Healthcare management vs leadership
Management and leadership are two notions which are mostly used interchangeably but in the real sense the two words have two concepts that are different. They are two ways of organizing people where the leader uses passion and in the process stirs emotions while the manager utilizes a formal, rational style. Though they are not the same, they must go hand in hand as leadership is about the setting of new direction to a group while management controls and directs on the set directions. Current’s healthcare organizations have been plagued by the rising costs as expenses which are associated with the delivery of health care are continually rising in a very sharp manner. These organizations also have seen declining revenue for the reasons of reduced spending in healthcare by most people. The combination forces the organizations to measures that are very aggressive so that they are able to boost their efficiency and also to have better management of funds while still making sure that there is quality care and satisfaction of the patients.
With complete performance management strategies and powerful tools for support, hospitals and healthcare organizations can start to improve all the aspects of their operations which include admission, diagnosis to treatment. It is only with the right management that the healthcare organizations can be able to tap into data all over the enterprise. In a good management system, critical objectives are set, plans and goals are communicated the manager should be to manage and measure the progress of his plans. For progress to take place, every person in the organization including hospital administrators, physicians, clinicians and also the patients should be empowered with all every tool that they require so as to actively participate in their day to day activities without hitches.
With the increasing population globally, the healthcare organizations generate and also store very huge amounts of data. Patient information management, clinical information management, financial management, electronic medical records and other systems in a healthcare organization contain very crucial intelligence on operational performance and in most cases this is left untapped. If there is a robust management in place, healthcare organizations are able to create a visibility and accountability culture across all its departments and this allows for increment in cost-efficiency and productivity and at the same time boosting the quality of care in the organization. A good management system helps healthcare organizations to better track effectiveness of their activities including purchasing, collection and budget management in the entire cycle of revenue.
The influence and merit of good leaders has become far more widespread and acknowledged in healthcare organizations. Leadership that is first-class is very important for the reasons that complexities in healthcare systems require a good leader who is able to link the management world with that of clinical/medical practice and at the same time understanding the need of the people, developing and accommodating the wide range of health services that the people need. The most effective leaders are those who able to accomplish the purpose of a group while carrying out the main duties of leadership that are important for success. For attainment of such levels of success in leadership, several crucial issues come into play with most commonly known and most essential being: shared vision, motivation, good time management, good communication and situational approach to leadership. Knowing how to enforce and also appreciating these points within the context of managing healthcare organizations makes all the difference in leadership success.
For a leader to motivate people, he/she requires to understand what they need and help them to see how the needs can be achieved. Once the leader has been able to motivate his/her people, he then faces the challenge of maintaining the momentum by looking out for signs of poor morale. Leaders must be effective communicators so as to achieve high levels of visionary success and motivation. Good communication skills are very vital in building loyalty and confidence among a group. The control of time begins with planning which allows leaders to advance into the future and as such, it is dealt with in current time. Without planning, it becomes very difficult for a leader to foretell of the unexpected occurrences and this leads to loss of time in dealing with the crisis that could have been easily avoided. A Leader should always check to know how he is fairing through of his plans. It allows him to search for false assumptions, difficulties and problems and problems and make the necessary corrections.
In conclusion, very many factors results to the making of good managers and leaders. Whichever these factors are, people rise to leadership not only for the ideas which are taking shape in their own minds, but also through hope, energy, motivation and imagination while also serving the loyalty bonds with colleagues. When managers and leaders have faith in their line of work and visions, it communicates itself to the followers with an effect that is very powerful. Some of the most common difficult problems in organizations have solutions that are recognizable but in most of the cases they do require excellent inspiration from the leaders and managers who are able to mobilize the needed resources and also recharge the followers energies so as to sustain future developments and commitment. Concurrently, the essential qualities of good leaders and managers should be combined with cooperative system of professionals that has the ability to face the challenges of the current times.
References
Fenton, J. (2010, August 5). Difference between Leadership and Management. Retrieved from Design of Organizational Structure: http://www.ee.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/ME96/Documents/Intro/leader.html
J., P. (2007). Unleashing The Power of the Workforce. Competitive Advantage Through People , 57-64.
Linda E. Swayne, W. J. (2005). Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations. Wiley & Sons.
