Adding Insult to Injury
The CEO, once again, has created more discontent by his recent attempt to justify the extremely poor timing in new VP promotion.
He made the following comments in the latest edition of the Microscope publication:
"In today's complex health care environment, I believe it is important to have a Human Resources position at the Administrative and Board Tables to represent the interest of our associates."
He goes on to say:
"Over the last year, we have been actively engaged in the process of succession planning and talent management. Through this assessment, we have worked to identify future key leaders to ensure the continued success of Floyd Memorial in the years to come. While we may be going through some challenging times right now, it is important to recognize and promote individuals like Mike to leadership roles."
The first statement is just lip-service. The HR director was already at the "director" level and attended all of the administrative council meetings. As far as the Board Table, the CEO had the HR director in the meetings when employee issues were being discussed and the HR director gave numerous presentations to the Board over the years. So now, after 16 years of tenure and at a time of financial crisis, he now believes it is important to promote someone to a VP position to continue doing was he is already doing.
This phrasing may sound good to those who have a lack of information, but to the other directors and managers, they know this to be unctuous speech.
The second statement has really caused some at director and manager levels to question their value and future opportunities at Floyd. Are they not identified as key leaders and are they not performing at a level to be considered for advancement? Some have many more years of experience, training and education and feel as if they are being passed over.
But the real key to his comments is the fact that he admits we are going through challenging times yet none of the explanations listed justify why this promotion had to be done now. Finances are bad, departments have been asked to cut their budgets and HR has been represented appropriately for the past 16 plus years.
What is the real underlying motive to making this promotion in light of everything else?
Does this promotion mean that other qualified employees are no longer being considered for advancement? What is the succession plan and what is the timetable? Employees would love to know as would many others.
The basic underlying question remains; what possible benefit does this promotion provide to the hospital now, that could not have waited until the budget was in better shape and the departments were not having to slice their own?
He still cannot defend this decision and continues to add fuel to an already hot fire!
posted by Anonymous at 6:05 AM
21 Comments:
Do you ever actually read and review what you write before you "publish"?
In earlier posts you claim there has been inadequate succession planning, but then when you see evidence of a process, you dismiss it as unnecessary.
If you knew nearly as much as you think you do about running a large organization, you would know that you have to incent and recognize key senior people or they will go where they are incented and appreciated. That is why organizations (take Ford Motor, for example) pay very large sums to attract and keep talented senior staff even when there is overall belt tightening. Although you don't seem to think that management has much of an impact on the quality of care and service provided at Floyd, that is just your opinion viewed through the eyes of someone who can't stand the CEO and finds fault where none exists.
Finally, what kind of nonsense is it to seem to suggest that no one should ever be promoted or identified as a "key" employee because it will somehow hurt the feelings of other folks who do a good job themselves?
RE: "What is the succession plan and what is the timetable? Employees would love to know as would many others."
Since when are the details of organizational succession plans public knowledge? Well run businesses always have "depth charts" or some similar way of identifying key individuals and their backups. Those lists change as circumstances and personnel change and no one publishes information like that. I have to agree with Diogenes that you must not have much experience or understanding about how to run a large enterprise.
Certainly glad to see you all are up this Monday morning and getting your daily dose of reality.
Why not try and answer the question posed in the blog or give your rationale for why this decision was done now rather than change the focus.
But to comment on your post, there is no defined succession plan to date. The process was started, but no definite strategy is even close to fruition.
Again this is lip service trying to justify a poor decision.
But always glad to here your biased viewpoints as well.
It seems to me that Hanson's explanation, as quoted by you, is pretty clear as to the motivation for the promotion. Just what to your suspicious mind would be more plausible?
"daily dose of reality"
HA!
I would call your writings a "daily ration of biased vindictiveness"
I cannot understand why a Physician of your self- professed caliber, continues to waste your time by apparently watching every move and decision of FMH and its CEO. There should be plenty for you to spend your time on in the
Medical field. This is your business,treating patients not trying to understand the daily operation of a Medical Facility.
You could use your time to further your education to keep up with all the new treatments and medicine involved in what you do best. What if someone tried to dissect your motives in conducting your practice. It seems that you should spend more time doing what you do best and let the business down at the bottom of the hill do what it does best. I find it odd that this diatribe occured after you left the Board.
HB,
This is typical corporate "circling of the wagons," if you will. Promote cronies to insure support. It is shameful at a time when the hospital is otherwise greatly understaffed.
Also, as a side note, I also find this recent act, "organizations (take Ford Motor, for example) pay very large sums to attract and keep talented senior staff even when there is overall belt tightening," to be disgusting.
In my mind, NO company can ever justify paying out tens of millions of dollars to one (or a few)individuals while literally taking away the livelihood of men and women who are the very foundation of said company.
With me, that will NEVER be right.
The last one was mine Dan...sorry about the wacky name!
Roz
Thanks for clearing that name thing up. I would have sworn it was supposed to be some strange code that actually spelled Karl Marx.
Just curious about how you determined this to be true: "It is shameful at a time when the hospital is otherwise greatly understaffed."
There have been multiple comments on this blog over the months that indicated that staffing at Floyd is no worse, and possibly better than at the other hospitals in the region. There is a chronic shortage of certain skill sets across the country and this area is no exception. But to the extent that hospitals are short staffed in skilled care areas is more a function of available bodies than any intent to reduce headcount. Floyd is still running ads in the paper as far as I can see.
Thank you, thank you Dr. Eichenberger for speaking up for us working at Floyd.
Everything you stated is correct. We feel like we have been trampled on and forgotten about.
We have given years to Floyd and this administration has repeatedly comrpomised the integrity of the hospital
We are understaffed and you can continue to bury your heads in the sand if you like, but it won't change the facts.
Nobody said you were fully staffed. The comment was that it is a chronic problem everywhere due to a shortage in a number of professional occupations. I have heard horror stories about staffing in at least two of the hospitals in Louisville. I would assume it is about the same in all of them. So until Dr. E. can churn out nurses and other skilled bodies, I am not sure what his complaining is doing for you.
most employees who take an active role in trying to stay involved knows Dr. E is right.
there are so many issues and this is just the tip of a very big iceburg.
Mr. Hanson thinks about himself first, second and third. If it doesn't help him or make him look good he is opposed.
something else has to be behind this promotion because the timing cannot be explained by the lame excuses he put in the newsletter.
RE: "something else has to be behind this promotion"
GOLLY!! What could the mystery be??? Do you think Mike Ford might be blackmailing Hanson? Could it be that Ford has kidnapped one of Hanson's children? Could Hanson and Ford be secret lovers?
Or could it just be that the top Human Resources manager in most organizations is a vice president and Hanson and the board majority thought it was time to acknowledge that Ford deserved the title?
Amazing, it seems as though that one of the bloggers who has said in the past that he doesn't have anything to with Floyd Memorial, nor knows anyone at Floyd, suddenly knows the last name of the new VP. Besides, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that many of the bloggers wouldn't show so much interest unless there was some involvement (directly or indirectly). By the way, thank you Dr. Dan for your support. It feels good that someone out there does care about the staff.
Sorry, but your assumption is incorrect. His name has been mentioned on this blog several times already. Believe whatever you want, but I am not connected to the hospital or its board. I do, however, value the hospital and I knew some of the folks who are in senior positions there and I have great respect for what they have built for our community.
Many years ago FMH reorganized the HR position to a director level. Now it is back to VP. The penadulum has swung. If it is necessary to reinstitute this position at a VP level, then why wasn't it done before now? Why does it suddenly need to be done now?
I would ask what additional responsibilities will the HR person assume now that he is at a VP level? Who is currently performing those functions? Did the current HR threaten to quit unless he was promoted? Is Mr. Hansen dangling a carrot? Here's a thought: Did Mr. Hansen recognize that there are very real personnel problems at FMH? Is this an attempt to address those problems by conning the employees? "The new VP will represent them better."
I wonder if this a desperate action by a desperate man who is doing a bit of knee jerk management. Word on the street is that FMH is losing nurses who are tired of working at an institution where the person at the top doesn't care about them. I assume this means Mr. Hansen. Yep, there is a problem at FMH. But if Mr. Ford hasn't been able to "fix" the problem, why will a promotion suddenly give to him the motivation or skills to do so now?
And if Mr. Ford hasn't addressed the personnel problems, is it really appropriate he be promoted? Why promote someone who doesn't solve problems for his department? I am referring to the employee morale, the employee turnover, and the recruitment issues. It scares me to hear employees openly discussing their views and concerns about quality of care being at risk due to poor employee morale and poor staffing. Not sure I want to go there as a patient. And not sure Mr. Ford has demonstrated that he is that valuable.
After thinking about what I wrote, I want to apologize to Mr. Ford. I do not know him and am therefore not qualified to critize your performance. I also want to apologize to Mr. Hansen. You may have some very good reasons for creating a VP position for HR. I am not privy to that info and therefore not qualfied to criticize you.
I got caught up in reading the "crowds" comments. I suppose I allowed myself to enjoy the criticisms of Mr. Hansen because he is not one of my favorite people. In the past,I was a victim of his manipulative and destructive actions. He is a master at promoting himself at another's expense. He lacks respect for the individual. And he lies. It is one thing to be successful at one's job, but another to destroy your opponent for the fun of the game. Mr. Hansen is not satisfied with winning the battle. He takes from his opponents every shred of respect when a little kindness could be used. I have heard others refer to his management style as the "little man syndrome." That is unkind unnecessary. I guess it is human nature for me to "join the crowd" in critizing him. But is that what Jesus would have done?
I recant my previous comments. I do not wish to grovel in the mud slinging. I do not know the facts. I apologize to Mr. Hansen and Mr. Ford. I do, however, not like Mr. Hansen and I do not like the way he treats others.
One thing I can comment on is the employee morale issues at FMH. I am hearing far too often that we are losing employees due to a lack of respect from the top. Some thing had better be done quickly or we will have some very real issues with quality of care. Maybe we we already do.
Diogenestrainee:
Thank you comrade, though I really meant to spell Friedrich Engels. He knew alot more languages.
Now...where's my red shirt...?
As one of the 1700+ associates of FMHHS I really enjoy reading the many "expert" opinions that so many have about the problems currently going on, yet most of them come from people not involved first hand on the inside. They can only speculate or assume based on what others are telling them. Does FMHHS have staffing issues? Yes they do. Has turnover increased over recent months? Yes it has. Do most of the current staff have less respect for the hospital in itself or the community? No they don't. Staffing issues and turnovers have gotten pretty common in the world of health care with many choosing to leave health care all together, not because of FMHHS, but because of the trends facing health care in general all over the country. Unfortunately, the problems occuring at FMHHS have been magnified by the new addition. Many associates, while excited to have the advancements in health care, are concerned that the expense was untimely. Others feel their duties are hampered because the new units & ER received brand new equipment to work with while those working in the older parts of the hospital deal with either a lack of equipment & supplies or broken down equipment at times. Directors are forced to cut their own budgets often making them out to be the "bad guy" of the situation when their hands are tied. Patients complain about simple things like " my television is too dark to see" or "my television isn't working right" while those in the new rooms have clear new model flat screen TV's. In general, many feel that administration has gotten themselves backed into a corner trying to resolve a major budget crisis and the staff has gotten put on the back burner so to speak. It's not unusual for a large company to start with cuts in staffing in order to save on the budget, much like Ford Motor Company looking at cutting 40,000 jobs by years end in order to save themselves. The sad thing, however, is that some are are now comparing FMHHS issues with Ford Motor issues. The difference is that with FMHHS we deal with people's lives each and every day. In Ford's situation, they are dealing with people's livelihoods and the manufacturing of vehicles. Aren't people's lives and health more important. The majority of us that choose to stay and support FMHHS do so because we believe in the hospital (as a whole) and the community. The reason we often complain or "whine & gripe" as many outsiders have put it is because we want what's best for our patients. We want them to get what they deserve and that is top quality care in a comfortable relaxed setting. We appreciate Dr. Dan and his standing behind the staff. He reminds us that there are still those out there that care. In fact we appreciate all of our doctors that support us. I appreciate this opportunity to climb on top of my soap box and speak out.
10:48 am posting..You hit the nail on the head..I'm also an employee and agree with you 110%..
Post a Comment
<< Home