Do you know your numbers? (not just finance)

“It’s a nice day outside.” Does this mean it’s 65 degrees, 75, 82? It depends on who you ask. Unless you ascribe a numerical measure to something it will never be fully clear to an audience. So many executives I advise are not fully clear when talking about their career accomplishments- I’ve been guilty of this as well. “We grew revenue and patient satisfaction improved when I was at XYZ Health System” or “We set up this corporation, joint venture, committee, etc.” These are simply not clear statements when compared to, “We grew revenue by 35% and our patient satisfaction improved from the 12th percentile to the 67th percentile” or “We started a new joint venture that grew market share by 34% and grew net revenue by 40%”.

Many comparisons have been made between the airline industry and healthcare. The pilot knows where the plane is going by following specific numerical coordinates. Do you know your X-Y? What was the origin and destination of your last journey? This is communicated simply by knowing your X-Y’s in one or more of the following areas: service, patient safety, quality, growth, service line development, finance, community benefit, market share, cost containment, productivity, physician or employee engagement, turnover, etc. When X-Y’s are communicated well it sounds like this… “When I was at XYZ health system our HCAHPs went from the 23rd percentile to the 78th percentile over 4 years” or “During my tenure we reduced RN turnover from 35% to 16% in three years.

Organizations want results. If you clearly communicate that you achieve results, your chances for success improve when looking for your next job. Contact Chris Ekrem for more information on learning how to communicate your “X-Y’s” and taking the next step in developing your career.

Author: Greg NielsenSince starting his healthcare career in 1997, Greg Nielsen has served as the CEO of hospitals in Ohio, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Greg is known for bringing energy and new life into organizations by inspiring others around a vision and executing strategies to achieve that vision. Greg has a passion for helping individuals and organizations achieve their true potential. He believes this is best accomplished by carefully and intentionally feeding your mind, body and spirit on a daily basis. Greg earned a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and a master’s in healthcare administration degree from the University of Minnesota. Greg is married and has three children. Greg enjoys staying physically active and hunting pheasants with his lab, Ashe, when he’s not working or spending time with his family. When Greg was in transition and working with Wiederhold & Associates, he executed his transition at the highest level and started the journey with the right amount of passion, attitude and confidence. Greg has graciously offered to speak with all our transition clients as they enter this extremely important journey and share his successful experience as encouragement.