Introduction
Management is the process through which organization goals and objectives are achieved by working with and through human resource and other organizational resources. It involves a series of related activities that are conducted with the aim of achieving organization goals. Leadership can be termed as a quality through which people who possess it are able to have the capacity to steer others towards achieving set goals. This is usually done by providing an example of how others should conduct their activities and providing a conducive environment which enables those who are being led to actively participate in the achievement of goals and objectives. Leaders are not termed as bosses but as individuals who direct others and are in the fore front of ensuring that the mission and vision of the institution are achieved.
This paper will focus on how effective leadership and management traits are considered to be very essential for an organization in the healthcare sector. This is so since it is through effective and efficient leadership and management, that organizations are able to have employees who have good working relations. Whether one is born with good leadership traits or acquired during one’s life, people should ensure that they utilize the leadership skills they have having a positive impact to the environment and organization in which one works. This is important as it not only aids the organizations but also the human resource in those organizations.
Barbara White (2012). Effective leadership and management traits and theories are therefore considered to be very essential when managing a multidisciplinary and multicultural healthcare organization.
Effective management traits necessary for managing a multidisciplinary and multicultural healthcare organization.
One of the traits that individuals in management positions in the healthcare sector should posses is self-motivation. Healthcare institutions should ensure that they hire managers who perform their duties with minimal supervision. The managers should be capable of comprehending the goals of the healthcare provider and create strategies that would enable the institution to achieve the set goals. Since the health care sector largely involves in dealing with the clients on a one on one basis, it is essential that individuals who are in managerial positions have enormous customer service skills. As much as this would not be the domain of a manager it is important to have a manager who can solve problems that arise between the client and the human resource of the organization. Effective customer service would enable a healthcare provider to keep the customers happy hence develop customer loyalty.
Integrity and trustworthiness is major trait that should be possessed by managers in the healthcare sector. Healthcare providers who have trustworthy managers are in a position of having an impact on the society with the services they provide as the resources of the organization are effectively utilized. While hiring managers, it is necessary to ask questions that can provide a hint of whether the individual has integrity.
Managers who have integrity are able to transfer the same standards of integrity to other employees in the organization. This therefore ensures that the organization as a whole has employees who can be trusted. Managers of healthcare institutions should be team players. This means that they must be capable of working adequately with other individuals in the organization fore the purpose on improving the services offered by the organization.
Managers should put the interests of the institution first and this is achieved by considering the views even those of subordinates as long as they would aid in making the institution better. In being a team player, a manager of a healthcare provider should act as an mediator between the higher level management and the lower level employees so as to create the required cohesiveness.
In any organization it is likely that at some point, there is going to be divergence. It is for this reason that healthcare providers should ensure that they put in place managers who have conflict resolution abilities.
The position of a manager would be one that involves being a mediator between the ordinary employees of the organization and the executive managers. Disputes that occur in healthcare organization are resolved under the mediation of managers. To be able to adequately handle conflicts in the work place managers require having conflict resolution abilities as well as other negotiation skills. Organizations that have managers who do not posses the skills are continuously involved in never ending conflicts. Robert L (2008).
Another trait that is required of managers in the healthcare sector is having knowledge of the industry. Healthcare providers need to have managers who clearly comprehend the nature of the industry, and are capable of handling, clients as well as members of staff in the organization. It is therefore paramount that a healthcare provider is involved in the hiring process, consideration of an individual’s specialized experience is necessary. This enables an organization to have expertise who can handle the various aspects of the industry.
Dependability is another trait that managers in healthcare provision should have. Institutions should hire individuals to managerial positions that they are confident about. Dependability of a manager is measured by the ability of the individual to perform certain acts such as reporting to work on time, and in various occasions stay late when required to. In the healthcare profession certain circumstances requires the managers to remain in the work place for extended hours and this therefore should be a measurement of dependable managers.
The healthcare industry places the role of a manager on a very demanding position. It is sometimes associated with stress that arises out of the daily functions of management. People in managerial positions are tasked with the duties of dealing with various problems that may occur at any given time. This therefore requires the manager to remain calm even when faced with difficult situations. Having a manager who is able to remain calm even in challenging situations enables the other human resource to have similar traits. It consequently enables the organization to adequately deal with the challenge.
Managers who have an optimistic attitude are considered to be very effective for an organization in the healthcare industry. Managers should be able to approach the duties and activities of every day with a confident and hopeful attitude. Such mangers are able to translate the same confidence and hope to other human resource in the organization. This enables an organization to have employees who have the required morale hence are able to appropriately deal with the clients of the institution. Effective handling of clients enables an institution to retain the existing clients and attract potential customers. It is also essential that managers in healthcare institutions posses leadership skills.
Managers should be individuals who have strong leadership skills that. This implies that they ought to contain enough confidence that they have the ability of leading a team. It requires them to have good communication skills, as well as having the ability to appropriately delegate tasks to other employees in the institution. It is significant that the human resources who receive directions from a manager should feel comfortable as they do so. This are therefore the traits that recruitment teams of healthcare providers should look for in a manager.
Effective leadership traits necessary for managing a multidisciplinary and multicultural healthcare organization.
Stogdill (1989) in his handbook of leadership writes that effective leaders should be in a position to inspire confidence and that a leader must be an example to others. Stogdill came to the conclusion that it was the option of people that determined whether they were going to become leaders by engaging in the of process leadership. Stogdill’s work is based on theories an example of which he claims that leadership is an aspect that can be cultured and is termed as transformational leadership. This work was based on a population of a small figure of people and has the setting of leadership in organizations.
Newstrom, Davis (1993) sums up that effective leadership entails individuals who are able to effectively communicate the set goals both short-term and long-term to the employees. This enables the employees of the organization to focus on set goals and work towards a certain mission. Good leaders should also be able to competently make good decisions that enable the organization to follow the correct path that leads them to success.
Kouze (1987) believes that for one to be termed as an effective leader one must have a vision which should be comprehended and supported by those being led. This should be followed by empowerment of the employees so as to enable them to contribute to ways in which to achieve the goals and the ultimate vision.
An additional feature of an excellent leader is that he or she ought to be capable of motivating the people that work with him. Motivation is a very important aspect in leadership as it is through motivation that employees in an organization are able to have the drive to continue working. By being able to know his employees well a good leader should therefore understand what it is that motivates his employees and be in a position to provide it. This enables the employees to meet the set goals and consequently helping the organization to achieve its mission. Lisa Dewey (2008).
Management and leadership theories
Management theories
One of the management theories that are used by organizations in the healthcare sector is the systems theory. This theory has a significant impact on comprehending organizations and management science. Healthcare organizations comprise of various aspects that are unified with the purposes of achieving the overall objectives and goals. An organization system can be considered as one that has various inputs such as raw materials, money human resource and technologies.
A system can also be considered as having processes such as organizing, motivating, planning and controlling. The final aspect of the organization is then the outputs which are in either form of goods and services which are produced with an aim of satisfying the customers of the organization. The systems theory when used by organizations in the healthcare industry enables managers to understand patterns and occasions in the institution.
Team building approach is also a management theory that is commonly applied in the healthcare sector. The team building approach has emphasis on use of best practices in the organization as well as engaging in continuous improvement. This theory centers on the importance of team work and use of flattened management pyramids that reduce the levels of hierarchy. The theory insists that organizations that involve all employees in the organization in decision making are able to have a positive influence on the performance of the institution.
Organizations should ensure that they adopt management theories that seek to give attention to team work and the unique capabilities within the different teams in the organization. Organizations that have human resource that has prospered also prosper as they receive the appropriate input from the employees. They should therefore consider the needs of the employees as they play a major role in the prosperity of any organization.
Leadership theories
One of the leadership theories that are used by institutions in the healthcare industry is the participative leadership theory. Leadership styles that take into account the effort of others is very important as it encourages participation of every employee in the organization. Contributions and other inputs that are provided by human resource in the institution are very essential as some of them lead to implementation of innovative and creative ideas.
Transformation theory also known as relationship theory is also used by institutions in the healthcare sector. This centers upon the connections that are developed between the leaders and their followers. Adoption of the transformation theory enables the employees in an institution to feel motivated and inspired and find the essence of performing their tasks and duties. Leaders who adopt transformation theories focus on both team and individual performance of the employees and are often characterized by high ethical and moral standards. Bass (1990).
Consequences of ineffective leadership and management traits and theories
The major concern with organizations in the healthcare sector is that they provide essential services that are required by everyone in the society. It is for this reason that failure of having effective and efficient leadership and management in such institutions should be the concern of everybody. Healthcare organizations that do not adopt leaders and managers with effective traits face the risk of being ineffective hence irrelevant. The healthcare sector is a very sensitive one as it involves maintaining a healthy society.
Leaders in healthcare institutions who do not have the required skills lead such organizations into dismay as they are not able to handle the various aspects that are associated with healthcare providers. Such organizations are not able to have a vision and mission that is achievable and is relevant to the needs of the general society. Leaders in organizations should be in a position to motivate and inspire the human resource in the organization. Failure to do these results to having a workforce that does not have the required morale. This therefore means that the employees are not able to efficiently perform their duties hence failure of achievement of the organization’s objectives.
Management of healthcare providers is also very essential as it operates in tandem with the leadership of the institutions. Lack of effective management means that the healthcare institutions cease to operate as they are not in a position to conduct the day to day activities. It implies that various aspects that are associated with management such as planning, controlling, organizing and coordinating are not accomplished. This consequently leads to such organizations being in a detrimental situation as they do not provide services that are effective to people who are in need.
Conclusion
Institutions in the healthcare sector should ensure that they sought for services of managers that have the required skills and traits. This is important as it enables the organizations to have individuals that can operate the institutions with the appropriate competence and hence deliver high standard services to the general public. Healthcare institutions should also ensure they have leaders who have effective traits. Leadership in any institution is crucial as it influences the behavior and performance of human resource in the organization. Efficient leaders are able to provide motivation to the employees.
Motivation enables employees to have the right attitude to work hence adequately perform their tasks and duties. Effective leadership also enables a healthcare provider to achieve its short and long term goals as the leaders are able to steer the rest of the employees towards the achievement of set objectives. Adoption of effective management and leadership theories is also crucial to a health care institution that seeks to provide standard service. Healthcare institutions that have managers and leaders who do not posses effective traits are not able to adequately serve the citizens.
Reference:
Robert L. Cardy (2008). Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edition. New York,USA.
Lisa Dewey (2008) five qualities of good leaders express.
Barbara White (2012) seven qualities of a good leader Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsten . San Francisco.
Stogdill, R. M.(1989). Stogdill’s Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press.
Newstrom, J. & Davis, K. (1993). Organization Behavior: Human behavior at work. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kouzes, James M. & Posner, Barry Z. (1987). The leadership challenge San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bass, Bernard (1990). From transitional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics.
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