story254

We have entered the knowledge economy, an economy where the social and economic players dialogue within an integrating and interconnected environment. In this new economy, the artistry and the uniqueness of the individuals are further enhanced to satisfy the vision of the organization. And, within an organizational environment, learning becomes the fundamental operative of the people, and as a consequence leadership takes the form of coaching, teaching, and continuous learning for everybody in the organization.

I don't like management fads as they have been mushrooming in the 80s and 90s, and today, in a continuous changing world, we must take for granted the preaching of the school of Total Quality Management(1) (TQM) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). In a TQM and CQI environment we can easily fall into the trap of doing right the wrong job!

I just wanted to provide a brief explanation of what leadership is so that we can understand the anomalies we encounter in our business environment. Yesterday (November 14), I wrote about our health care system and how our politicians are all portraying themselves as the defenders of the one-tier health system (public) while at the same time we have always experienced a two-tier health care system (public and private)(2). I also explained that what we require is a redefinition of public health care, and that we must get rid of a large segment of our demented health care leadership which is one cause of private health care. For example, I mentioned that when we have a $50-million overrun for the closure of the Plains Health Centre, then we have private health care, that is private health care occurs when our demented leadership serves either itself or their friends.

What is very intricate to understand, is the fact that our own demented health care leaders are perceived management gurus by the so called public health care establishment. It is mind boggling, here we are and we all claim that we want public health care and now I read an article where a health care czar, Phil Hassen, has been hired to serve the health region of Vancouver. Now, we go on and disclose some excerpts of Pamela Fayerman's article(3) to show the hiring of Phil Hassen, and you readers can make your own opinion about both our health care leadership and this personal asset. Pamela Fayerman writes:

Three days before his appointment as the czar of health was announced, Phil Hassen didn't know he'd be getting not only the job he wanted but also one he didn't even realize was open... "I got a call from David Levi [chairman of the Vancouver/Richmond health board] on the Tuesday before the Friday when my appointment was announced," Hassen says, "and I realized something was happening. "When I came back the next day from an out-of-town conference, the deal was virtually done and though it wasn't the way I thought it would be, I was caught all of a sudden, and yes, it was awkward," said Hassen, who took less than a day to tell Levi he'd take both jobs for the price of one -- $260,000... "Streamlined and seamless service" are all part of his vision and he encourages all managers under him to produce flow charts revealing the obstacles to that vision.... Hassen's appointment essentially gives him the money and power to design a new system... "Obviously there was a lot of disconnect going on before. This gets rid of some administration, and I can tell you, I talk to myself pretty well, I don't argue with myself very often," Hassen says, noting that he has already let go of some redundant health board administrators... Through a management style called Total Quality Management that espouses Continuous Quality Improvement, Hassen has encouraged and empowered doctors and nurses at St. Paul's to take on active leadership roles... (In a telling close to the interview, he asks this reporter not to bother him in the future "with the small stuff.")

My puzzling question is this: How can we ever have public health care when our health care is full of it, I mean of czars, just look around and let me know.

References/endnotes

List of political and economics articles http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign

1. The W. Edwards Deming Institute, W. Edwards Deming: "Lack of knowledge...that is the problem," The Deming System of Profound Knowledge http://www.deming.org/deminghtml/wedi.html

2. There has never been a one-tier health system in Canada, by Mario deSantis, November 14, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantisa264/onetiertwotier.html

3. Meet Vancouver's new health czar, Pamela Fayerman, 14 November 2000, Vancouver Sun http://www.vancouversun.com/newsite/news/001114/4867316.html