Leadership Succession Preparedness and Sense of Urgency in Canadian Hospital Pharmacy

Abstract

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Leadership turnover is unavoidable in all organizations, including hospital pharmacy departments. Succession planning can promote organizational stability, among other benefits.</p><p><strong>Objectives:</strong> To gather a contemporary, nationwide measure of the level of preparedness for department leadership succession and to gain related insight from a variety of pharmacy leaders.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> This study was an environmental scan of Canadian hospital pharmacy leaders. An online survey was conducted to identify the current rate of succession planning; to describe existing succession plans; to determine the perceived need for succession planning; and to describe strategies for, barriers to, and facilitators of succession planning. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Eighty-three responses were received. Thirteen respondents (16%) reported that their hospital pharmacy departments had a succession plan, and 13 (16%) of individuals had known successors. Most respon-dents (64/75 [85%]) perceived succession plans to be rare or nonexistent across Canada. However, 72% (54/75) felt that succession planning was needed for their own leadership position. The most common barriers to succession planning were a lack of formal structure or tools, lack of plan implementation, unionization, and lack of career ladder positions. Select facilitators to succession planning identified by respondents were having a strong existing leadership and having an abundant pool of capable successors.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Most Canadian hospital pharmacy departments and individual leaders represented in this survey were not prepared with succession plans. A collective effort to proactively enact succession planning in Canadian hospital pharmacy departments would have multiple benefits for existing and aspiring leaders and, ultimately, the profession as a whole.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte :</strong> Tout organisme, y compris les services de pharmacie d’hôpitaux, fait face au renouvellement inévitable de sa direction. La planification de la relève peut, entre autres avantages, favoriser la stabilité organisationnelle.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Objectifs :</strong> Brosser un portrait national et actuel de la capacité des services de pharmacie de faire face au renouvellement de leur direction et obtenir le point de vue de différents leaders en pharmacie sur le sujet.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Méthodes :</strong> La présente étude est une analyse du contexte des leaders en pharmacie hospitalière du Canada. Un sondage en ligne a permis de déterminer le degré actuel de planification de la relève, de décrire les plans de relève mis en place, de déterminer dans quelle mesure une planification de la relève est nécessaire et de décrire les stratégies à adopter pour mener une planification de la relève ainsi que les éléments y faisant obstacle ou la facilitant. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Résultats :</strong> Les investigateurs ont reçu 83 réponses. Treize répondants (16 %) ont indiqué que les services de pharmacie de leur hôpital possédaient un plan de relève et tous les 13 (16 %) connaissaient les successeurs. La plupart des répondants (64/75 [85 %]) croyaient que les plans de relève étaient rares, voire inexistants, au Canada. Cependant, 72 % (54/75) estimaient que leur poste de direction nécessitait une planification de la relève. Les obstacles à la planification de la relève le plus souvent évoqués étaient : l’absence de structure ou d’outils formels, l’absence de mise en œuvre d’un plan, la syndicalisation et le manque de postes offrant des possibilités d’avancement. Parmi les éléments facilitant la planification de la relève, les répondants ont mentionné : la présence d’un leadership fort et l’accès à un important bassin de candidats compétents.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusions :</strong> La plupart des services de pharmacie d’hôpitaux canadiens et des dirigeants représentés dans le sondage n’étaient pas en mesure de s’appuyer sur un plan de relève. Un travail collectif de mise en œuvre proactive d’une planification de la relève dans les services de pharmacie d’hôpitaux canadiens aurait de multiples avantages pour les dirigeants en place et ceux appelés à le devenir et, ultimement, pour la profession dans son ensemble.</p>

Succession Planning for the Fellowship Program Director: Fortune Favors the Prepared

“…One of the fundamental goals of succession planning is to identify the key leadership roles in an organization and to avoid gaps in those roles that another employee is unprepared to fill. 2 Although openings in leadership positions owing to promotion, retirement, or unexpected events can occur, thoughtful succession planning ensures that an appropriate leader is ready to step in and continue the role with minimal disruption to those affected by the change. 1,2 The Program Director for a fellowship is a key leadership role in an academic department, particularly when one considers the pathways of physician entry at an academic medical center, including tracks as a trainee in a fellowship program or as a faculty member.…”

“…However, no matter how valuable a leader may be to a department and how much one would like to think an academic department could not continue without this guidance and vision, it is overwhelmingly likely that it will. 2,3 A second myth that abdicates responsibility for succession planning, is that a strong program will thrive regardless of the leader, essentially negating the importance of recruiting and preparing the next leader. 3,4 Whereas this strategy may sustain a high-profile leadership role in the short term, it is ultimately a weak strategy, as a lack of leadership planning will likely is weaken a strong organization.…”

“…4 Although several leadership roles can go unfilled within a department without destabilization, critical leadership functions, including a fellowship program director, cannot go unfilled for very long, as these roles are heavily engaged in vital roles such as recruitment of trainees and faculty, communicating and supporting the mission and vision throughout the department, as well as demonstrating achievement of these goals to the larger institution and beyond. [1][2][3] Successful transitions in the Program Director role rely on understanding all the responsibilities of this role as a leader and manager of fellows, core faculty, the educational content, as well as the operational challenges and opportunities where fellows interact with the clinical learning environment. 5,6 Since fellowship deadlines are not merely suggestions, effective communication between the Program Director and faculty, fellows, regulatory associations, medical center, and alumni is essential for maintaining the high-quality support for the critical mission of a fellowship.…”

“…[10][11][12] Thoughtful planning allows time to identify, prepare, recruit, and observe candidates for likely suitability as successors, guided by an appreciation for the essential attributes of an effective leader. [1][2][3][12][13][14] Program Directors at the fellowship level are critical leaders of a core mission at an academic medical center for recruiting talented fellows and preparing them to be the next generation of competent, compassionate clinicians, researchers, and leaders in our specialty. [4][5][6] Succession planning, as with fortune, favors the prepared.…”