Hospitals and health systems need much more from their physicians, and especially their physician leaders, these days.
In a recent blog post, Bryan Warren, manager of healthcare solutions at Select International, said the company started a dialogue with clients about five years ago about the behavioral competencies of physicians. In this post, Mr. Warren highlights six weaknesses of physician leaders.
"When you think about how physicians are prepared and groomed for leadership (or rather, how they are not specifically NOT prepared), the common weaknesses are no surprise, either," wrote Mr. Warren. He said these traits apply to "mostly physicians in the most senior positions in the medical staff."
1. Planning and organizing. "Successful physicians are often surrounded by a team that plans and organizes for them," said Mr. Warren.
2. Relationship management. Aside from relationships with patients, physicians do not get into medical school based on their ability to manage interpersonal or professional relationships, and they are not evaluated or trained in this respect, either.
3. Emotional intelligence. Less emphasis on relationship management "can make it difficult to work collaboratively or foster a culture of teamwork, and avoid unnecessary organizational conflict," wrote Mr. Warren.
4. Openness to feedback. Mr. Warren said one CMO told him department chairs have not traditionally felt like they have a "boss."
5. Accountability. Although physicians are responsible for their patients, many have succeeded without ever being really accountable to someone (in an interprofessional sense) or to an organization. "Clinical or research success was all that mattered," wrote Mr. Warren.
6. Holding others accountable. "Most physicians have no training or experience actually managing people," wrote Mr. Warren. To hold others accountable while also gaining their buy-in is a unique skill many physicians have not honed.
More Articles on Physician Leadership Development:
4 Obstacles in Physician Leadership Development
Searching for Physician Leaders: Traits to Seek, Mistakes to Avoid
125 Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems