In this edition of Leadership Today, we talk to Karen Moore, RN, currently CEO at Kindred Hospital Parkview, Springfield, MA.
Karen tells us how she began to define herself as a leader and how her perspective evolved through some challenging leadership experiences. MMI worked with Karen when she was at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Greenfield, MA, making the transition to the COO/Chief Nursing Officer position. Karen served as Vice President of Patient Care Services, then as the hospital’s interim President before taking on a senior leadership position as COO/Chief Nursing Officer. She assumed her role as VP of Operations after heading a hospital-wide reorganization. Karen also served a term as President of the Massachusetts Organization of Nursing Executives (MONE).
MMI: Karen, you served as interim President for the Medical Center before the new President came on board. How did that experience influence your career path?
KM: One of the things I confirmed was that I wanted to broaden my scope beyond patient care services. I wanted my next step to be a COO position. When I met with the new President to discuss the direction of the hospital, it became clear that I shared his vision as to quality and operational efficiency. He wanted a strong operations person to run things, so he created a combined COO/Chief Nursing Officer position and asked me to take it on.
MMI: Was it easy for others, especially those who had worked with you before, to continue to see you as head of nursing?
KM: I recognized that I had to be seen as a credible leader for the whole organization, while still giving nursing the attention it needed. I knew I had to work across the organizational silos.
The challenge for me as I transitioned was, “What is this new role?” I recall commenting that as COO/Chief Nursing Officer, someone could either be visible and vibrant, or absolutely invisible because you’re working through others.
MMI: Another challenge for many new senior leaders who make the transition from operations to an executive role is moving from “expert” to strategic thinker. Did you face this as well?
KM: Not really. Being strategic wasn’t very difficult for me – when I was VP of Patient Care Services, I was in a very strategic position because nursing is such a key aspect of hospital operations. In my new role, it was more about strategizing and then putting strategy into action and working across the organization.
MMI: What were some of your first moves as a senior leader?
KM: As COO/Chief Nursing Officer, I brought in a consultant to help develop an organizational assessment and get feedback from across the organization. We uncovered several issues, including the need to create clear accountabilities and work more effectively across divisions. We needed to change the hospital’s culture.
We did a major reorganization and created a Director level. We structured it so that the Director of Patient Care Services, Director of Surgical Services, and Director of Outpatient Services reported to me in my new role as Vice President of Hospital Operations. The Directors of Human Resources, Finance, and Quality reported directly to the President.
Another thing I did was create an operations leadership team that included the six Directors. The team’s focus continues to be improving how we work across the organization.
MMI: How has becoming a senior leader changed you?
KM: I used to think that being a leader was what you did. Then I realized that it was who you are. It’s not profound. But the privilege of being in a leadership position is a big one. You need to appreciate that you are being trusted in such a critical role.
Who you are means so much to the organization. People are watching you all the time and take cues from you.
As a leader you need to look at how you work with people. You have to set up clear accountability – people want and like to be held accountable. You really need to understand the difference in accountabilities going from Manager, to Director to VP to CEO. You have to let others take on your old accountabilities and assume new ones as you move. There’s often a lack of clarity and responsibility at each level and it can be very helpful to be coached through that.
MMI: How did you create clarity and accountability in the new organization?
KM: We brought in Mike Martorella as a senior executive coach to help me look at the organization I’d set up and establish accountabilities. We also developed my leadership presence and communication strategies, which changed the way I met with the operations leadership team.
At one point Mike gave me a communications exercise to do with the team which was very effective in communicating change. Over several working sessions, I asked the team to reflect on what we didn’t want, what we wanted and what it would feel like when we had it. Then the team was able to articulate its vision and direction and allow it to happen as people understood and got on board.
MMI: Let’s talk about MONE (Massachusetts Organization of Nursing Executives). You were approached to become President at a time when the organization was facing a very difficult time. Some people counseled you not to take the position. Why did you take it?
KM: Several colleagues told me that I shouldn’t take it because I’d be seen only as a nursing executive, not as CEO material. Mike said that of course I should do it, because it was a visible leadership role.
MMI: How did it work out?
KM: It was a phenomenal experience. I recently completed an 18-month term, serving at a time when staffing ratios were an incredibly divisive political issue. As President, I was responsible for working on MONE’s approach to the issue.
MMI: Tell us more.
KM: We worked with the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) to run focus groups of CEOs and nurse leaders to explore staffing issues. Based on what we learned, I led the MONE board through incredible change, developing a new vision and strategic plan.
As MONE President, I had to operate in what were new arenas for me – like the State House, where I had to persuade key legislators to see our point of view on staffing ratios. I also debated union leaders on the issue.
MMI: You were confident in yourself as a leader and ready to take on these challenges?
KM: Yes. Because of the work I’d done with Mike Martorella, I was comfortable facing these challenges. I had more confidence and communicated more effectively.
I’d learned from Mike that whether I had to communicate with one person or 10,000, I could use the same strategies: cutting to the chase, speaking from the heart, having a clear purpose, getting to the point. I knew how to get in touch with what was important to me. When I’d worked with Mike, I practiced these skills all the time.
MMI: How did the MONE presidency help you prepare for your next step as a senior leader?
KM: In those 18 months as MONE President, I did more to prepare for a CEO role than ever before. It was a big stretch outside my comfort zone. There are things I’ll never be afraid of again; I now know I’m able to approach a situation and get what I want out of it. I believe it’s my role as a leader to advance issues and get them on the table.
MMI: How did your leadership benefit MONE?
KM: MONE had a 20% increase in membership because people liked the board’s new vision and direction. The relationship between MHA and MONE changed for the better.
MMI: MHA created an award for leadership excellence for you. Tell us about receiving the award.
KM: The MHA award came as a total surprise to me and was most gratifying. It was presented at the annual dinner, and I was asked to come up and give a speech with no preparation. I had the advice and suggestions from Mike on my mind the whole time. I recognized the opportunity and knew the audience. I knew what I wanted to say to the CEOs. Later, others told me I gave a wonderful speech – and it had been off the cuff.
Good coaching is lasting – if done well, you get the tools and skills to handle something like the MHA awards after the coaching has ended. It’s not like going to a seminar and forgetting everything the next week.
MMI: Any final thoughts on leadership?
KM: In the end, how you treat people and build trust is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you are talking to a housekeeper or the organization head. Leaders with good integrity and operating principles can never stray from them. You are held to these high standards. You have to deal with tough issues, sometimes, for instance, expressing disappointment in others. When they trust you, you can expect and achieve much better results.
MMI Communication’s mission is to guide senior executives as they navigate the challenges and complexities of their leadership journey. The company offers individual, face-to-face executive coaching and additional resources that support and strengthen its clients’ leadership capabilities. MMI clients become focused, credible leaders who articulate their vision, and inspire and align their organizations to achieve lasting results. For more about MMI Communication, visit www.mmicom.com or call 908.233.6265.
The sCORESM Model gives us a useful aid to gauging how well leaders present themselves.
Start by choosing someone you regularly see or are familiar with from business, your community, politics, the media, etc. Then observe how they present themselves, using the criteria below. Using the sCORE Model.
Use a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (outstanding).
Name of Person You're Observing: ________________________________________
Speaker Style
_____ My first impression
_____ Personal appearance
_____ Took a moment to greet me (verbally or non-verbally)
_____ Established eye contact
_____ Used natural gestures
_____ Non-verbal expression (body language)
_____ Paced the presentation
_____ Used examples/stories
_____ Used appropriate vocabulary
_____ Had vocal variety
Commitment
_____ Connected to the information
_____ Prepared for the presentation
_____ Had a point of view/position
_____ Thoughtful
_____ Spoke from the heart
Organization
_____ There was a clear plan of material: beginning, middle, and end
_____ Framed key message with a strong opening statement
_____ Content points supported key message
_____ Logical
_____ Concluding remarks: summarized, clarified, set direction/action
Relevance
_____ Found the best way to present to the audience
_____ Increased understanding
_____ Provided value
_____ Meaningful
_____ Important
Engagement
_____ Aware of the audience
_____ Held my attention
_____ Tuned in to me
_____ Listened to verbal and non-verbal responses
_____ Adapted to the situation
Back to Leaders Notes
Go to Example
MMI Communication’s mission is to guide senior executives as they navigate the challenges and complexities of their leadership journey. The company offers individual, face-to-face executive coaching and additional resources that support and strengthen its clients’ leadership capabilities. MMI clients become focused, credible leaders who articulate their vision, and inspire and align their organizations to achieve lasting results. For more about MMI Communication, visit www.mmicom.com or call 908.233.6265.