Inheriting a legacy filled organisation like Avenue Group, with its 47-year history, presented a unique challenge. While the foundation was solid, a pervasive sense of inertia threatened to stifle its potential and remain, as we like to call it, The Sleeping Giant. We needed a cultural revolution, not just a photo op. Hence, bringing together a dream-team of talents, from both within and from outside the organisation, was just the first step, and perhaps not as difficult as making the teamwork as a symphony, recognising the unique strengths each person brings with and harnessing them to complement each other to build a cohesive winning team for the long haul.
Today, having been with the team for close to three years, recording early wins of 2x growth, I want to share five key strategies that I have learnt and applied. I highlight some of the challenges that come with managing a high-performance team.
Foster a culture of trust: from hiring to inspiring
Talent attracts talent and a cohesive team goes beyond just technical skills. We take this to heart. We first changed our recruitment process to prioritise cultural fit, seeking individuals who embody our core values and share our vision for provision of value-based care. The new talent acquisition process further encouraged internal candidates to apply for new positions. Here, we have been able to unearth some homegrown gems while providing constructive feedback to those who did not make it on where to improve. The entire recruitment exercise was enhanced to extend from advertisement to onboarding with both existing candidates and new recruits taken through a solid onboarding process to help them settle / resettle in new roles.
This new focus has cultivated a diverse and collaborative environment where trust permeates at all levels.
Lead by example: servant leadership and delegation
Imagine a healthcare ecosystem devoid of silos, especially with a multi-geography organisation, where open dialogue thrives. This is the Avenue Group I envisioned. We have embraced servant leadership, dismantling barriers and fostering a culture of psychological safety. Regular meetings, both formal and informal, serve as platforms for brainstorming and collaboration. While managing a diverse group with numerous hospitals, medical centers, and a robust back-office infrastructure presents logistical challenges, we've streamlined communication.
Avenue is a diverse group with various hospitals, medical centres, a homecare arm among many back-office verticals. In my last count, the group has over 60 weekly team interaction across the spectrum, but, as the Group CEO, I have only about 8 - 10 mandatory formal catch up sessions per month; the rest is informal. This model of cascaded structure has allowed delegation of authority, nurtured ownership, and driven accountability.
Micromanagement stifles innovation. Therefore, right delegation is a cornerstone of my leadership philosophy. We entrust team members with ownership of projects and tasks, empowering them to hone their skills, take initiative, and contribute at their full potential. This approach frees my time as well as that of the senior leadership to focus on strategic initiatives while fostering a culture of trust and accountability throughout the organisation.
By empowering middle management to lead these discussions, we ensure everyone remains aligned and energised.
Allow recognition and shared success: applying the power of "we"
Our commitment to building a high-performing team hasn't gone unnoticed. The team's dedication has been recognised with numerous global awards in recent years. This approach has seen our surgeons, for example, pioneer innovative procedures in gastroentrology and pulmonology, while five management team projects have been shortlisted for publication in leading universities.
Allowing a high performing team to showcase their capabilities creates a sense of healthy competition that has created a renewed sense of motivation and ownership among our entire staff. The wave of innovation we are seeing is a testament to the success of our cultural transformation efforts.
Use diversity as a strength: harnessing the power of multiple perspectives and managing conflicts
In a high-performance team with diverse backgrounds and expertise, divergent ideas are inevitable and some may lead to conflict. However, I leant early enough to view these encounters as opportunities for growth and innovation. By fostering a culture of open and respectful dialogue, we have been able to build psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable expressing their opinions without fear of retribution.
I have seen first-hand where we have been able to leverage these conflicts constructively and often, we find solutions that integrate the best of all perspectives and further strengthens the organisation culture.
Empower expertise: leaders who step back to lead but give feedback
There's a time for strategic direction and a time for trust. As Steve Jobs put it, “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
When recruiting experts in their fields, I have come to understand the importance of stepping back and empowering the team to excel. Micromanaging brilliant minds only hinders their potential. Instead, I seek to provide clear objectives, resources, and the autonomy to make decisions within their area of expertise. This fosters a sense of accountability and ownership, while allowing them to leverage their specialised knowledge for the benefit of the entire organisation.
However, regular communication and performance reviews are crucial. High performers thrive on specific and honest feedback, which we provide regularly through project reviews and informal discussions.
Looking forward: building a sustainable future together
Inspiring and empowering teams is an ongoing journey. Avenue Group's success so far is built on the foundation of our people, of diverse cultures working through all demographic age groups relying of a fountain of expertise, both clinical and administrative. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to fostering a culture of trust, servant leadership, delegation, and accountability, where middle management is empowered, and all staff feel motivated and valued.
By prioritising the well-being of our teams through the above initiatives, through work-life balance, on-the-job mentorship and focus on empowerment, we are on a journey to creating an equal opportunity environment where everyone feels motivated to excel and contribute to unparalleled success in healthcare.
Final thoughts: data-driven decisions and continuous improvement
Healthcare is a dynamic field, and continuous improvement is essential. My focus on data has been laser sharp, perhaps stemming from my financial training, I have put extra emphasis on building a data-driven culture across all levels of the Avenue Group. Our data analytics team provides key insights that inform strategic decisions, track progress, optimise workflows, and ultimately deliver even better patient care. Inspired by data and driven by passion, Avenue Group remains agile and adaptable, constantly seeking innovative solutions to improve healthcare delivery.
Peter Drucker's sentiment resonates deeply: "You cannot manage what you cannot measure." Data empowers us to be agile and adapt quickly. This, combined with our focus on high-performance teams, is the recipe for sustainable success in healthcare. Together, we can build a healthier future.
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Imran Osman is the CEO, Avenue Healthcare, Kenya, and was part of panel discussions at the Medic East Africa 2024, the region's leading congress featuring state-of-the-art innovation and expert-led sessions.
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