10.27.2009 Getting to “Yes” with Martin Gurbin

Martin Gurbin, Director Business Development & Innovation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

What is the key to successful communication with healthcare leaders?
Marty Gurbin led a group of 25 emerging leaders on the evening of Tuesday, October 27^th in the discussion of this question.

Communication

• Making a connection: Most great speeches are characterized by a moment when the speaker demonstrates a real ability to connect with the audience. This is best done through an honest observation or genuine call to action – but keep it real, people can tell when they are being sold.
• Physical stance: Before a speaker even opens his mouth, the audience is reacting to his/her stance. Is it open or closed? Relaxed or uptight? When speaking, most people tend to go to one extreme or another, coming off as too passive or aggressive.  Keeping your hands open and moving in the waist region conveys an “openness” that will make the audience more receptive to your message.
• Structural frameworks: A successful speech must contain a “so what?”  There are several structural frameworks that can introduce the main message. There is the direct approach – problem/solution/action – which is appropriate when an expert is making a recommendation. An alternate approach often used when speaking to a broad audience is fact/care/do, which can be useful in making implications personal to a group of people.

Healthcare environment

• Stakeholder assessment: The Healthcare system is highly complex with a long and ever-expanding list of stakeholders. Before presenting an argument, it’s important to know identify all stakeholders and their motivations.
• Stakeholders in the Ontario healthcare system: A partial list of stakeholders include: physicians, nurses, allied professionals, researchers, administrators, community, LHIN organizations, municipal health authorities, government, professional associations, corporations, foundations, supplies, media and the public. Ask yourself -who are your stakeholders and what do they care about?

Getting to “Yes”

• Developing relationships: Connecting with leaders is like connecting with anyone else – it begins with humanity. Know what drives you and what drives those you’re looking to build a relationship with, and build the relationship on common ground.
• Articulate ROI: Consider quantitative and qualitative measures to demonstrate impact. The best measures will vary by the issue as well as by the audience.

Related materials:

• Communicating Effectively in Healthcare presentation (PDF)
• Copy of the meeting summary (PDF)

 

11.9.2009 ELF Speaker Series with Camille Orridge

Camille Orridge doesn’t think she fits the STEREOTYPE OF A LEADER.  That’s because she believes leadership has very little to do with what you look or sound like, and everything to do with what you are passionate about.

On the evening of Monday, November 9, 2009, Camille, the Executive Director of the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre (TC CCAC), engaged in a conversation with thirty of Ontario’s emerging healthcare leaders in Yorkville at the Empire Lounge.

Camille immigrated to Canada from Jamaica in the 1960s.  She was hired as a ward maid, but was unable to work in the hospital’s private wards as an immigrant and person of colour.  After working in various positions, including health records, she realized that her passion was in community care.  There she feels she is able to make a different in the lives of patients and families.

Camille shared some of her insights on leadership

• Leaders have different styles and qualities — Leadership comes in many forms.  Some leaders have extroverted personalities and are able to inspire action in others through public speaking (think President Barack Obama).  Others are more introverted and assert their leadership through subtle actions (think Bill Gates).  Embrace your own style of leadership.
• Take risks — Progress is achieved as leaders take risks and resolve to accept the consequences.  People are not always going to agree with your decisions, but you shouldn’t let that stop you.
• Give up the idea that you need to be liked — Leaders should strive to be respected for their work; however, this will require decisions that are not always popular.  Explain your rationale, but don’t wait for everyone to agree.
• Live with and learn from your failures — Leaders need to accept that with risk, at times comes failure.  Deal with it, and don’t dwell on it — it’s part of the job.
• Build on the successes of prior leaders — Several strong and wise leaders have existed in the past.  We stand on their shoulders.  Take the time to learn from them and their ideas.
• Be open minded; mind the danger of a single voice — When you stay in your corner of the world, you risk missing the bigger picture.  Leaders should actively seek out alternative views and broaden their frame of reference.
• Surround yourself with diversity — Engage people with different points of view.  A blend of backgrounds will help you to construct creative solutions.
• Develop survival skills — Developing ’street smarts’ is important.  Don’t be naive.  Understand the repercussions of your decisions and have the courage to see your decisions through.

Question and Answer with the Audience

Q: What was your biggest mistake?
A: The CCAC invested in a communication technology that didn’t prove to be valuable.  The hardest decision was to know when to walk away and to take ownership for failure by reporting it to the board.

Q: How do you foster leadership in the people you work with?
A: My job is to give people the tools they need to be successful, and to not get in their way.  I look for people who are self-motivated and demonstrate their inner drive.  Don’t expect leaders to spot you; if you are a leader, voice your opinion and get yourself noticed.

Q: How do you get your staff to deliver on strategies that they disagree with?
A: I try to be clear about the objectives of every initiative the CCAC undertakes.  I’m also flexible on how we achieve our objectives and I involve my team in coming up with the ‘how’.  Explain your rationale and the value in the bigger picture.  Show how you are improving patient care and tie your decision back to your common goals.

Q: How can small organizations be successful?
A: Focus on your core business.  Know how and when to make partnerships in non-core areas.  The CCAC recognized that IT was not one of its core businesses, so it developed a partnering agreement with SIMS.

Q: How do you prevent your workload from eroding your energy and passion?
A: Create a ’safe’ place where you get rejuvenated, whether it be with your family, through volunteering, by watching TV, or developing relationships with friends.  Develop a professional network of people that you trust and can vent to.

What you didn’t know about Camille – Rapid Fire Questions

Q: Do you prefer a convertible or SUV?
A: Convertible

Q: Are you a night owl or an early bird?
A: Early bird

Q: What was your first job in healthcare?
A: Ward maid at the Toronto General Hospital

Q: If you weren’t the CEO of the TC CCAC, what would you be?
A: Gallivanting across Africa

Q: What is your favourite weekend activity?
A: Watching TV

Q: If you could instantly fix one thing in healthcare, what would it be?
A: eHealth

For a PDF version of this Speaker Series summary, click here to download.

Thank you for those who were able to attend.  We look forward to seeing you at our next ELF event!

 

Announcing the ELF Think Tank

We are excited to announce the launch of a new pillar of leadership learning opportunities: the ELF Think Tank.  The Think Tank will launch with an information and feedback session on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

The Think Tank will involve a subgroup of ELF members that will focus on finding a solution to a specific healthcare issue, with the guidance of an industry leader.  The output of the Think Tank may include a publication in an industry journal or presentation of your ideas to a healthcare system leader.  We’ll be providing you with more information about the Think Tank idea, but also asking for your input.

ELF would like to find out from you:
●       What topics are you interested in?
●       How often should the Think Tank meet?
●       What types of outputs would you like to see?

Join ELF to learn more about the Think Tank and provide your suggestions.

WHAT:  ELF Think Tank Information & Feedback Session
DATE: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
TIME: 5:30 -7:00pm
LOCATION: 150 King Street West, Suite 1300, Canada Health Infoway Offices, Canada Room

To RSVP to this event, please complete the registration form.

Participation is FREE for ELF members.

For more information about the event, please refer to the attached meeting details and please help us spread the word by passing this invitation on to anyone who might be interested.

We look forward to seeing you!

 

Announcing ELF Speaker Series featuring Camille Orridge

Please join us for our eleventh Emerging Leader Forum Speaker Series on Monday, November 9, 2009, as Camille Orridge, Executive Director of the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), speaks candidly about leading community care into the future.

Date & Time:
Monday, November 9, 2009; 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Location:
Empire Grill & Lounge, 50 Cumberland Street, www.empiretoronto.com

About our Speaker:
Camille Orridge
Executive Director, Toronto Central CCAC

As Executive Director of the Toronto Central CCAC, Camille Orridge provides leadership to an organization that serves close to 19,000 clients monthly and has an annual budget of $172 million to coordinate and provide publicly funded home and community-based care and to facilitate placement in long-term care.

With a reputation as a passionate and vocal advocate for the needs of the community, Camille has taken leadership roles in major provincial initiatives involving e-health, ethics of care, health system performance measurement, chronic disease management, and health human resources.  She is also deeply involved in community work focused on AIDS prevention.

To RSVP to this event, please complete the registration form.  Participation is FREE for ELF members.

Click here for a PDF copy of this invitation, and please help us spread the word by passing this invitation on to anyone who might be interested.

 

Announcing ELF Development Seminar featuring Martin Gurbin

Please join us for an Emerging Leader Forum Development Seminar on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, as Martin Gurbin, Director of business Development & Innovation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, discusses what it means to communicate effectively in the healthcare sector, including:

• The impact of communication styles
• Appreciating the context of our healthcare environment
• Selling ideas & getting your message across to clinicians, administrators and government officials

Date & Time:
Tuesday, October 27, 2009; 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Location:
445 King St. W., 3rd Floor

About our Development Seminar Speaker:

Martin Gurbin
Director Business Development & Innovation Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Marty reflects upon his experience with the Ontario Hospital Association as Sr. Economist, as Director of the Ontario Hospital eHealth Council, and as Director of the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, in the context of generating momentum for change in healthcare. More recently, he has been working with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre as Director of Business Development and Innovation, where he works with the senior team, and a broad range of senior clinicians, researchers and entrepreneurs, to help Sunnybrook fulfill its quest to invent the Future of Healthcare.

To RSVP to this event, please complete the registration form.  Participation is FREE for ELF members, but please note that registration will be limited to 25 participants only.

Click here for the PDF copy of the invitation, and please help us spread the word by passing this invitation on to anyone who might be interested.