Increasing the Momentum of Board Engagement

By Ernesto A. Cerdena, PHDc, RT, CRA, FAHRA

Last month, I shared the delineation of responsibilities between the AHRA board and the CEO. By working in tandem and interdependently, our association’s strategic priorities will be accomplished. Full engagement all around is the cornerstone for success.

Evidence-based studies link engagement to better patient care and improved clinical outcomes. With limited funding in many healthcare institutions, establishing a culture of engagement is paramount to achieving better financial goals. For example, in the past, the annual budget is developed, approved, and deployed. Today, in order to sustain and meet the budget, both the leaders and employees must be engaged in monitoring and controlling costs such as overtime salary, overstocking of supplies, overproduction, and many others.

According to the Studer Group, there are three overarching elements of engagement:

1. Alignment: Leadership goals and measures need to be aligned and cascaded to achieve organizational results and consistent experience for patients, physicians, and staff.
2. Action: Everyone needs to take the right actions quickly and precisely. This depends on ensuring leaders have the right skillsets.
3. Accountability: The organization needs transparent systems and processes that hold people accountable

Indeed, these elements of engagement are crucial to the delivery and execution of organizational missions and strategic plans. By definition, engagement is an individual’s sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort, and persistence directed toward organizational goals. Furthermore, individuals with a high need for achievement look for challenges, enjoy excellence in performance, and demonstrate competitive behaviors in work activities.

From a board perspective, when mission focus is heavily emphasized, board members better understand their contribution and are willing to engage. At the very least, research studies indicate that boards should aim to spend 60% of their time discussing strategic matters. Our AHRA board, being overachievers, are exceeding way more than expected. Since our board orientation during the Annual Meeting, the entire board has been fully engaged delving into our three major goals:

GOAL A:  IMAGING LEADERS – MEMBERS  

AHRA will be a valued career asset for imaging leaders seeking a primary source of knowledge, networking, and support in navigating the ever-changing medical imaging and healthcare environment.

GOAL B:  EMPLOYERS – HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS/HOSPITALS/FACILITIES

AHRA members will be regarded as imaging leaders whose knowledge and professional expertise enable healthcare providers to realize operational and performance excellence.

GOAL C:  INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS – CORPORATE PARTNERS/ POLICYMAKERS/RELATED ORGANIZATIONS 

AHRA will be a valued collaborator on key healthcare industry and professional issues, and its views will be solicited by policymakers and regulators.

As a member-driven organization, these goals are made by the members for the members. To dive deep into our objectives and strategies toward deployment of our goals, the board has recently implemented a monthly call. Not only does this enhance our communication, but it also helps us develop big ideas within the board. For instance, the AHRA board along with the EF directors have started reaching out to the volunteers and first-time meeting attendees to collect their viewpoints on what matters to them. Undoubtedly, the collective workmanship between the board and the members brings in a higher momentum of engagement to achieve our overarching “Big Audacious Goal”.

Please stay tuned as I share with you more of the board activities. I will use these monthly Link articles as the official avenue to distribute this information. Care to chime in? Please feel free to do so in the comments; YOU are an important member of our association!

Bibliography

Guerrero S, Sequin M. Motivational drivers of non-executive directors: Cooperation and engagement in board roles. Journal of Managerial Issues. 2012;24(1):61-77.

Macey WH, Schneide B, Barbera KM, Young SA. Employee Engagement: Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.

Studer Q, Hagins JM, Cochrane BS. Original article: The power of engagement: Creating the culture that gets your staff aligned and invested. Healthcare Management Forum. 2014;27:S79-S87. doi:10.1016/j.hcmf.2014.01.008

Ernesto A. Cerdena, PHDc, RT, CRA, FAHRA is the president of the 2015-2016 AHRA Board of Directors. He is the director of diagnostic imaging/radiology services at Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, CT. He can be reached at ecerdena@wtbyhosp.org.