Read Me First



Read Me First HCS/325

Week One

Introduction

IN THIS COURSE, YOU WILL EXPLORE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF MANAGEMENT TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF MANAGEMENT AND THE SKILLS NEEDED TO MANAGE WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT. THE TERM MANAGEMENT REFERS TO ACTIVITIES INVOLVED IN PLANNING, ORGANIZING, LEADING, AND CONTROLLING AN ORGANIZATION. IN WEEK ONE, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN RELATION TO THESE FOUR FUNCTIONS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

A health care organization is a collection of people working together to achieve a common purpose related to health issues. This collaborative effort allows for the completion of tasks that could not be accomplished by any one individual for the most effective organization and customer outcome. Today’s health care organization can take a variety of forms—from small out-patient clinics, networks of health care specialists, to large for-profit research hospitals, or privately owned physician offices and long-term care facilities.

Effective managers know that building relationships is critical to success in an organization. These relationships must be built not only within the manager’s department but also with other departments in the organization. These relationships can be critical for accomplishing tasks and fulfilling organizational objectives. Similarly, an effective manager builds good relationships externally—with vendors, suppliers, and so on—for the same reason.

In any health care organization, everyone must respond to and adapt to change in an organizational direction required by the needs of the patient population it serves. This is especially true for the health care manager that must be accountable for not only decision-making but also productivity, cost containment, safety, confidentiality, and so on. In every organization, each level of management plays specific roles, expectations, and duties that encourage and promote a high-quality, diverse work environment as demonstrated through successful operations and outcomes.

Technology experts, clinicians and administrators, as well as other individuals in the health care, are essential components of a thriving and successful organization. However, the employees and management teams that comprise the day-to-day operations of an organization and are at the center or nucleus of the entire organization make an organization effective and successful. It is the employees of the organization that possess the individual knowledge and skills that add intellectual value to the organization and define the concept of intellectual capital. This intellectual capital must be properly managed to develop and maintain positive contributions to the organization’s success. This is the critical component of leading that is important to the role of the manager in utilizing the four functions of management (or the management process) to ensure that the organization is a success in the health care marketplace.

This week in relationship to the course and the program

YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO MANY CONCEPTS AND THEORIES SO FAR IN YOUR JOURNEY TOWARD BEING AN EFFECTIVE LEADER IN HEALTH CARE. AS YOU PROCEED THOUGH THE REST OF YOUR PROGRAM, YOU WILL ENCOUNTER AND LEARN EVEN MORE CONCEPTS AND THEORIES PRIOR TO EARNING YOUR DEGREE. YOU WILL TAKE COURSES IN FINANCE, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, HUMAN RESOURCES, LAW, AND ETHICS. TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT, YOU WILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS YOU LEARN IN THIS COURSE IN THESE AREAS.

A key concept for this week is the roles and functions of the manager at various levels within the health care organization. An effective manager must be accountable, create a quality work environment, and understand the value of a diverse workforce as well as other important functions that contribute to effective management. Although the roles of managers vary, all managers in any health care organization must manage effectively using the management process, being accountable, using the principles of effective time management, networking, recognizing and supporting the development of intellectual capital and other essentials of successful management. To do this, a manager must understand the business environment and the people that will be involved, such as employees and other stakeholders that directly or indirectly affect its success.

Hints for a reading strategy of the assigned materials

MAKE SURE TO REVIEW DIAGRAMS, EXAMPLES, SUMMARIES, AND OTHER MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE TEXT. FOR THIS WEEK’S READINGS, CONCENTRATE ON THE FOUR FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT (THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS) AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER. THESE FUNCTIONS CAN BE CONSIDERED A CYCLE OF ACTION IN WHICH EACH COMPONENT LEADS TO THE NEXT. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THE FUNCTIONS ARE CYCLIC, THEY CAN ALSO BE IDENTIFIED AS SEPARATE ACTIONS. EXAMINE HOW THESE FUNCTIONS RELATE TO THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF MANAGERS IN HEALTH CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS.

Some questions to ask as you hone your critical thinking

• AS YOU REVIEW THE ASSIGNED READING FOR THIS WEEK, THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN REACTIONS TO THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT IN A HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION. HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN FACED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ORGANIZING INDIVIDUALS OR TEAMS OF INDIVIDUALS TO ACCOMPLISH SPECIFIC TASKS?

• How do you or your manager build effective relationships within your organization? How are external relationships managed?

• During the process of planning, how do you, as a manager, plan to effectively make decisions, set goals and objectives, or identify desired outcomes?

• Another responsibility in the management process is leading. How would you build commitment, encourage activities that support and influence employees to do the best work on the organization’s behalf? How can communication help an organization? How can it be ineffective? Think about examples of both from your own experience as you read about communication.

Summary

CAREERS IN HEALTH CARE CAN BE THE BASIS FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES. A MANAGER IN TODAY’S HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION MUST RESPOND TO A MULTITUDE TO CHALLENGES, DEMANDS, AND CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS. SUCCESS OFTEN DEPENDS ON A MANAGER’S ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY. AS IN ANY ORGANIZATION, THE HEALTH CARE MANAGER MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT HELPS MOVE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD AS PART OF THE ORGANIZATION’S OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE. THIS DIRECTS THE MANAGER TO ORGANIZE, PLAN, CONTROL, AND LEAD EMPLOYEES TO REACH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ITS STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PROJECTIONS.

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