Helping Physicians Become Great Managers And Leaders:
Strategies That Work

Laura Avakian

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• Sample Workshop
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132 pages, soft cover, 6" x 9"
AHA Order Number: 108106
ISBN: 9781556483769
AHA Member Price: $38.00
Nonmember Price: $42.00

A book that will increase the success of physicians who lack the management experience for dealing with hospital or group practice staff and other administrative issues, and who find themselves newly appointed to leadership roles as department heads or in executive management. The book helps individuals who are the teachers, business partners, and "translators" for these physicians. Like a "train the trainer" publication, it can help physician mentors and supports the move from reactive, crises-driven methods of assistance to a planned way of orienting physicians to successful managerial performance.

This book includes anecdotes from doctors who have struggled in their efforts to hire, direct, delegate, discipline, terminate, compensate and reward. Each chapter gives practical tips for approaching these issues and offers tips on managing peer relationships, knowing when to call a lawyer, creating a positive work environment and modeling work/life balance. It is a quick read, ready reference, and comes with a discussion guide with case studies (PDF download).

Written For Administrators and Mentors of Physicians Newly Appointed to Management

Helps new physician leaders avoid common pitfalls and resolve typical problem areas:

• Setting long-term goals and planning
• Getting a job done through other people—hiring, delegating, monitoring performance, inspiring and rewarding
• Resolving conflicts and fostering peer relationships
• Becoming an inclusive manager
• Understanding the differences between managers and leaders

Includes a Discussion Guide for Workshops

Readers can download a PDF discussion guide that contains a series of vignettes (case studies) that illustrate situations and potential pitfalls faced by physicians newly promoted or hired into management roles and their administrative partners. Discussion questions that can be used in workshops or orientation programs follow each case study. Examples of these vignettes include:

• The difference between doctoring and managing—what needs to be learned and unlearned.
• The roles of the physician manager and administrative manager—who does what and why.
• Hiring and retaining the best employees.
• Evaluating staff and dealing with underperformers and overachievers.
• Becoming a leader—how it differs from managing and how to get there.

About the Author

Laura Avakian consults with organizations and individuals to enhance their personal, professional and corporate effectiveness. Prior to starting her consulting practice, she served as VP for Human Resources for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Senior VP, Human Resources, for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and its parent corporation, CareGroup. Under her leadership, these organizations repeatedly won "best workplaces" awards. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and her M.A. degree from Northwestern University. She is a past president of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration as well as the Northeast Human Resources Association.

Reader Comments:

"Beyond conveying what the physician should do for success as a manager, human resources expert Laura Avakian shares ways of doing it. Her insights also benefit administrators working with the physician, improving the likelihood of success for both. Beyond the novice physician manager, this volume is also useful for old hands who think about improving their performance."
—Mitchell T. Rabkin, M.D., professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and CEO Emeritus, Beth Israel Hospital and CareGroup, Boston

"A 'must read' for all physicians making the transition from the white coat to the black suit. In this comprehensive primer for the new physician manager, Laura Avakian highlights the 'must haves' for leadership, and eliminates the need for trial by error that so many new physician managers experience."
—Faith D. Solkoff, Assistant Vice President, Baptist Hospital of Miami, Miami, FL

"Laura Avakian's book is a 'must read,' with its page-after-page of insights. It is available at exactly the right time. Navigating the sea changes faced by hospitals will involve investing in and nurturing physician leaders. The book will help you create a plan to make your physician executives successful. It is a gem."
—Richard H. Aubut, President and CEO, South Shore Health and Educational Corporation, South Weymouth, MA

"If anyone is able to write a relevant book about the critical importance of physician leadership, it's Laura Avakian. If ever there was a more important time for skilled and compassionate physician leadership, it's now."
—Judy Hodgson, Senior Vice President, PeaceHealth, Bellevue, WA

"The practical and powerful lessons in this book for physician leaders are immense. Ms. Avakian provides great insight into the common pitfalls for physicians stepping into operational leadership roles and, more importantly, offers a series of relevant and practical remedies. A wonderful gift for physicians on a leadership journey."
—Bob Riney, Executive Vice President & COO, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI

Contents

List of Figures and Appendixes
About the Author
Foreword by Tom Delbanco, MD, Harvard Medical School
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 – Getting the Physician Manager Off to a Good Start
Chapter 2 – Helping the Physician Manager Hire Staff
Chapter 3 – Delegating Work to Others
Chapter 4 – Managing the Poor Performer
Chapter 5 – Managing the Successful Performer
Chapter 6 – Firing: When and How to Do It
Chapter 7 – Dealing with Conflict
Chapter 8 – Adapting to Being in Charge
Chapter 9 – Avoiding Pitfalls and Managing Sticky Situations
Chapter 10 – Growing from Management to Leadership
Index