Company: Published Articles: How to Make Ourselves More Valuable?
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE OURSELVES MORE VALUABLE TO OUR EMPLOYERS AND ENHANCE OUR CAREER
GROWTH WHILE KEEPING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE?
by Niels Andersen, President & CEO, KAMedData.com, Inc
Published in the ASPR Newsletter, Winter 1998
In today’s turbulent healthcare industry, many of us often question our job security and
wonder if our superiors see us as bringing value to the organization. This article will
discuss strategy and a philosophy on approaches used by some to address this issue. We have
also included an anecdotal from Mr. William Conway about what he credits his success to. The
anecdotal serves to combine his general business attitude with an approach and attitude to
creating value not only to our employers, but to our career development in general. With that
said, what can we do to be pro-active in ensuring our job/ career security and perhaps the
security of those we are responsible for? Let us start with the fundamentals--many times we
need to simply remind ourselves of the obvious and the basics of business management.
Most of what you will read you have probably already thought about. We have identified
specific tactics which have proven successful in the past for those interested in career
growth and security. For the purpose of this article, we will use the words organization and
employer to identify the entity we are trying to impress or show our value to. Everything we
do ends up on a relative value scale. To determine what our employer will value, we need to
identify the issues faced by our organizations on a daily basis and how these issues are
prioritized in their minds. Our employer’s concerns should ideally be our concerns as well so
that we know what our objectives are.
Today most healthcare organizations focus on what can be boiled down into a few fundamental
areas:
- Growth
- Stability
- Eliminating waste
- Security; financial & market share
- Cost reduction
- Revenue enhancement
- Centralization or decentralization
Almost all organizational activities revolve around a combination of these issues.
Obviously, this is not a complete list and is somewhat macro in nature, but if our attention
is consistently directed at these issues we will be able to make a difference in our
organization. The above mentioned points are what we were all most likely hired to work on in
the first place, and are among the reasons why we have our jobs. Going back to these
fundamentals can give us insight as to what we need to be concentrating on. Every day as
physician recruiters we handle objections and strive to find the real needs of candidates. Let
us not forget to do the same for our own organizations and ourselves. It is important for us
to intermittently reevaluate and remind ourselves of any additional needs or expectations our
organizations may have which lie outside of our usual area of expertise. When doing so, we
should start by taking a macro view of the organization, not just from the perspective of the
physician recruitment professional but also from a more general executive management level. If
we broaden our scope we often identify within ourselves new or easily attainable skills our
organization can use, making us a much more valuable commodity.
As physician recruitment professionals we have to know enough about all aspects of our
business like finance, marketing, operations, and planning to be effective and to be able to
paint the complete picture for our candidates. The more we know, the more credibility both the
organization and we will have. Therefore, it can be a very natural transition to get more
involved in related areas in order to expand our skill sets. For example, as the person
responsible for recruitment, being intimately involved in the creation of the Medical Staff
Development Plan can play a critical role in improving our outcomes. Being part of the
development team will ensure the targets are realistic and attainable within the allotted time
frame. If involved with the construction of medical offices, insight will be available to
further define the recruitment timeline.
If we do not have an office space to show, or knowledge of construction completion dates,
it will severely impact the outcome of our recruitment process. As this example demonstrates,
becoming involved in different arenas will not only make us more successful at recruiting, but
will also expand our knowledge base and give us hands-on experience. Now we have something
more to offer our employer. We have no excuse for not getting involved in areas outside
recruitment. If, for example, we can prove to be a great asset in the strategic planning or
marketing of the group owned by the hospital, our skills can then be utilized in other areas
of the hospital or group. To expand our skill sets and increase our value, first focus on the
basics of the nature of our work. Listed below are an assortment of job functions which are
very closely related, and are typically related to or have some impact on physician
recruitment.
- Political advisor
- Provider recruitment representative
- Provider relations specialist
- Medical staff development planner
- MSO/group business/ operations development professional
- Marketing professional (revenue enhancement)
- Hands on practice management professional
- Finance professional (Medical group financial reporting)
- Strategic planner
- Managed care professional (MCO development, contracting specialist)
- Construction & office layout specialist
As such, these functions often cross each other’s job specific boundaries if the outcome is
to be considered successful. Creating a list similar to the one above, then matching the needs
of our organization with our own professional needs, can give us an overview of what we lack
and what will match. Where we find a match we need to further define if we have the skills or
resources to accomplish the task successfully. Our needs may include issues relative to:
- Our personal needs
- Our opportunity to apply past experiences and current skill sets to the work
The type of work we want to be doing which would provide us the maximum job satisfaction we
seek an opportunity for us to gain more knowledge which will enhance our value to ANY
employer, prospect, client,... Feel free to add to the list, but do not take anything off the
list. The objective is to expand our opportunities by brainstorming. After we match ours needs
and wants to that of the organization, remove any unmatched items. The unmatched topics can be
moved to a subcategory, or B-list so to speak to be worked on later. Where we find a match, do
a Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis. Doing this type of analysis
will establish a road map telling us what needs to be worked on for that specific topic and
will help us prioritize our work. Do the same for the B-list, some of those items may bubble
back up to the other list. Matching and prioritizing our desires with the needs of our
organization will enable us to target specific areas in which we can establish a prominent
niche for ourselves. In this business we have to be somewhat of a chameleon, meaning we must
be able to adapt quickly and easily to a constantly changing environment. Knowing what the
expectations are gives us a chance to adjust if needed.
Those who are unwilling or unable to make required adjustments typically experience less
than desirable outcomes. In order to be a chameleon and stay ahead of our competition we can’t
wait for someone to ask us to get involved in new projects. Even if we are not well versed in
a certain area but feel comfortable in our ability to do the job, volunteer to take it on and
then learn as we go. This can obviously be risky if needed resources are not attainable in a
timely manner, so we need to be careful not to “bite off more than we can chew.” Although
nothing beats hands-on experience, valuable skills can be obtained in other ways. We need to
strive to increase the scope of our expertise through consultants, conventions, seminars
outside the realm of physician recruitment, and any other continuing education available. We
should continually focus our quest for more knowledge. Understanding how healthcare finances
work is one of the most important skills we can concentrate on. Familiarity with established
analytical tools used in other industries allows us to be innovative in our approach to issues
within the healthcare field.
Studying business valuation textbooks, for example, can provide us a unique and valuable
perspective within our organization. Chances are there is no one else on the hospital team
with hands on experience or formal training in this area unless they have joined within the
last two to three years. Even if our organization uses a third party to maintain an “arms
length” transaction, these skills can be invaluable to have in-house. For example, there will
most likely be cases where the third party valuation is either more or less than what is
deemed acceptable to one of the parties, but because of variables known only to in-house
personnel, appropriate and legal adjustments can be made to the offer. Conversely, if practice
acquisitions are slowing down in our area as they are in some markets, skills in developing
Managed Care Organizations may be needed. The point is, there is always something new in this
industry. Try to stay a few steps ahead of the curve at all times, anticipate as much of the
future as possible, and always strive to consciously “create value.”
Be mindful that the person who has to promote our skill sets to upper management will
probably be ourselves. Do not rely solely on others to promote our new found strengths and
abilities. We need to have the ears of our bosses listening to what we have to offer. Being
persuasive verbally and in writing to all of our publics is critical. Don’t be afraid to be a
pain in the neck. Most successful people have had to agitate at some point to break the
status-quo. Though we need a very competitive mind set in today’s business environment this
does not mean however, we have to be rude or ruthless in our pursuits. We must strive do the
right things the right way. One of the most important things we can do is make sure we don’t
get locked in to a rigid career master plan. It is OK to zigzag a bit to increase our breadth
and depth of knowledge. Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to speak with
several people whom I viewed as being successful and respected in the business world. I
occasionally wonder if my career path is moving in the right direction and at the right pace.
I want to know where successful people were at various milestone ages (25, 30, 35, 40, 45,...)
of their career paths, what the contributing factors to their success were, if there were
consistent factors, and if these factors were inherent in all of their stories. By learning
more about the why, who, how, and when of successful people's careers, we have benchmarks by
which we can gauge our own. Are we on track, are we doing the right things, do we really need
a solid plan for our career? What are the factors needed to be successful? If we find we need
to build an iron clad career plan to include timelines and training requirements we will want
to get started on it. Interestingly though, it appears there are a number of consistencies in
the stories successful people have shared which were not expected to be as important as they
appear to have been. Some of the top reasons for their success appear to be;
- Luck
- Timing
- Willingness to take risk
- Having an entrepreneurial spirit, pro-actively creating opportunity
- An ability to identify unique opportunities There are, of course, variances to the
meaning of “being successful.” For the purpose of this article, success is defined only from
a business perspective;
- Respect within their industry by colleagues
- Business accomplishments which were innovative and creative
- Achievements which consistently positioned them as leaders
- Independent financial security
Though many measure success by how well the person has handled their family life, raising
children and such, this half of the equation was not reviewed. From my own perspective, the
older I get, the more important it is to make sure I strike a good balance between the office
and home. One example of a successful business person, in this writers opinion, is Mr. William
E. Conway, who I met in Seattle in 1993, and his thoughts on what it was that made him
successful. At that time my employer had commissioned his firm to train us in Total Quality
Management (process control, pareto charts, eliminating waste, ...). Mr. Conway is a gruff
elderly man with a deep hoarse voice and a no-nonsense attitude. With an occasional spurt of
subtle dry humor which flew right by most people in the room, he took command of our
“rehabilitation.” He was captivating in his presentation, and because of his low growling
hoarse voice many of us struggled to hear his every word, causing us to sit at the edge of our
seats. After completing the training, inspired by our new motivation to challenge conventional
thinking of healthcare management.
Mr. Conway was kind enough to share his thoughts on what brought him to where he is today.
Below is his response:
WILLIAM CONWAY INTERVIEW, 1993
Could you give a piece of personal wisdom and suggestions for those of us who are moving
towards the future, striving to leave our mark in this world? What factors contributed most to
your success during your career? Did you have a master plan which clearly identified your
goals and objectives regarding your career path. You stated that “when you were 24, you got
out of the Navy and had no idea what you wanted to do.” A great man like yourself, what did
you do to get where you are today.
"I did not know exactly where I wanted to go, except I knew I was trying to get ahead,
whatever that might have meant at various times in my life. The first thing you have to have
is luck. There is no substitute for being in the right place at the right time. However,
most of us are, at various times in our lives in the right place at the right time, but many
of us don’t see it; or if we do, we’re not willing for one reason or another, to take
advantage of it. So, when you see opportunity you’ve got to be ready and willing to grab the
brass ring and take a risk. "I’m lucky enough to be a good speaker. I had the opportunity; I
jumped, did it, and spent the greatest 10 1/2 years of my life as an entrepreneur. Another
thing you have to think about is, do you want to be a small fish in a big pond, or a big
fish in a small pond? Most of us start out in a secure way as a small fish in a big pond.
Even as we work our way up through the bureaucracy, we’re still part of the big pond. The
difference between an entrepreneur and a bureaucrat is huge. Any advice I give to people
would be to consider whether they are ready and willing to take that chance...to be an
entrepreneur. It is a wonderful life. It is totally different than the life of a bureaucrat.
I’ve been lucky enough to have 10 1/2 years of it."
Hospital budgets are tighter than ever but recruitment is on the rebound and is viewed as
being valuable again. Justifying recruiters' existence is a continual battle. Recruitment
firms are constantly marketing their product to all levels of management. Their propaganda
sends a message that they have the perfect candidate just ready to start, if only you will
call them. They have us beat when it comes to promoting the great work we do. If nothing else,
please make sure to promote your department's success in the appropriate circles. It is clear
all of us are not in the rising portion of our career curve, but many of the issues discussed
should still be considered. Some of us even have personality characteristics which may
preclude us from being very aggressive in our approach to doing this work. Though if you have
been in this business for a while, those passive traits have probably not seen daylight for a
while. Even if there is no need to promote our department for our own career growth or job
security purposes, it may be just to keep our minds healthy and challenged. Ask yourself:
- Am I secure about my job?
- Am I using all my skills?
- Does my superior seek my input on matters not directly related to my job?
- If so, does he/she use my suggestions and do I get credit?
- What internal and/or external career advancement is available to me in my current company
or environment?
If any uncertainty was raised when answering these questions, consider doing something
about it.
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