| I’ve had two types of conversations lately with hospital leaders.
One sounded like this:
“We are losing nurses. They aren’t connecting or engaging. They don’t feel like they belong. And it is costing this hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to replace them. For us, mentoring is not a noble cause; it’s a business imperative.”
The other sounded like this:
“I don’t know… how will we export participant information from our HR system? Should we use this logo or that logo? Should we use this color? Should the font be larger or smaller?”
The first conversation is strategic, while the second is tactical. But only the first will save nurses.
Of course, we cannot eliminate the tactical approach. We rely on tactics to execute and manage strategy. But we always lead with strategy.
Strategic thinking…
- solves organizational problems
- is a valued leadership trait
- ensures big picture, significant-impact decision-making
- requires courage to recommend actions without guarantees
Whereas tactical thinking…
- drives organizational projects
- often exaggerates the importance of minutia
- can easily disrupt, distract, and derail the goal
- is our knee-jerk, low risk, default
When one group of hospital leaders dove headfirst into the details, I moved the conversation back to the mission with just a few strategic questions:
- What does success look like for you?
- What does it look like in three years?
- What could impact the outcome in a negative way?
- What will be the early signs of success or failure?
- What broad goals of the hospital will the outcomes support?
Initially, I got swept up in the tactical conversation with the leaders! Exploring methods, procedures, and details is always easier to navigate than crafting a thoughtful (yet uncertain) plan to achieve mission-critical goals and priorities.
But ultimately the strategic shift made a bigger difference for them.
Strategy moves missions. Tactics push projects.
© 2021. Ann Tardy and Mentor Lead. www.mentorlead.com | www.anntardy.com |
