Assessor’s Guide to the - Advisory Board · 2019-02-22 · Guide the Feedback Discussion Use...

©2012 THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY • ADVISORY.COM ©2012 THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY • ADVISORY.COM

Assessor’s Guide to the

Leadership Competency

Diagnostic

• The Leadership Competency Diagnostic in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Overview of Key Steps for Assessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• The Advisory Board Leadership Competency Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Completing an Individual Manager Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Sharing Feedback with the Assessed Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Guiding the Creation of an Individual Development Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Assessor FAQs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Sample Individual Leader Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Complete List of Assessment Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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©2012 THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY • ADVISORY.COM

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©2012 THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY • ADVISORY.COM 3

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Leadership Competency Diagnostic

The Leadership Competency Diagnostic in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Overview of Key Steps for Assessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Advisory Board Leadership Competency Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Completing an Individual Manager Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sharing Feedback with the Assessed Manager

Preparing to Share Feedback with the Assessed Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diagnostic Feedback Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Guiding the Feedback Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Helping the Manager Craft an Effective Individual Development Plan

Guiding the Creation of an Individual Development Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Resources for Developing Leadership Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sample Individual Development Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Individual Development Plan Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Additional Resources

Assessor FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sample Individual Leader Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Complete List of Assessment Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The Leadership Competency Diagnostic in Brief

What is the Leadership Competency Diagnostic?

The Leadership Competency Diagnostic assesses manager strengths and development needs across 15 key leadership

competencies identified specifically for health care managers. Managers are assessed online through downward and self reviews.

Your organization has chosen to assess a group of managers which includes one or more of your direct reports. As their supervisor,

you will be responsible for completing a brief individual assessment of your selected direct report(s). The assessment data will enable

organizational leaders to identify where to focus coaching and education.

How was the Diagnostic developed?

The Leadership Competency Diagnostic was developed by a team of researchers at the Advisory Board Company, a health care

research, technology, and consulting firm. The Diagnostic is based on the Advisory Board Leadership Competency Model, which

includes 15 competencies critical for health care manager success. A full description of the model is on page 6. The competency

model reflects extensive input from health care executives, educators, and experts in leadership development. The competencies

have been pressure-tested by thousands of health care leaders across the country.

How does the Diagnostic work?

The Diagnostic will ask you to evaluate a manager’s strengths and development opportunities across 15 key leadership

competencies. Performance on each competency is measured with a five-point frequency scale describing how often the manager

exhibits the competency: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, or Always. It will take you no more than 15 minutes to assess a single

manager. To complement the downward assessment, each manager will complete a self assessment containing the same

competency-based questions.

How will the assessment information be used?

After all assessors have completed their assessments and managers have completed their self assessments, the Diagnostic will

generate a global report for organizational leaders containing institution-wide information on manager strengths and development

opportunities. This data can help leaders identify where to focus manager education and coaching efforts. As an assessor, you will

receive a custom report with specific strengths and development opportunities of each manager you assess. You will share this

report with the manager in a development conversation and collaboratively create an individual development plan targeting two or

three leadership competencies for improvement.

What happens next?

In the next few days, the Diagnostic Administrator—the organizational leader overseeing the Diagnostic at your institution—will send

you an email that contains a link to your customized Leadership Competency Diagnostic home page. This email will come from the

following email address: [email protected]. When you click on the link in the email, you will see a list

of managers you have been assigned to assess. To assess a manager, click on the icon beside his or her name. You will find

detailed instructions for completing the assessment beginning on page 7. You will find detailed guidance on sharing Diagnostic

feedback with managers beginning on page 13.


1) The leader overseeing implementation of the Leadership Competency Diagnostic at your organization.

Overview of Key Steps for Assessors

The key steps for assessors participating in the Leadership Competency Diagnostic are outlined below. Each step includes the

specific actions you need to take, the approximate time required, the location of detailed instructions, and additional resources.

Key Step Action

Approximate

Time

Required

Where to

Find Detailed

Instructions

Additional Resources

Complete Individual

Manager

Assessment(s)

Assess performance of

select direct reports on

15 leadership

competencies by filling

out online

questionnaires

15 minutes per

manager

Page 7 • Complete List of Assessment

Questions, page 30

• Assessor FAQs, pages 21-23

Prepare to Share

Feedback with Each

Assessed Manager

Schedule one-on-one

30-minute meeting with

each assessed

manager to share

feedback from the

Diagnostic

5 minutes per

manager (to

schedule

meeting)

Page 13 n/a

Review custom report

for each assessed

manager and identify

strengths and

development needs to

discuss with assessed

manager (in one-on-

one meeting)

15 to 30 minutes

per manager

Page 13 • Customized Individual Leader

Report (emailed to you by the

Diagnostic Administrator1)

• Diagnostic Feedback Worksheet,

page 14

• Resources for Developing

Leadership Competencies,

page 18

Guide the Feedback

Discussion

Use custom report to

share feedback with

manager in a face-to-

face meeting

15 minutes per

manager (first

half of feedback

discussion)

Pages 15-16 • Customized Individual Leader

Report (emailed to you by the

Diagnostic Administrator)

• Assessor FAQs, pages 21-23

Help manager create

individual development

plan focused on

improving performance

on up to three

leadership

competencies

15 minutes per

manager

(second half of

feedback

discussion)

Page 17 • Resources for Developing

Leadership Competencies,

page 18

• Sample Individual Development

Plan, page 19

• Individual Development Plan

Template, page 20


The Leadership Competency Diagnostic is based on the Advisory Board Leadership Competency Model described below. The 15

leadership competencies are grouped into six imperatives for successful health care leadership: Leading, Standards and Accountability,

Planning and Decision Making, Communication, Developing People, and Managing Relationships.

The Advisory Board Leadership Competency Model

Imperative Competency

Leading

Managing Vision and Purpose: Formulates a future course that reflects needs of own area or project

and that is aligned with the organization-wide vision. Translates the course into goals and objectives for

own team, sets priorities, and directs the efforts of staff toward accomplishing those goals and objectives.

Initiative: Recognizes and acts on opportunities for growth and improvement to advance hospital and

health system goals. Confronts problems quickly and enthusiastically.

Motivating and Influencing: Inspires staff enthusiasm for and generates commitment to program or

project goals. Builds support for changes in direction among people with diverse interests, needs, and

values.

Standards and

Accountability

Accountability: Holds team and self responsible for maintaining the highest possible performance

standards and meeting agreed upon commitments even under difficult circumstances.

Service Orientation and Customer Focus: Sets and maintains high standards for service to patients,

physicians, and other hospital departments. Incorporates needs and concerns of diverse constituencies

(e.g., patients, physicians, and colleagues) into decision making.

Planning and

Decision Making

Constructive Thinking: Analyzes problems systematically and logically, and is resourceful when

developing and implementing solutions.

Financial Acumen: Applies key financial concepts and analysis to decision making. Understands drivers

of financial performance (e.g., physician referrals, capacity utilization, payment denials) and takes these

into account in developing strategies and making decisions.

Process Management: Develops and implements work plans with actionable components and

measurable outcomes. Proactively monitors key performance indicators, and makes real-time

adjustments to ensure that projects stay on track.

Prioritizing and Delegating: Regularly reassesses priorities and competing demands and adjusts

allocation of own and staff time and resources to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Identifies and

implements processes that facilitate delegation, and shares responsibility and authority with others,

leveraging their unique strengths and skills.

Communication

Communicating Effectively: Articulates logical and well-founded arguments that support conclusions.

Matches communication style to the message and to the audience. Actively solicits opinions from others.

Routinely provides others with the information they need to do their jobs.

Giving Feedback: Routinely shares suggestions, advice, and insights on progress toward program and

project goals. Provides performance feedback that is constructive and actionable, and that highlights

successes as well as areas for growth and is based on objective metrics.

Developing People

Identifying and Recruiting Talent: Selects and attracts outstanding staff from diverse backgrounds.

Identifies and fills gaps in team skills and knowledge. Effectively markets job openings to attract highly

skilled staff members to project teams.

Developing and Retaining Talent: Defines development objectives for staff that support performance

goals and progress toward future skill development. Assists staff in developing their own careers by

encouraging them to articulate their career goals, offering challenging growth opportunities, and providing

necessary coaching and training.

Managing

Relationships

Building and Strengthening Relationships: Builds and maintains long-term relationships with others

based on mutual respect and trust. Fosters cooperation and collaborative decision-making among staff

with diverse backgrounds and interests. Works effectively toward solutions and compromises that take

the needs of all parties into account when conflict does arise.

Upward Management: Provides regular updates on program or project progress and works with own

manager to minimize risks and resolve problems. With manager’s support, notifies senior management

about progress toward project goals and informs them about issues that require their attention.


Completing an Individual Manager Assessment

Click Emailed Link to Access Diagnostic

The first step in completing a manager assessment is to access the Leadership Competency Diagnostic website. The Diagnostic

Administrator will send you a link to the Diagnostic via email. This email will come from the following email address:

[email protected]. Clicking on the link in the email will take you to your personalized Leadership

Competency Diagnostic home page.

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1) The organizational leader overseeing implementation of the Leadership Competency Diagnostic at your institution.

The Diagnostic Administrator1 will send you an email containing a link to the Diagnostic. Follow the steps below to complete an

online assessment. You will complete a separate assessment for each manager you have been asked to assess.

Select Manager to Assess

The second step is to select a manager to assess by clicking on the icon beside his or her name. If you have been asked to

assess more than one manager, you will return to this home page after you complete each assessment. Please allocate

approximately 15 minutes to assess one manager using the Diagnostic. When you click on the icon beside a manager’s name,

a pop-up box will appear asking you to confirm your name and the name of the manager you are assessing. Click “Yes” to begin

the assessment.

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Click the icon

beside the

manager’s

name to access

the downward

assessment.


Completing an Individual Manager Assessment (cont.)

Assess Individual Manager Performance on 15 Leadership Competencies

Next, you will rate the manager’s performance on 15 leadership competencies. Each competency is measured with a five-point

frequency scale describing how often the manager exhibits the competency: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always. You

should rate manager performance on each competency based on how often the manager exhibited the competency when he or

she had the opportunity to do so across the past year, given his or her management level and function. For example, a finance

director will likely have more opportunities to exhibit “Financial Acumen” than an IT manager. However, both leaders could

appropriately receive a rating of “Often” if they typically exhibit the competency when it is required.

It may be helpful to think of the scale in terms of percentages: What percentage of the time does the manager exhibit the

competency?

• Never: 0% of the time

• Rarely: 25% of the time

• Sometimes: 50% of the time

• Often: 75% of the time

• Always: 100% of the time

As you answer each question, a green checkmark will appear beside it. When you have answered all 15 questions, click “Next.”

(If you forget to answer a question, a pop-up box will prompt you to answer all questions before continuing.)

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A green

checkmark will

appear beside

each question as

you answer it.



Answer Additional Questions

Your organization may have added custom questions to the Diagnostic to assess performance on additional competencies or

gather other relevant information. If your organization chose to add institution-specific questions to this assessment, they will

appear at the top of screen 2.

Regardless of whether your organization added custom questions to the Diagnostic, you will see a question on screen 2 asking

you to assess the manager’s overall performance as a leader in your organization. Comparing the manager with other leaders

at your organization, please assess the manager as:

• Needs Significant Improvement

• Below Average

• Average

• Above Average

• Outstanding

Select your answer and click “Next.”

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The final question on

this screen asks about

the manager’s overall

performance as a

leader. Any additional

institution-specific

questions will appear

before this question.



Identify Most Important Leadership Competencies

On screen 3 of the assessment, you will select the five competencies that will be the most important for the manager to

demonstrate in order to succeed in his or her current role across the next year. Select a competency by clicking on it and using

the button with an arrow pointing to the right to move the competency to the right-hand box. You must select exactly five

competencies. To remove a competency from your list, click the competency and use the button pointing to the left to return the

competency to the left-hand box.

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Use these arrow

buttons to move

competencies from

one box to another.

Move the five

most important

competencies

to this box.



Confirm Assessment Submission

You will know you have completed the assessment successfully when a confirmation pop-up box appears with the words

“Assessment Submitted Successfully.” Click “OK” to return to your Diagnostic home page.

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Select Another Manager to Assess (if Applicable)

The table on your Diagnostic home page lists the status of each manager assessment you have been assigned to complete. If

you have been assigned more than one manager to assess, click the icon next to a manager’s name to begin another

assessment. If you want to complete remaining assessments at another time, you can access them by clicking on the link you

received in your email.

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This column shows the

status of each downward

assessment you have been

assigned to complete.


Preparing to Share Feedback with the Assessed Manager

Schedule Time to Meet with the Assessed Manager

About two weeks before you would like to share feedback from the Diagnostic with the manager you assessed, schedule a

30-minute meeting. Schedule the meeting in a private, quiet location where you are unlikely to be interrupted. You will use

the first half of the meeting to share feedback on the manager’s strengths and development needs. During the last 15

minutes, you will work with the manager to build an individual development plan targeting three leadership competencies for

improvement. A sample individual development plan and blank template are on pages 19 and 20.

1

Collect Your Thoughts Prior to the Discussion

To make your in-person meeting as valuable as possible, collect your thoughts prior to the discussion. Use the questions

below to refine the feedback you want to share with the manager you assessed. You may wish to use the Diagnostic

Feedback Worksheet on page 14 to record your thoughts.

• Which two or three leadership competencies are this manager’s strengths?

• What specific examples illustrate these strengths?

• Which two or three leadership competencies are this manager’s development opportunities?1

• What specific examples illustrate these development opportunities?

• What is the key message you want the manager you assessed to take away from this conversation?

2

Review Resources for Developing Leadership Competencies

Before meeting with the manager, review the resources for developing leadership competencies on page 18. You and the

manager will draw from the strategies listed in the chart to create an individual development plan.

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After all assessors have completed their assessments and managers have completed their self assessments, you will receive a

customized report via email for each manager you assessed. You should use this report to share feedback with the manager on his

or her strengths and development opportunities. A sample report begins on page 24. The following steps will help you prepare to

share feedback with the manager.

1) To identify which competencies the manager should consider prioritizing for development, please see the criteria listed in Step 1 on page 17.


Diagnostic Feedback Worksheet

Use this worksheet to collect your thoughts prior to meeting with the assessed manager to share feedback from the Diagnostic. Use

the manager’s Individual Leader Report and the questions from Step 2 on page 13 to complete this worksheet.

This Manager’s Strongest Leadership Competencies Specific Examples Illustrating These Strengths

This Manager’s Leadership Competencies with

Greatest Opportunity for Improvement

Specific Examples Illustrating

These Development Opportunities

What is the key message you want the manager you assessed to take away from this conversation?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


Guiding the Feedback Conversation

Open the Conversation

Explain to the manager that the Leadership Competency Diagnostic is a tool developed by the Advisory Board Company to

assess individual manager performance on 15 health care leadership competencies.

Explain you used the Diagnostic to assess his or her performance on the leadership competencies with the goal of providing

specific feedback about his or her leadership skills. This feedback can help with ongoing professional development by

highlighting opportunities for improvement and showcasing existing strengths. On an institution-wide scale, data from the

Diagnostic will help leaders identify where to focus manager education and coaching efforts.

1

Discuss the Manager’s Self Assessment

Turn past the cover page of the report to view the manager’s self assessment. First, a table displays a summary of the

manager’s self assessment. The 15 leadership competencies are grouped into six imperatives for successful health care

leadership: Leading, Standards and Accountability, Planning and Decision Making, Communication, Developing People, and

Managing Relationships.

On the next page “Self Assessment: Rank Ordering of Leadership Competencies,” competencies are ranked from highest

score (4, the manager “always” exhibits this competency) to lowest (0, the manager “never” exhibits this competency). Ties

are listed alphabetically. (If your organization added custom questions to the Diagnostic, results for these questions will be

listed on the next page.)

Discuss the following questions with the manager:

• Which leadership competencies do you think are your greatest strengths? Why?

• Which leadership competencies do you think present the greatest opportunities for development? Why?

Listen and acknowledge his or her opinion, then explain you would like to share your perceptions of his or her performance

on the competencies.

2

Discuss Summary of Diagnostic Results

Turn to the page titled “Downward Assessment Summary.” Explain this page summarizes your assessment of the manager’s

performance on the 15 leadership competencies. The 15 leadership competencies are grouped into six imperatives for

successful health care leadership.

Explain you used a frequency scale ranging from “Never” (0) to “Always” (4) to assess how often the manager exhibits each

competency. This is the same scale the manager used for his or her self assessment. Explain you rated the manager on

each competency based on how often he or she exhibited the competency when he or she had the opportunity to do so

across the past year, given his or her management level and function.

Discuss the following questions with the manager:

• What is most validating about the results?

• What is most surprising about the results?

• Which category did you score highest in? Why do you think this is?

• Which category did you score lowest in? Why do you think this is?

3

When you meet with the manager, give him or her a copy of the custom report you received via email. (A sample report begins on

page 24.) Follow the steps below to share feedback on the manager’s strengths and development opportunities. When providing

feedback, cite specific examples based on your observations of the manager and avoid generalities. Use language such as “I’ve

observed you do [example].” You may wish to refer to any notes you made on the Diagnostic Feedback Worksheet on page 14.


Guiding the Feedback Conversation (cont.)

Discuss Detailed Diagnostic Results

Turn to the next page of the report, titled “Downward Assessment: Rank Ordering of Competencies.” Explain this page

displays the 15 leadership competencies in rank order from highest score (4, “Always”) to lowest (0, “Never”) based on your

assessment of the manager’s performance. Point out that there are several ties—competencies with the same score. Ties

are listed alphabetically. (If your organization added custom questions to the Diagnostic, results for these questions will be

listed on the next page.)

Five competencies are highlighted. These are the competencies you identified as the most important for this manager to be

successful in his or her current role in the coming 12 months. Explain knowing which competencies are most important can

provide helpful information when deciding which competencies to prioritize for development. A manager may want to focus

on a mid-ranked competency that is critical for his or her role instead of—or in addition to—a lower ranked competency that

is not as critical.

Discuss the following questions:

• Do you agree with the five highlighted competencies I identified as most important for your role? Which five

competencies do you think are most important?

4

Discuss Differences Between the Self Assessment and Your Assessment

Turn to the final page of the report. Explain the tables on this page show the differences between your assessment and the

manager’s self assessment. Competencies shown in the top table are ones on which you rated the manager’s performance lower

than he or she did. The bottom table has the reverse: competencies on which you rated the manager’s performance higher than

he or she did. Any competencies not shown in either table are competencies on which your rating matched the manager’s self

assessment.

Discuss the following questions:

• Is anything surprising about where our assessment scores differ?

• What accounts for the differences?

• Given our discussion so far, would you change any of your self-assessment scores by more than one step on the

five-point scale?

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Guiding the Creation of an Individual Development Plan

Identify Competencies to Prioritize for Development

To identify competencies to prioritize for development, work with the manager and apply the criteria listed below to each

competency. Competencies meeting two or more of these criteria are good candidates for development objectives.

• Is the competency one of the five most important for the manager’s role?

• Did the manager receive a score of 2 or lower on the competency?

• Is the competency in the bottom five of the rank ordering?

• Does the manager have a personal interest in developing the competency?

After you and the manager agree on three competencies to prioritize for development, the manager should write them in the

first column of the development plan template on page 20.

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Choose Action Step(s) to Develop Each Competency

For each of the selected leadership competencies, help the manager identify the action step(s) he or she will take to improve

performance on the competency. Refer together to the chart on page 18 for a list of potential strategies the manager can

employ to develop leadership competencies. When you agree on an action step, the manager should write it in the second

column of the development plan template. Each competency should have at least one—but no more than three—action steps.

2

Set a Timeline for Completing Each Action Step

For each action step, set a timeline for completion. When setting the timeline, consider factors such as how often a particular

training class is offered, the availability of other employees to provide mentoring, and the manager’s workload. When you

have agreed on a timeline for each action step, the manager should write it in the third column of the development plan

template.

3

After discussing the custom report with the manager you assessed, the next step is to help the manager identify the three

leadership competencies he or she will prioritize for development across the next several months. Use the last 15 minutes of your

meeting to complete the individual development plan template on page 20 with the manager. A sample plan is on page 19. Follow

the steps below to fill in the template with the manager.

Identify the Standard for Measuring Improvement on Each Competency

Finally, work with the manager to identify a standard to measure improvement on each competency. The best standards for

measurement are relevant, objective, and measurable. For example:

However, it may be difficult to define a specific metric for some competencies. In these cases, consider using a higher score

in the next Diagnostic assessment as the standard (for example, moving from a rating of 3, “Often,” to 4, “Always,” for

“Building and Strengthening Relationships”). In the final column of the development plan template, the manager should write

the standard you will both use to measure improvement on each of the three competencies.

4

Competency Sample Standard to

Measure Improvement

Developing and Retaining Talent Unit turnover

Service Orientation and Customer Focus Area patient satisfaction scores

Financial Acumen Budget variance


1) Available at www.advisory.com/nec

2) Available at www.advisory.com/hric

Resources for Developing Leadership Competencies

Leadership Competencies Learn by Doing Learn from Others Learn from Training

Leading

Managing Vision and

Purpose

Initiative

Motivating and Influencing

• Lead a department/ unit

task force

• Identify a department/ unit

quality issue and initiate a

process improvement

• Observe a staff meeting led

by a senior manager in

another department/ unit

• Enroll in leadership

development class

Standards and

Accountability

Accountability

Service Orientation and

Customer Focus

• Guide a department/ unit

staff discussion about the

standards of care and

customer service

• Choose department/ unit

metric with opportunity for

improvement (e.g.,

HCAHPS, budget variance)

and implement an action

plan

• Implement tools from

Building Peer

Accountability

• Shadow a peer manager

on rounds to observe how

s/he drives staff

accountability

• Enroll in management skills

class

• Review practices from

Instilling Frontline1

Accountability

• Review practices from

Enhancing the Patient

Experience1

Planning and

Decision Making

Constructive Thinking

Financial Acumen

Process Management

Prioritizing and Delegating

• Identify the pros and cons

of possible options for a

major decision point;

present to supervisor with

recommended course of

action

• Implement tools from

Manager’s Problem Solving

Toolkit1

• Partner with strong

business manager to

develop department/ unit

budget

• Enroll in project

management,

finance classes

Communication

Communicating Effectively

Giving Feedback

• Develop a communication

plan for a new department/

unit initiative

• Present department/ unit

initiative to

senior leaders

• Ask coworkers and direct

reports for feedback on

how you can better tailor

your communication style

to their own

• Participate in public

speaking workshop

Developing People

Identifying and Recruiting

Talent

Developing and Retaining

Talent

• Develop a retention and

engagement plan for staff

• Serve as a mentor to a

staff member struggling

with a skill or competency

that is a strength of yours

• Review department/ unit

workforce data (e.g.,

turnover, vacancies) with

HR and identify areas to

target for improvement

• Review Behavioral Based

Interviewing Toolkit2

• Review Perfecting the First

Year: New Hire

Onboarding Toolkit2

• Review Cultivating

Leadership Ambition1

Managing Relationships

Building and Strengthening

Relationships

Upward Management

• Schedule (or adjust the

frequency of) regular

individual check-ins with

your supervisor and

direct reports

• Serve on a cross-

disciplinary committee or

task force

• Ask supervisor for

feedback on how you can

best inform him/her of

progress toward goals and

challenges you are

encountering

• Participate in team-building

workshop

• Review Strengthening

Interdisciplinary

Collaboration1

http://www.advisory.com/nec

http://www.advisory.com/hric


Manager: Lucinda Green Supervisor: Jeremy Woodland Date: April 2, 2012

Sample Individual Development Plan

Me

tric

Wh

at w

ill b

e th

e s

tan

da

rd b

y w

hic

h

yo

u w

ill m

ea

su

re im

pro

ve

me

nt?

Fir

st-

ye

ar

turn

ove

r in

my u

nit le

ss

tha

n o

r e

qu

al to

8%

at ye

ar-

en

d

Ra

tin

g in

ne

xt

Dia

gn

ostic

asse

ssm

en

t: 4

(O

fte

n)

Un

it p

atie

nt sa

tisfa

ction

sco

re

gre

ate

r th

an

or

eq

ua

l to

80

% a

t

ye

ar-

en

d

Co

mp

leti

on

Date

Wh

at is

yo

ur

tim

elin

e fo

r co

mp

letin

g

this

actio

n?

1.

Ma

y 1

5

2.

On

go

ing

1.

Au

gu

st 1

2.

Au

gu

st 1

5

1.

Tw

ice

by J

uly

1

2.

On

go

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Ac

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n S

tep

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p(s

) w

ill y

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ta

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to

im

pro

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pe

rfo

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on

th

is c

om

pe

ten

cy?

1.

Deve

lop

ne

w h

ire

bu

dd

y

pro

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m fo

r u

nit.

2.

Hold

30

/60

/90

da

y c

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ck-i

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with

all

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w h

ire

s o

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1.

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roll

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2.

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-up

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ha

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et fe

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uri

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r

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an

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2.

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are

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ith

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ve

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taff

me

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Le

ad

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hip

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nc

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Wh

at co

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ill y

ou

fo

cu

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in th

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mo

nth

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Deve

lop

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an

d R

eta

inin

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ale

nt

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an

ag

em

en

t

Se

rvic

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rie

nta

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Custo

me

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Fo

cu

s


Individual Development Plan Template M

etr

ic

Wh

at w

ill b

e th

e s

tan

da

rd b

y w

hic

h

yo

u w

ill m

ea

su

re im

pro

ve

me

nt?

Co

mp

leti

on

Date

Wh

at is

yo

ur

tim

elin

e fo

r co

mp

letin

g

this

actio

n?

Ac

tio

n S

tep

Wh

at ste

p(s

) w

ill y

ou

ta

ke

to

im

pro

ve

pe

rfo

rma

nce

on

th

is c

om

pe

ten

cy?

Le

ad

ers

hip

Co

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ete

nc

y

Wh

at co

mp

ete

ncy w

ill y

ou

fo

cu

s o

n

in th

e c

om

ing

12

mo

nth

s?

Manager: Supervisor: _______________________ Date: ____________


How long does each manager assessment take?

A single assessment includes no more than 20 questions1 and will take about 15 minutes to complete.

1

Can I start an assessment for a manager and finish it later?

Yes, you may start an assessment and finish it later. If you are interrupted when completing an assessment, the answers

you have chosen will be automatically saved. Return to your Diagnostic home page when you are ready to complete the

assessment. (You may access your Diagnostic home page via the link emailed to you by the Diagnostic Administrator.) If

you started an assessment but did not complete it, you will see “In Progress” listed in the “Assessment Status” column for

the relevant manager. Click on the icon in the “Access Assessment” column to view the remaining questions you need to

answer to complete the assessment.

4

How many managers will I assess?

The Diagnostic Administrator assigns the managers you will assess. When you click on the Diagnostic link you received via

email, you will see a table listing all the managers you have been asked to assess. If you have any questions about this list

of managers, please contact your Diagnostic Administrator.

2

What if a manager I have been asked to assess has an additional supervisor?

Each manager is assessed by one person. If you have been asked to assess a manager who has an additional supervisor,

please meet with the supervisor to discuss his or her perceptions of the manager’s performance on the leadership

competencies. Review the list of questions on page 30 together. Once you and the other supervisor agree on answers to the

questions, complete the assessment by following the instructions on page 7.

3

1) The exact number of questions ranges from 17 to 20, depending on whether your

organization has chosen to add custom questions to the assessment.

Assessor FAQs

How do I access the Leadership Competency Diagnostic if I deleted the email

containing the link to the site?

If you delete the email containing the link to your Diagnostic home page, please contact the Diagnostic Administrator—the

leader overseeing the implementation of the Diagnostic at your institution. He or she will be able to re-send the link. If you do

not know who your institution’s Diagnostic Administrator is, please contact [email protected].

5

You may have questions about your role as a Diagnostic assessor. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are below. If

you have a question that is not answered here, please contact your Diagnostic Administrator (the organizational leader overseeing

implementation of the Diagnostic at your institution).


Assessor FAQs (cont.)

What if I realize I made a mistake when completing a manager assessment?

If you realize you made a mistake while completing a manager assessment, please contact the Diagnostic Administrator—

the leader overseeing implementation of the Diagnostic at your institution. He or she will be able to re-open the manager

assessment. If you do not know who your institution’s Diagnostic Administrator is, please contact

[email protected].

9

Should I rate performance on a competency such as “Financial Acumen”

differently for a finance director than for a nurse manager?

The Leadership Competency Diagnostic uses a five-point frequency scale ranging from “Never” (0) to “Always” (4) to assess

how often managers exhibit 15 leadership competencies. All 15 competencies are critical for the success of all health care

leaders. You should rate a manager’s performance on each competency based on how often the manager exhibited the

competency when he or she had the opportunity to do so across the past year, given his or her management level and

function. For example, a finance director will likely have more opportunities to exhibit “Financial Acumen” than an IT

manager. However, both could appropriately receive a rating of “Often” if they typically exhibit the competency when it is

required.

It may be helpful to think of the scale in terms of percentages: When provided the opportunity, what percentage of the time

does the manager exhibit the competency?

• 0—Never: 0% of the time

• 1—Rarely: 25% of the time

• 2—Sometimes: 50% of the time

• 3—Often: 75% of the time

• 4—Always: 100% of the time

7

Who will see my assessment of a manager’s performance?

The Diagnostic Administrator and organizational leaders will view most data in the aggregate or group results for specific

cohorts of managers (for example, new managers or managers in a particular department). However, the Diagnostic

Administrator and some senior leaders will also have the option to view individual results, including downward and self

assessments. All individual results will be treated as highly confidential information.

Organizational leaders will use assessment data to help identify where to focus manager education and coaching efforts. For

example, leaders may learn many managers struggle with a particular competency. Knowing this, they can take action to

ensure managers receive additional support to develop this competency.

6

What if a manager excels on parts of a competency but not all of it?

Each competency has several elements listed in its definition (see page 6 for a list of full competency definitions). For

example, “Building and Strengthening Relationships” includes “builds and maintains long-term relationships with others

based on mutual respect and trust,” as well as “fosters cooperation and collaborative decision making among staff with

diverse backgrounds and interests.” Give a manager a score of “Always” (4) only if he or she always exhibits all elements of

the competency. If he or she always exhibits some but not all of the elements, give the manager a score of “Often” (3) or

“Sometimes” (2), depending on how many elements he or she exhibits.

8


Assessor FAQs (cont.)

What is a “good” Diagnostic score?

The Leadership Competency Diagnostic is intended to be used for individual development. When you deliver feedback,

managers may ask what a “good” score is, or if they’ve “passed.” An individual manager’s scores are relative—the

assessment highlights the competencies which are this particular manager’s strengths and weaknesses when compared to

his or her performance on the other competencies. This information is useful for identifying the competencies a manager

should target for development, as well as the competencies on which he or she excels and should seek to leverage in his or

her current role.

10

How should I address the challenges of delivering feedback to managers?

Providing feedback can be challenging, and those receiving feedback from the Diagnostic may respond in a variety of ways.

While some individuals welcome feedback as an opportunity to improve performance, others may respond defensively or

take feedback personally. You can anticipate that some individuals may offer robust explanations for their development

objectives, question the validity of the tool, or even challenge your expertise. In these instances, acknowledge feelings or

thoughts shared about the feedback but refrain from responding to these comments or becoming defensive. To the best of

your ability, stay focused on encouraging the manager to identify his or her top three leadership competency development

objectives and associated action steps.

11


Sample Individual Leader Report

On the next several pages, you will find a sample Individual Leader Report for a pseudonymed manager. You will receive a similar

customized report for each manager you assess. Please treat the customized report as highly confidential. You should use the

report to share feedback with the assessed manager about his or her strengths and development opportunities. For more

information about sharing feedback with the manager, please see pages 13 through 23.


Sample Individual Leader Report (cont.)


Complete List of Assessment Questions

1. The manager exhibits the competency of Managing Vision and Purpose: Formulates a future course that reflects needs of own

area or project and that is aligned with the organization-wide vision. Translates the course into goals and objectives for own team,

sets priorities, and directs the efforts of staff toward accomplishing those goals and objectives.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

2. The manager exhibits the competency of Initiative: Recognizes and acts on opportunities for growth and improvement to advance

hospital and health system goals. Confronts problems quickly and enthusiastically.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

3. The manager exhibits the competency of Motivating and Influencing: Inspires staff enthusiasm for and generates commitment to

program or project goals. Builds support for changes in direction among people with diverse interests, needs, and values.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

4. The manager exhibits the competency of Accountability: Holds team and self responsible for maintaining the highest possible

performance standards and meeting agreed upon commitments even under difficult circumstances.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

5. The manager exhibits the competency of Service Orientation and Customer Focus: Sets and maintains high standards for

service to patients, physicians, and other hospital departments. Incorporates needs and concerns of diverse constituencies (e.g.,

patients, physicians, and colleagues) into decision making.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

Each downward manager assessment includes the 17 questions listed below. If your organization chose to add custom questions,

the assessment may include up to three additional questions specific to your organization.


Complete List of Assessment Questions (cont.)

6. The manager exhibits the competency of Constructive Thinking: Analyzes problems systematically and logically, and is

resourceful when developing and implementing solutions.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

7. The manager exhibits the competency of Financial Acumen: Applies key financial concepts and analysis to decision making.

Understands drivers of financial performance (e.g., physician referrals, capacity utilization, payment denials) and takes these into

account in developing strategies and making decisions.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

8. The manager exhibits the competency of Process Management: Develops and implements work plans with actionable components

and measurable outcomes. Proactively monitors key performance indicators, and makes real-time adjustments to ensure that

projects stay on track.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

9. The manager exhibits the competency of Prioritizing and Delegating: Regularly reassesses priorities and competing demands and

adjusts allocation of own and staff time and resources to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Identifies and implements processes

that facilitate delegation, and shares responsibility and authority with others, leveraging their unique strengths and skills.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

10. The manager exhibits the competency of Communicating Effectively: Articulates logical and well-founded arguments that support

conclusions. Matches communication style to the message and to the audience. Actively solicits opinions from others. Routinely

provides others with the information they need to do their jobs.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always



11. The manager exhibits the competency of Giving Feedback: Routinely shares suggestions, advice, and insights on progress

toward program and project goals. Provides performance feedback that is constructive and actionable, and that highlights

successes as well as areas for growth and is based on objective metrics.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

12. The manager exhibits the competency of Identifying and Recruiting Talent: Selects and attracts outstanding staff from diverse

backgrounds. Identifies and fills gaps in team skills and knowledge. Effectively markets job openings to attract highly skilled staff

members to project teams.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

13. The manager exhibits the competency of Developing and Retaining Talent: Defines development objectives for staff that

support performance goals and progress toward future skill development. Assists staff in developing their own careers by

encouraging them to articulate their career goals, offering challenging growth opportunities, and providing necessary coaching

and training.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

14. The manager exhibits the competency of Building and Strengthening Relationships: Builds and maintains long-term

relationships with others based on mutual respect and trust. Fosters cooperation and collaborative decision-making among staff

with diverse backgrounds and interests. Works effectively toward solutions and compromises that take the needs of all parties

into account when conflict does arise.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

15. The manager exhibits the competency of Upward Management: Provides regular updates on program or project progress and

works with own manager to minimize risks and resolve problems. With manager’s support, notifies senior management about

progress toward project goals and informs them about issues that require their attention.

o Never

o Rarely

o Sometimes

o Often

o Always

16. How would you assess this individual’s overall performance as a leader within your organization?

o Needs Significant Improvement

o Below Average

o Average

o Above Average

o Outstanding



17. Please think about the challenges your organization will face across the next year and the key competencies managers will need

to succeed. Select the five competencies that will be the most important for this manager to demonstrate in order to succeed in

his or her role across the next 12 months.

o Managing Vision and Purpose: Formulates a future course that reflects needs of own area or project and that is

aligned with the organization-wide vision. Translates the course into goals and objectives for own team, sets priorities,

and directs the efforts of staff toward accomplishing those goals and objectives.

o Initiative: Recognizes and acts on opportunities for growth and improvement to advance hospital and health system

goals. Confronts problems quickly and enthusiastically.

o Motivating and Influencing: Inspires staff enthusiasm for and generates commitment to program or project goals.

Builds support for changes in direction among people with diverse interests, needs, and values.

o Accountability: Holds team and self responsible for maintaining the highest possible performance standards and

meeting agreed upon commitments even under difficult circumstances.

o Service Orientation and Customer Focus: Sets and maintains high standards for service to patients, physicians,

and other hospital departments. Incorporates needs and concerns of diverse constituencies (e.g., patients, physicians,

and colleagues) into decision making.

o Constructive Thinking: Analyzes problems systematically and logically, and is resourceful when developing and

implementing solutions.

o Financial Acumen: Applies key financial concepts and analysis to decision making. Understands drivers of financial

performance (e.g., physician referrals, capacity utilization, payment denials) and takes these into account in

developing strategies and making decisions.

o Process Management: Develops and implements work plans with actionable components and measurable outcomes.

Proactively monitors key performance indicators, and makes real-time adjustments to ensure that projects stay on

track.

o Prioritizing and Delegating: Regularly reassesses priorities and competing demands and adjusts allocation of own

and staff time and resources to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Identifies and implements processes that

facilitate delegation, and shares responsibility and authority with others, leveraging their unique strengths and skills.

o Communicating Effectively: Articulates logical and well-founded arguments that support conclusions. Matches

communication style to the message and to the audience. Actively solicits opinions from others. Routinely provides

others with the information they need to do their jobs.

o Giving Feedback: Routinely shares suggestions, advice, and insights on progress toward program and project goals.

Provides performance feedback that is constructive and actionable, and that highlights successes as well as areas for

growth and is based on objective metrics.

o Identifying and Recruiting Talent: Selects and attracts outstanding staff from diverse backgrounds. Identifies and

fills gaps in team skills and knowledge. Effectively markets job openings to attract highly skilled staff members to

project teams.

o Developing and Retaining Talent: Defines development objectives for staff that support performance goals and

progress toward future skill development. Assists staff in developing their own careers by encouraging them to

articulate their career goals, offering challenging growth opportunities, and providing necessary coaching and training.

o Building and Strengthening Relationships: Builds and maintains long-term relationships with others based on

mutual respect and trust. Fosters cooperation and collaborative decision-making among staff with diverse

backgrounds and interests. Works effectively toward solutions and compromises that take the needs of all parties into

account when conflict does arise.

o Upward Management: Provides regular updates on program or project progress and works with own manager to

minimize risks and resolve problems. With manager’s support, notifies senior management about progress toward

project goals and informs them about issues that require their attention.


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P 202.266.5600 I F 202.266.5700 advisory.com


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