National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). (2010). Health leadership competency model summary. Retrieved from www.nchl.org/Documents/NavLink/Competency_Model-su…
This assessment has three distinct parts.
- Part 1: Critical Leadership Competencies for Health Care Organizations. In Part 1, based on the information from your resources, provide an overview of the leadership competencies required to lead health care organizations into the future.
- Part 2: Personal Leadership Gap Analysis. In Part 2, compare the competencies most needed by your organization (from your work in Assessment 1) to the skills you already possess (using the results from your STAR analysis).
- Part 3: Individual Leadership Development Plan (ILDP). In Part 3, use the information from your resources, to put together a cohesive individual leadership development plan (ILDP).
Preparation
Before you create and submit your assessment, complete the following:
- Read Health Leadership Competency Model Summary, linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading.
- Consider the needs of your health care organization Organizational Scorecard. Consider how you add value to the organization by contributing to the achievement of the internal benchmarks within your department and specific to your position of employment.
- Conduct a candid self-assessment of your health care leadership competencies, using the Star Format Competency Table linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading. Once you have a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, you will construct an individual leadership development plan to focus upon development of critical success competencies that can help you take your organization into the future. To complete the STAR Format Competency Table, follow these directions:
- In the left-hand column, rate your overall performance of this competency in the “ILDP =” field, using a 1 (novice) to 9 (expert) scale.
- In the middle columns, provide a specific behavioral example of how you have practiced each competency in a previous work, volunteer or other capacity. You will provide one sentence on the “Situation,” the “Task” you were charged to perform, the “Action” you took, and the “Result” (S–T–A– R).
- In the far right-hand column, rate the outcome or result of the specific example by using a 1 (least desirable) to 5 (optimal outcome) scale.
- Search for professional, scholarly journal articles on the leadership skills and competencies needed in health care organizations today and into the future. You will need a minimum of five resources to use as support for your assessment.
Directions
Read the requirements for each part carefully.
Part 1: Critical Leadership Competencies for Health Care Organizations
Based on the resources you located, identify the top five leadership competencies needed within health care administration in order to ensure the success of health care organizations today and in the future.
Explain why each competency is critical to organizational success.
Part 2: Personal Leadership Gap Analysis
Following completion of the STAR assessment, consider your strengths versus those areas which require additional development. Provide a gap analysis that compares industry needs (as identified in Part 1), the needs of your organization (from your organization’s strategic direction), and the results of your STAR assessment.
In a brief narrative, explain any discrepancies between industry needs and organizational needs. Explain how your areas of strength can offer you additional opportunities for career advancement.
Part 3: Individual Leadership Development Plan (ILDP)
Using the information and resources from Assessment 1 and Parts 1 and 2 from this assessment, construct a cohesive individual leadership development plan in which you complete the following:
- Identify at least three specific areas of weakness you need to focus on in order to meet industry and organizational needs.
- Explain the action steps you need to take to increase your competency in those areas. Be sure your action steps are specific, include a timeline, and align with the overall goal of meeting industry and organizational needs.
- Create specific performance indicators and measures for each action step to clearly illustrate how you will know that you are making progress on your plan.
If it helps you organize your thoughts, you may use a table format for your ILDP. Just be sure you provide enough detail in each section, relative to the expectations laid out in the scoring guide. You are not required to use a table format; if you prefer, you may simply write this section as a narrative.
Additional Requirements
- Structure: Include a title page, table of contents, and reference page.
- Length: 8–12 pages.
- References: Cite at least five current scholarly or professional resources.
- Format: Use APA style for references and citations.
- Font: Times New Roman font, 12 point, double-spaced for narrative portions only.
Expert Solution Preview
Part 1:
The top five leadership competencies needed within health care administration to ensure the success of health care organizations today and in the future are as follows:
1. Strategic thinking and planning: To lead a healthcare organization successfully, one must be able to think strategically and develop plans accordingly, which are aligned with the organization’s mission and vision.
2. Effective communication and collaboration: Leaders in healthcare organizations must possess strong communication skills to engage, motivate, and collaborate with the team members, employees, patients, and stakeholders.
3. Change management: Healthcare organizations are evolving, and leaders must be skilled in implementing and managing change in the organization by creating a system that encourages innovation, risk-taking, continuous improvement, and adaptation.
4. Decision-making: Leaders must possess advanced decision-making skills that can enable them to analyze complex information, weigh pros and cons, consider the ethics, and deliver a well-thought decision.
5. Business Acumen: Leaders must have strong business expertise in healthcare to efficiently and effectively manage their operations while keeping costs low, maintaining their budget, and achieving the organization’s strategic objectives.
Part 2:
Comparing industry needs (as identified in Part 1), needs of the organization and the results of my STAR assessment, I have identified my strengths and development areas. My strength includes Strategic Planning, which allows me to align the organization’s objectives and plans. My development areas are Communication, Leadership development, and Decision-making, which require further improvement. Further development in these areas will not only align me with the industry needs but also with the organization’s objectives. While there is a match between industry needs and organization requirements, a discrepancy on my part includes a lack of expertise in certain areas. As a result, I will have to work on developing new skill sets and competencies to match the industry’s needs and align with the organizational objectives.
Part 3:
The Individual Leadership Development Plan aims to focus on personal development in three key areas – Communication, Leadership Development, and Decision-making – that require further improvement. The following are the action steps that I will take to strengthen these areas:
1. Communication:
I will take online communication skills courses such as “Effective Communication Strategies” and attend various workshops and seminars on communication.
I will start developing Active Listening skills and conduct regular meetings with my colleagues and subordinates, providing them constructive feedback.
I will seek feedback from my peers, seniors, and subordinates to understand areas of improvement.
2. Leadership Development:
I will develop leadership traits by attending leadership seminars, networking with other leaders in the healthcare industry, and continuing education courses.
I will mentor junior employees, giving them guidance, constructive feedback, and praise.
I will seek feedback from leadership teams, peers, subordinates, and engaging in self-reflection to understand areas of improvement.
3. Decision-making:
I will attend online courses or workshops on Decision making, along with case studies and problem-solving exercises.
I will analyze previous decisions critically and taking feedback on board to improve my decision-making abilities.
I will seek mentorship from my organization’s leadership team and share my decision-making process for their review.
Performance Indicators and measures:
1. Communication: Attend online courses and workshops on communication skills by this quarter.
Conduct regular meetings with my colleagues and superiors by the end of this month to practice Active listening.
Seek feedback from two peers and one subordinate by next month and provide feedback in return.
2. Leadership Development: Attend at least one leadership seminar by the end of this quarter and implement one act of leadership development by the end of this month.
Mentor two junior employees and provide constructive criticism by the end of the year.
Seek feedback from one leadership team, two peers, and one subordinate by next month and provide feedback in return.
3. Decision-making: Attend at least two workshops on decision-making by the end of this quarter.
Analyze and reflect on three previous decisions, seek feedback, and share two future decisions with my mentor in the leadership team by the end of this month.
Seek feedback from one peer and one subordinate by the end of the quarter.
