When Wright Lassiter III, came on board in 2004 as CEO of the Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, California, the management and finances of the institution were a shambles, headed for crisis. He was profiled in this May's Fast Company magazine as an example of a leader who turned his institution around.
Mr. Lassiter, in an interview on Talk of the Nation credited his success mostly to eliciting a collective effort. He said:
“It takes a collective effort to change. . . One of the first things I did was to tell them: Look, the CEO doesn't have all the answers for this organization. So it's up to you to solve many of these problems. So, we started by sort of shifting the sphere of influence and power from being in the executive office to across our health system.”
Today’s secret for successful change:
Share power! Shift the sphere of influence and power from the executive office to the people across the organization.
When you empower others to make the changes that need to be made, they:
- Take more pride in their work
- Find better solution to problems
- Create more practical plans for the implementation of change
- Take responsibility for their part on the change, therefore lowering resistance
- Are more satisfied with results
- Take more pride in their work
- Are able to adapt quicker
- Are happier and more engaged
As Lassiter said, in the ideal organization, “every one of our 3,000 or so employees will feel that they are the CEO of their 20-square feet.“ He believes in pushing accountability and decision-making down to the lowest possible level.
Remember. . .
The people who are down in the trenches are much more equipped to solve problems than a senior executive or a director of a department. They are the ones who encounter the day to day problems. They are the ones who first hear complaints or praise from their contacts. They are the ones who have to implement change. They are the ones that ultimately makes things happen. There is power in effective collaboration.Your real power for change is in empowering others!
Share your thoughts
How would your business look if you give more power to the people “in the trenches?” Leave your answers in the Comments area below, and let’s get a conversation going.
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Photo by: itupictures