September 29, 2020
Quint Studer talks with Mark Clement, CEO and President of TriHealth, about how the $2.1 billion Cincinnati Health System is navigating the COVID-19 crisis in the new The Busy Leader's Podcast.Healthcare has been one of the hardest hit industries. Mark talks about how TriHealth took a $100 million loss in the first few months of the pandemic and came back stronger, more aligned, and more cohesive. Their success lay in how they approached one of the most crucial leadership competencies: communication. Not only did COVID force TriHealth to get better at using video technology to reach distributed stakeholders in a timely and effective way, it reinforced the benefits of on-the-ground tactics like leader rounding (executed safely, of course). With more than 12,000 team members, real time communication was key.
Great communication alleviates anxiety and keeps people engaged and connected to their sense of purpose in a time of uncertainty and rapid change. It keeps organizations nimble, adaptive, highly aligned, and able to innovate in the face of a crisis like a pandemic. Mark talks about communication on two levels: one, how to say what needs to be said in a direct and transparent way, and two, how to hardwire the right tools (monthly senior leader meetings, town halls, rounding, daily huddles, etc.) to cascade communication and keep messages consistent.
When you get communication right, it will accelerate your performance in the good times. It’s what will move you from good to great. In the bad times, it’s what will save you.
