Leadership Redesign at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

The client, a comprehensive cancer center, is also a teaching affiliate of a major Ivy League medical school and partners to provide patient care with two major urban hospitals in the Northeast. It integrates bench, translational, and health outcomes research with teaching and advanced clinical care.

The Challenge:

Executives and physician leaders needed to analyze and revamp their leadership and management functions in adult and pediatric services to better meet performance goals.

The Solution:

After a detailed assessment of existing structures and processes and of the key cultural drivers of organizational performance, The Bard Group worked with physicians and administration to articulate the future direction for the center and redesign leadership, performance, and clinical operations to realize that future.

The redesign of the leadership structure comprised a 5-step process that:

• Identifed leadership positions
• Reviewed the selection processes for leaders
• Defined the leadership roles and activities
• Established leadership forums
• Created new communication strategies

We developed definitive job descriptions for physician leaders within the new structure that clearly assigned responsibilities and accountabilities for each position. We set approximate time requirements, and, where appropriate, suggested compensation models. We also provided coaching and mentoring in leadership skills for physician and executive leaders to steer them through the stressful climate of change.

Our performance improvement redesign established:

• Personal performance plans for those in clinical management positions
• A system-wide performance dashboard
• Personal performance dashboards for those in leadership positions

The Impact:

The new initiatives resulted in a strengthened leadership function throughout the organization, and improved relationships among key leaders, bringing them into alignment to facilitate moving forward.