Get Serious My Friends; Your First Impressions Are Killing You!

For the last twenty years, I have led physician leadership initiatives for clients who we support to deliver outstanding first impressions.  Whether you are a small hospital-within-a-hospital or a national academic powerhouse, first impressions are everything.  Regardless of which category you fall into, each of you hopes for and needs to recruit the leader who can take your program to the next level or effect changes that will enable it to survive.  Gone are the "buyer's markets" where search committees and proverbial triple threats can sit around a conference table and pass judgment on the CVs of the lowly masses....Read More

Are you ready for the new normal?

Everyone has his or her view of how the new normal in health care reform will unfold.  As a result, hospitals are jockeying to be in the most nimble position to react to the change.   Cutting costs, being more efficient, generating better patient quality outcomes, acquiring the latest technology and encouraging innovation under a new value-based payment system, will require CEOs to take a hard look at their current business model and whether or not it is still valid....Read More

Executive Assistants, Hindrance or Competitive Advantage?

We are about to wade into dangerous waters by discussing a sensitive subject but, since it has a great impact on the success of your physician recruitment efforts, we believe it merits discussion.  Executive Assistants: Are they a hindrance or a competitive advantage in your efforts to attract world-class physician leaders? Note, we are assuming they are excellent at keeping your schedule and managing your affairs but are they aware of how these activities, thoughts, and/or directives might be diametrically opposed to your recruitment success...Read More

Don't Be Left Standing Alone at the Altar!

Negotiation: the art of frequent and open dialogue with the goal of reaching an amicable agreement with the other party. Sounds pretty simple, but anyone who has ever been in physician contract negotiations knows that it isn't simple. The "art of negotiation" with physicians is all about style, perception, and placing yourself in the best possible position to generate a favorable outcome. Unfortunately, for many organizations, achieving a favorable outcome translates into what can only be described as presenting a prenuptial agreement at the altar and expecting a warm response. The marriage may consummate, due to strong institutional reputation or a candidate's personal needs, but the respect and trust that lead to long-term retention have been unknowingly compromised.…Read More

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen!

In our over ten years of experience in physician and executive leadership recruitment, we have learned firsthand the types of critical mistakes that a client unknowingly makes that "blow the deal" with a potential candidate. One such mistake is having too making cooks in the kitchen; all working to cook the same meal, but each following a very different recipe. These well meaning sous-chefs miss no opportunity to secretly throw their preferred ingredients into the mixing bowl, certain they will enhance the end product. In a nutshell, the communication of mixed messages to candidates, by your team during interviews, is detrimental to success. Even worse, are rogue individuals who, with good intentions, take it upon themselves to call candidates behind the scenes, and who often times end up leaving negative or false impressions that greatly undermine the search. This happens more often than you may realize and many times results in a candidate withdrawing their candidacy without the client knowing the real reason why.…Read More