Change is inevitable. When your hospital has a new CEO or president, the communications department has an important role in the leadership transition. Here are five tips for making it go as smoothly as possible.
- Be open during the hiring process. You don’t have to release names of candidates, but you should include updates on the hiring process on the intranet site or in weekly emails to hospital staff. This gives them a sense of inclusion and helps to remove uncertainty.
- Get the new leader up-to-speed. Give your hospital’s new CEO or president a top-level summary about any ongoing branding/marketing campaigns, and present a copy of your crisis communications plan.
- Plan meetings for the new CEO to meet with individuals in the hospital’s external and internal network. This can be stakeholders, community leaders and each department in the hospital. Your staff should conduct media training with the CEO and then set up interviews with local media, too.
- Have CEO share vision with hospital staff. You should write a welcome letter on behalf of the CEO and/or plan numerous meet-and-greet sessions, including shifts outside 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Also, consider hosting a Facebook Live chat with questions from hospital staff.
- Establish a communications protocol. Every leader has their own preferences. Don’t expect the new CEO to accept your procedures for handling media requests, etc. Find the right balance between making your recommendations and accepting your new CEO’s.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
[activecampaign form=13]