Demonstrating that you have PR/marketing leadership skills requires more show than tell, it often means putting pen to paper to visualize the steps necessary to achieve your "big picture" goals.
When Deb E. Atchley, director of marketing/PR consulting services for Quorum Health Resources (Edmond, Okla.), introduced "Act & Track: Assessing Your Leadership Skills" a year ago to her target of more that 240 Quorum hospital PR and marketing pros, she wanted to make leadership more reality than concept.
The performance measurement tool, which can be customized to marketing, PR and strategic planning pros, highlights 30 habits of being an effective healthcare leader.
"Basically, I wanted it to be a very visual behavior modification tool that would allow [PR/marketers] to benchmark their goals and achievements on one sheet of paper." But the tool took on a life of its own as hospital execs used it as a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) compliance aid, employee/management motivational exercise and independent action plan.
Michelle Sutton, community resources officer for North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, La. (a Quorum hospital affiliate), says that she and her staff of six marketers have the Act & Track leadership tool laminated in their day planners.
"Sometimes we get so preoccupied with the day to day [marketing projects] that we forget to be strategists and leaders. The exercise reminds us to organize our time to achieve strategic leadership goals." (Quorum, 405/330-2777; North Oaks Medical Center, 504/230-6499)