Medtrade sneak peek: Don't lead by email

ATLANTA - Whenever Chris Calderone is called on to help struggling companies, there's one problem he nearly always finds. “I tend to see poor leaders,” says Calderone, who will offer his tips on leadership development at Medtrade. “A manager may have gotten the job because of good functional skills, but has no experience as a leader.” The good news is that leadership is a skill that can be taught, says Calderone. Here's a preview of his advice.

HME News: What's an example of something a leader must do during tough times?

Chris Calderone: They need to have clear, concise strategic goals and have a plan for how they can translate that into behaviors. If you don't do it, you will always be in a reactive mode. Get away from the business to do this planning, like a Saturday retreat with senior leadership.

HME: How should providers get employee buy-in to make changes?

Calderone: I don't advocate buy-in. That means I'm trying to sell you on something. We talk about a shared sense of understanding. If we get it right, if we grow the business, we all succeed. It's helping employees feel connected to the mission of the company.

HME: Give an example of how to create that connectedness.

Calderone: We encourage employee huddles. A manager pulls together his team for five to 10 minutes to talk about the challenges they're facing. For senior leadership I encourage rounding, just walking around and talking one-on-one with employees. In providers who excel, we see leaders who are very visible.

HME: Why is this kind of leadership so lacking among HME providers?

Calderone: Leaders have a tough time delegating, or they are too busy, or they don't know what to say. But you can't lead by email. You can't lead in your office with the door closed all day.

Christopher Calderone

President, Lean Homecare Consulting Group, LLC

Business and leadership consulting

“Creating Impact Through Influence: Leading Change in Challenging Times”

Monday, Oct. 15, 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM

734-709-5487 / chrisc@leanhomecare.com