HGI News

Strategic Leadership alive and well

As I observe successful leaders what I notice is that they focus on a number of key roles and managing the combination of these roles. There are also a number of key behavioural attributes that contribute to success and I will mention them later. » Read more 

Where do I take my career next?

Executive positions operate within an increasingly challenging environment. Your next career move is best done with thoughtful planning. One Learning Set executive shared his personal approach.

The Devine Group expands internationally through distributor agreement with Australian‐based HardyGroup International (HGI)

The Devine Group’s talent management solutions for businesses will be distributed to Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, China and India. CINCINNATI, OHIO – The Devine Group—a Cincinnati‐based company that serves more than 4,000 clients worldwide and has long been dedicated to strengthening companies by providing them with insightful behavioural and psychological assessment testing—is expanding its international footprint further through a recent distributor agreement with Australian‐based HardyGroup International, or HGI.

HardyGroup International – Best Boutique Agency – Thomson Reuters 2011 Recruitment Excellence Awards

HGI has won the award for the ‘Best Boutique Agency’ at the Thomson Reuters 2011 Recruitment Excellence Awards.

SYDNEY, October 21 2011 - HGI's team are very proud to have been recognised by Thomson Reuters and the esteemed panel of judges who awarded them the title of “Best Boutique Agency” for 2011.

Media Release: Review Finds Deep Sector Knowledge the Most Important Criteria - November 2011

HGI's Search ‘Client Review 2011’ included criteria that clients rank highest when selecting a recruitment firm and how HGI stacks up when it comes to delivering outcomes.

Sydney, 10 November 2011- Knowledge of the sector, experience with the firm and reputation of the firm have emerged as the three (3) key criteria for clients selecting a recruitment firm. The HGI Search ‘Client Review 2011’ was commissioned by HGI and conducted by PeoplePulse to understand the current needs of Health and Public Sector clients across Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the review sought feedback on HGI's performance across several key areas in delivering outcomes.

Welcome Michael Guerriero

HardyGroup International would like to welcome its newest member to the Search Team - Michael Guerriero. Michael started with HGI in October as a Prinicpal Search Consultant.

Michael is a highly experienced Search consultant specialising in recruiting to clinical leadership and senior medical positions. He has worked extensively in both the US and Australasia including leading international clinician recruitments. 

Delivering Quality in Health Reform the Australian Way

Michael Scott, Chief Executive, Westminster PCT recently completed a consultancy for Western Australia Health on behalf of HGI.  Michael reflected that “Activity based costing and funding is a very hot topic right now in relation to the Commonwealth Health Reforms. Around the world, many developed health systems use a form of activity-based funding. Universally they find an initial reduction in unit costs, a reduction in length of stay and an increase in day cases. However, this is not without pitfalls”.

Read Michael’s insights and his first- hand experience of the progress being made by WA Health

The quest for quality through innovation

Our article, "The quest for quality through innovation" is a summary of a talk given by Professor Jonathan Gray who recently spoke on this topic at an HGI Executive Learning Set. Professor Gray is Director of Ko Awatea at Counties Manukau DHB and the University of Auckland's first Chair in Health Systems Innovation and Improvement. While in Wales he was the Director of Healthcare improvement at the Public Health Wales and Co-Director of the 1,000 Lives Plus program

Building Leadership Readiness

The theme to the consistent messages we hear, is that the gene pool of available leadership talent ready to hit the ground running is an issue. The seismic shifts, pace and impact of global change demand that we focus on accelerating leadership development now. Development has to occur in real time and be super flexible in its approach. People need to be tested on real challenges that allow them to demonstrate their abilities. The capacity to lead people and finesse relationships and networks is critical for success. Organisations have not adapted quickly to prepare people for this challenge. 

HGI Executive Leadership Community – Spotlight on Leadership Success

When Queensland Health CEO, Ken Whelan, now CEO Wide Bay Health Service District was headhunted four years ago to take on the CEO Capital and Coast position in New Zealand he was ready for the challenge.  A New Zealander, with a passion for “leadership that makes a difference for the most vulnerable in our communities”, Ken saw the role as an opportunity to do something that aligned strongly with his values - getting the focus of healthcare where it should be - quality of care for patients and those in need of care.  Clinical engagement and culture were at a low point.

WA Health – Partnering for Innovation in Activity Based Funding

The Western Australian Health Department has developed a highly innovative strategic approach to the introduction and implementation of Activity Based Funding and health reform which puts the patient and health care quality at the core of its policy and service delivery.
 
As part of the next steps in ensuring the state based delivery of an efficient price which maximises care for Western Australia’s patients and communities, WA Health is pleased to announce a new partnership with Michael Scott and HardyGroup International.

PeoplePulse Survey Results

Although the survey is not complete, PeoplePulse have received a good response for HGI Set members with over 50% of current members having already responded. There are some early trends in the results we are seeing in terms of what Learning Set member's value of HGI Learning Sets.
» Read more 

Global Learning Network

After rigorous planning and groundwork spanning many months and overseas research, HGI has begun the process of establishing a "Global Learning Value Chain” so that we can create more return for members' investment in HGI Learning Sets. Early indications are that we have “a real value add winner” with exceptionally positive feedback!

Improving the Patient Journey

Hardy Group International strongly recommends the Improving the Patient Journey Forum 31 May 1 June in Christchurch New Zealand. The forum aims to explore how health services can achieve significant quality and patient experience benefits. It will be an opportuntiy to explore the wider application of Lean Thinking and system design principles and how to find effective ways to absorb the growth in demand within existing resources.

This is an exciting opportunity to explore the challenges facing all health systems and walk away with real take home messages and applications. Please click on the link below to download the flyer.

HGI would like to congratulate one of our Learning Set members

The Government has announced that the new Health and Disability Commissioner is Anthony Hill, currently a Deputy Director-General at the Ministry of Health. 
  » Read more 

Malcolm Stamp's note on the House of Commons Commissioning Report

HGI has invited Macolm Stamp Chief Executive Officer, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, to provide comment on the "House of Commons, Committee of Public Accounts, HM Revenue & Customs' estate private finance deal eight years on, United Kingdom".

Click on the download PDF link below to download the Report.

First Impressions

As a newcomer to HGI, perhaps readers – and my HGI colleagues – will allow me a little latitude in making some personal reflections on my first couple of months in the role.  I commenced in early November in the newly-created position of Executive Director Leadership & Learning – responsible for the learning sets, coaching and executive professional development side of our business, as well as representing the firm in Victoria. » Read more 

Turnkey Solutions

Elsewhere in this newsletter, Kevin, as part of his article on “Organizational Gold in 2010”, introduced the notion of the “Turn-key Solution” (TKS). The idea behind TKS, or, as it may alternatively be thought of, “The Integrated Solution”, is to provide added value to the client, be it an individual, or an organization, and, in this instance HGI, as partnerships are formed to facilitate,

• executive recruitment
• professional and/or personal development
• executive placement

On The Front Foot

STEPHEN FLEMING confesses that nowadays he's a little like Jerry Maguire. The former cricketing great does a good impersonation of Tom Cruise's ‘show me the money!' and talked candidly to ANDREW GREGORY about his learning curve in business over the last twelve months. HardyGroup International would like to thank IN-BUSINESS Wellington Magazine and the journalist, Andrew Gregory, for allowing us to include part of this interview in the HGI Insight e-Newsletter.
» Read more 

THE RISING THERMOMETER IN HEALTH - Overcoming the increasing costs of workforce productivity issues in the health sector

Workforce issues in the health sector
It is well known that health services are faced with unprecedented patient demand at a time of national and international workforce shortages in key clinical disciplines. The impact of workforce shortage is in-creased labour costs, driven largely by one-sided enterprise bargaining negotiations and an inability to obtain services across a range of disciplines.

THE 5TH AUSTRALASIAN REDESIGNING HEALTHCARE SUMMIT

In 2004 years Flinders Medical Centre held a conference to showcase the use of Lean Thinking in the healthcare setting and to enable health care staff from around Australia to hear about Lean Thinking from some of the world experts. 

I was Chief Executive at the time and I was convinced that the benefits to be derived from Lean Thinking in quality and safety, as well as in efficiency, could make a profound difference to the healthcare system at large.  I was however most concerned that whilst Lean Thinking was the domain of a single hospital it was vulnerable to the destructive vagaries of the health system and could easily disappear before anyone would appreciate how powerful it was as an integrated management system. Hence the first conference was held to try and build momentum.

My colleague Rosie Adams describes this year's conference.

Professor Stephen Duckett leaves Queensland Health to take up an appointment in Canada.

Professor Duckett was Secretary of the Australian Health Department from 1994 - 1996 and has held leadership positions in the Victorian Health Department.

IMD Leading business school.Real World. Real Learning

HGI has undertaken to bring to you information about exceptional learning and development programs that we hear about first hand through our associates and trusted networks. Recently, Margot Hurwitz, Managing Director – Products, Fresenius Medical Care Australia and New Zealand participated in such a program. » Read more 

Is it possible to reduce surgical error in our hospitals? "Yes, we can!"

Every year more than 2 million people undergo a surgical operating room procedure across Australia and New Zealand . It is now clear that the rate death associated with those operations is around one person in 200 and, in addition, one person in every 10 suffers a preventable event that causes them harm. » Read more  » Download PDF

Senior Leadership Teams

The Hay/Harvard research has revealed six conditions for a highly effective senior team: three essentials or foundations, and three enablers or accelerators.

LDC (Leadership Development Centre) partnered with the Hay Group and Harvard Business School authors of a major study on the requirements for effective senior leadership teams.  They conducted several seminars and conversations with senior leaders (many of them with their teams present) in Wellington in November 2008.  A recent survey we conducted of our member agencies showed that lifting the effectiveness of their senior teams was their number one organisational priority.