1. Recruit an interim CEO from outside the organization. Not every organization has the luxury of looking outside its walls for an interim CEO because of time constraints, but if you can, Mr. Troutman recommends looking outside your hospital. “If you recruit internally, typically your COO, CFO and CNO are all potential candidates for the CEO job,” he says. “I think in some ways it’s a little unfair to make one of them the interim CEO. It may be unfair to the organization or unfair to the other individuals being considered.”
Mr. Troutman says appointing an interim CEO from your existing executive staff can also backfire if the appointment doesn’t work out. “Sometimes you have someone who is an outstanding COO and you think, ‘This person is ready to step into the CEO spot’,” he says. “But what if you put that person in temporarily and they don’t turn out well? Will you lose a good COO because they’re unhappy with the transition?” If you can, bring in an outside hire who can learn your organization’s processes quickly and handle the responsibility of leading your hospital through the transition period.
2. Make it clear that the position is temporary — and stick to your word. Every hospital is different, and sometimes an external or internal interim CEO will turn out to be the perfect fit for your hospital’s top leadership position. In most cases, though, Mr. Troutman recommends telling the interim CEO in no uncertain terms that the position is temporary. “It’s not a trial run for the permanent CEO position,” he says. “It’s truly an interim position, and you want to make sure that everybody understands what that role is. You don’t want to have hard feelings, because the person who comes in may do some really good things.” Make it clear from the start — to your interim CEO, your executive board and your medical staff — that your hospital is conducting a search for a permanent CEO and your interim leader is there to help your hospital through that transition period.
To make the transition period easier on your hospital and the interim CEO, make sure your search for a new CEO is fast, efficient and effective. Don’t rush, but target the best candidates and move them through the interview process quickly. “The longer you have an interim person in place, the more difficult that person may be when a permanent person comes in,” Mr. Troutman says.
3. Find tenured staff in your organization to support the interim CEO. If you bring an interim CEO in from outside your hospital, he or she will probably feel a little lost at first. Just because you appointed an external CEO doesn’t mean you can’t rely on internal staff members for support. “Look for that safe haven in a storm,” Mr. Troutman says. “You’ve got to find some people in the organization you can turn to who can step in and reassure the medical staff and help out while you’re in this transition period,” he says. “Choose people who won’t be interested in the CEO job so you can get an objective opinion.” He says you can identify these transition leaders by asking your board and medical staff about staff members who can handle a crisis. “Who tends to get a little more wobbly when things get tough, and who can really handle a difficult situation?” he says.
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