Turning Your Top Performers Into Leaders

You undoubtedly know who the top performers are at your facility. These employees are the ones that show up on time, all the time, give about 100% each day, and are eager to take on new responsibilities. They are always looking for ways to contribute, increase, and improve their responsibilities.

But these top workers may cause you some concern as well. You may worry you could lose them to another employer – and you could be right. Top performers always have ambitions, and if you’re not keeping them engaged and helping them go where they want to go, the next employer who offers more money and/or better opportunities, may be too attractive for your stars to pass up.

But if your budget is tight, you may say, “I can’t afford to give much – if anything – in the form of a pay increase.” And that’s where we say “Not to worry.” There are several ways you can keep your top workers without substantial pay increases and help them flourish in their careers. This is done by mentoring them into leadership positions. 

Retention Programs for Future Leaders

Peer-to-peer mentoring programs are an excellent way for your staff to learn from each other as well as provide a higher level of patient care. However, if you want to cultivate the top talent and ensure they will stay with your facility, consider implementing a leadership development program.

A leadership development program allows the employee to access their strengths and develop their skills in order to become a leader in your organization. Several key benefits to this type of program include:

·         Defining career goals and how the facility can help reach them

·         Mentoring with facility leaders to increase knowledge of facility workings

·         Gain valuable leadership skills necessary for increased responsibilities

·         Receive necessary additional education

Leadership development programs are an excellent way to cultivate your top talent, but oftentimes they are not prepared to step into leadership roles right away. The way to assimilate them for leadership responsibilities is through the use of 360-degree assessments. These assessments provide future leaders with insights into their future role, as well as increase their preparedness for the new role. The 360-degree assessments are traditionally completed by co-workers who evaluate how the employee’s actions and behaviors impact others. These assessments may reveal skills that management may have overlooked – for both hidden talents and areas that could be further improved.

While leadership development programs and 360-degree assessments are excellent initiatives to implement in your retention strategies, facilities should never overlook mentorship. Executive mentoring gives the top performers the opportunity to bend other leader’s ears and learn from managers and executives.

What kind of mentoring or leadership-grooming activities do you offer at your facility? Have they proven effective in retaining top performers?

Don’t forget to bookmark the Snelling Medical Blog because next week’s topic will discuss “How Streamlining Your Facility’s Supply Chain Can Increase Efficiency, Provide Better Care and Cut Costs.” If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you!

NOTE:  A full-color, downloadable PDF is available.