Seven  Simple  Strategies  for  Frontline  Leaders

Chris  Van  Gorder,  MPA

CEO,  Scripps  Health

Introduction

Valuing  frontline  staff  is  the  most  important  part  of  becoming  a  frontline  leader  – be  it  in  health  administration  or  any  other  field.  A  culture  that  values  frontline  staff  creates  loyalty.  This  loyalty  has  many  advantages  including  increased  performance,  retention,  quality  control,  engagement,  productivity,  and  morale.  Each  outcome  contributes  to  the  bottom  line.  As  CEO  of  Scripps  Health,  overseeing  a  dramatic  turn  around,  I’ve  seen  the  benefits  first  hand.

Years  ago,  I  was  a  hospital  security  officer  working  the  graveyard  shift.  As  you  can  imagine  this  shift  is  often  lonely  and  quiet.  One  night  I  noticed  the  hospital  CEO  walking  toward  me  in  the  basement  hallway.  I  was  surprised  to  see  him.  I’d  grown  up  in  modest  circumstances  and  this  was  my  chance  to  make  an  impression  on  the  boss.  Excited  to  introduce  myself  and  take  a  moment  to  chat  I  straightened  up  and  smiled.  He  walked  right  past  me,  not  even  meeting  my  eyes.  He  didn’t  see  me  as  important  enough  to  engage.  To  him  I  was  just  a  security  officer.  However,  if  a  security  situation  arose  I’d  be  the  most  important  employee  in  that  moment.CC  BY  3.0

Whether  you’re  the  CEO,  a  frontline  healthcare  provider,  or  anyone  in  between,  you  can  benefit  by  employing  these  basic  strategies.  By  building  meaningful  relationships  with  and  empowering  employees  you  too  can  become  a  frontline  leader.

The  seven  strategies  that  frontline  leaders  employ  include:

ØShow  Up

ØBe  Present

ØDemonstrate  Empathy

ØPractice  Awareness

ØShare  Yourself

ØEmpower  Your  People

ØBe  a  Storyteller

SHOW  UP

This  one  may  seem  obvious  but  you’d  be  surprised  how  many  leaders  become  disconnected  from  front  line  employees  simply  by  separating  themselves  physically.  There’s  a  great  big  organization  out  there  and  they  spend  their  time  in  their  office.  If  your  territory  is  your  office  then  your  information  pipeline  is  very  short  indeed.  You  depend  on  what  information  comes  into  your  office  directly.  You’re  out  of  the  loop  in  the  worst  way.  My  first  suggestion  is  get  out  and  see  your  world.  Seek  out  interactions  in  places  you  wouldn’t  normally  frequent.  Be  the  leader  that  surprises  employees  with  the  places  you  show  up.  As  with  all  the  strategies  this  isn’t  about  doing  something  once  but  showing  up  time  and  again.

BE  PRESENT

You  and  I  both  know  it’s  not  enough  to  merely  show  up.  The  CEO  that  walked  past  me  as  if  I  was  invisible  is  proof  of  that.  The  first  rule  of  presence  is  engagement.  It’s  the  primary  purpose.  Roll  up  your  sleeves  and  get  your  hands  dirty.  Leaders  must  listen  and  respond  with  genuine  emotion  and  interest  to  their  teams’  needs.  Remember,  this  isn’t  a  political  campaign  of  handshakes  and  kissing  babies,  it’s  a  chance  to  build  relationships.  Look  for  opportunities  to  connect.  Be  consistent.  The  next  few  strategies  will  give  you  ideas  and  tools  to  engage  with  your  employees.

DEMONSTRATE  EMPATHY

You’ll  be  surprised  how  easy  this  is  once  you’ve  got  the  first  two  strategies  down.  One  of  the  best  ways  to  engage  with  frontline  employees  is  through  understanding.  Ask  questions.  Be  accessible  and  stay  accessible.  While  24/7  is  impossible  for  anyone  to  sustain,  immediate  responses  will  always  have  a  greater  impact.  Also,  it’s  important  to  show  your  empathy,  don’t  merely  feel  it.  Sometimes  leaders  mistakenly  project  a  stoic  persona,  but  by  not  demonstrating  empathy  leaders  come  across  as  cold  and  uncaring.  This  creates  distance  in  relationships  and  undermines  connection.  It’s  not  just  the  physicians,  nurses,  and  other  caregivers  for  whom  this  is  important.

PRACTICE  AWARENESS

Being  responsive  to  your  environment  during  these  interactions  allows  you  to  pick  up  on  subtle  cues  and  take  the  temperature  of  the  room.  As  you  settle  in  to  being  physically  and  emotionally  present  you  find  you’ll  naturally  begin  to  pay  more  attention  to  your  environment.  When  we’re  not  busy  worrying  about  others  perceptions  of  us,  and  are  engaged  in  listening,  we  free  up  energy  to  pay  closer  attention  to  what’s  going  on  around  us.  This  will  give  you  nuanced  insights  into  your  organization  and  team  – especially  in  high-­‐intensity  environments  like  hospitals,  surgical  centers,  and  doctor’s  offices.  Think  of  everything  that’s  said  in  a  conversation  as  only  a  small  part  of  the  information  you  need  to  gather  as  a  frontline  leader.

One  of  the  places  most  leaders  fall  down  on  the  job  is  being  inauthentic.  They’re  afraid  to  be  vulnerable  and  known  to  others.  Leadership  has  created  a  mental  barrier  that  separates  them  from  other  people.  Be  honest  about  who  you  are,  where  you  come  from,  and  what  you  value.  If  you  manage  to  practice  all  the  previous  strategies  but  don’t  share  your  authentic  self,  you  can’t  build  lasting  relationships.  Frontline  leadership  is  about  creating,  reinforcing,  and  nurturing  strong  relationships.

SHARE  YOURSELF

EMPOWER  YOUR  PEOPLE

Being  responsive  to  your  environment  during  these  interactions  allows  you  to  pick  up  on  subtle  cues  and  take  the  temperature  of  the  room.  As  you  settle  in  to  being  physically  and  emotionally  present  you  find  you’ll  naturally  begin  to  pay  more  attention  to  your  environment.  When  we’re  not  busy  worrying  about  others  perceptions  of  us,  and  are  engaged  in  listening,  we  free  up  energy  to  pay  closer  attention  to  what’s  going  on  around  us.  This  will  give  you  nuanced  insights  into  your  organization  and  team  – especially  in  high-­‐intensity  environments  like  hospitals,  surgical  centers,  and  doctor’s  offices.  Think  of  everything  that’s  said  in  a  conversation  as  only  a  small  part  of  the  information  you  need  to  gather  as  a  frontline  leader.

Humans  are  wired  for  stories.  They’re  easier  for  us  to  remember.  Stories  fire  up  our  passion  and  move  us.  We’re  motivated  to  perform  when  we  know  our  actions  make  a  difference.  Telling  compelling  and  emotionally  engaging  stories  is  a  great  way  to  build  community.  Once  you’ve  enacted  the  above  strategies  this  becomes  easy.  A  good  story  is  in  the  details.  As  an  engaged,  frontline  leader  you’ll  have  lots  of  good  stories.  You’ll  naturally  connect  emotionally  to  your  stories  and  so  will  your  audience.  Recount  stories  that  connect  positive  outcomes  to  the  work  frontline  employees  do  every  day.  Most  importantly,  give  employees  the  opportunity  to  tell  their  own  stories.  Good  stories  create  cohesion  among  teams,  departments,  and  across  the  organization.

BE  A  STORYTELLER

RISK  AND  REWARD

Mike  Nichol,  Interim  Vice  Dean  for  Faculty  Affairs  &  EMHA  Director  with  Chris  Van  Gorder,CEO  of  Scripps  Health  -­‐ USC  Commencement  2014  

I’ve  come  to  understand  the  risks  and  rewards  of  being  a  frontline  leader.  Staying  connected  is  hard  work.  It’s  risky  to  share  leadership  with  others,  to  be  vulnerable  and  authentic,  and  to  maintain  connections.  But  the  rewards  far  outweigh  these  risks.  Be  honest,  humble,  grateful,  and  encouraging.  By  doing  so  you’ll  contribute  to  the  success  of  your  organization  in  ways  you  never  imagined.

My  response  to  that  demoralizing  experience  as  a  seemingly  invisible  security  guard  changed  how  I  view  the  role  of  leadership  to  this  day.  I  vowed  that  if  I  was  ever  in  a  position  of  authority  that  I  would  respond  to  front  line  employees  differently.  I  went  back  to  school  to  get  a  degree  in  health  administration  from  USC.  After  years  of  successfully  enacting  my  new  strategies  for  frontline  leaders,  I  wrote  my  first  book,  The  Front-­‐Line  Leader:  Building  a  High  Performance  Organization  from  the  Ground  Up.

Chris  Van  Gorder,  MPA

CEO,  Scripps  Health