Leadership Development and Succession Planning
Healthcare organizations risk facing leadership gaps due to retirement and turnover. Systems to identify, prepare, and transition internal leaders can address this as well as improve employee satisfaction and retention. To support this, Southcentral Foundation has implemented a Leadership Development and Succession Planning System. This supports SCF in growing its own leaders to ensure continuity of leadership that supports SCF’s vision and mission.
One element of SCF’s leadership development is a set of four leadership competencies that are based on SCF’s workforce competencies: Customer Care and Relationships, Communication and Teamwork, Improvement and Innovation, and Workforce Development Skills and Abilities. These leadership competencies were developed by workgroups from all of SCF’s divisions, and multiple levels and categories of leaders had a voice in their design. Each of SCF’s leadership training programs is based on at least one of these competencies.
SCF has also developed a Leadership Development and Succession Planning roadmap to support leaders at SCF. The roadmap has four phases: 1) orientation and building relationships with their division, 2) building expertise in leadership at SCF, 3) exploring the leader’s full potential, and 4) continuing the leader’s journey and developing their knowledge and skills.
SCF has also implemented the Manager and Supervisor in Training Program. This program is an accelerated leadership development experience for Alaska Native/Native American employees. It is intended to ensure that when a leadership vacancy occurs, SCF has an employee ready to step into that role.
In part due to its leadership development and succession planning processes, SCF has managed to maintain strong leaders throughout the organization. The average tenure for executive leaders at SCF is over 24 years. 54% of leaders at SCF are Alaska Native and/or Native American people from the community SCF serves. 98% of customers are satisfied with the care provided by SCF, and SCF has also achieved 90% employee satisfaction.
For more information about leadership development and succession planning at SCF, feel free to contact the SCF Learning Institute.
