather takehis time.
“I like to sit back and digest all the information, validate it andmake sure we’re not managing by anecdote or reacting by anecdote, but we’re reacting to fact,” he says. “We need to make surewe’ve got all the facts on the table.”
To get the facts, Hauser relies heavily on his management team,a group of vice presidents he assembled to help him develop thestrategies that drive SummaCare. It’s a very diverse group, bydesign.
“I want people who aren’t going to think like me because part of therole of the senior management team is to protect me from myself andfrom my crazy ideas,” he says.
The dynamic between Hauser and his team is an interesting one.First, Hauser kick-starts the discussion. Then, he expects his management team to challenge his thinking. He needs the different perspectives they bring to the discussion to ensure the strategy iswell-rounded.
With all the differing viewpoints, there are bound to be disagreements. To keep things civil, Hauser insists that the team membersleave their egos at the door before each strategy meeting.Everyone gets their say, but once a decision is reached, the teampresents a united front, no matter how vehemently someone mayhave disagreed during the meeting.
“On the way out as they’re picking up their egos, we all agree thatwe will agree to disagree on some things,” he says. “But whateverwe collectively come up with as the direction we’re going to go,we’re all going to support it and articulate it to our staff and to ourcustomers and everybody else.”
