DOING THINGS RIGHT OR DOING RIGHT THINGS?

23rd. MARCH 2005, THE STAR REPORT:

The plan to make the National Heart Institute (IJN) a world-renowned heart specialist centre could hit a roadblock following a disagreement between its new management and long-serving clinical consultants.

The plan, which included raising bonds to form a special purposed vehicle (SPV), restructuring IJN into several new subsidiaries and initiating changes to its non-medical management and clinical structure, has ruffled feathers among IJN staff.

It is understood that several long serving senior consultants are planning to leave and this has caught the attention of the Government as IJN consultants have long been associated with monitoring the health of the country’s leaders. IJN personnel, who spoke to The Star on condition of anonymity, said they were not consulted on most management decisions affecting the running and direction of the heart centre.

They feared that the some of the new developments could change the core objective of IJN, which was to help the public get quality cardiac treatment at an affordable price.

“We are concerned about the social aspect of IJN, which may take a backseat should IJN become too commercialised,” one consultant said.

Staff members had also queried the management over the “sweeping and rapid” changes which they felt could affect local patients and bring about a shortage of qualified personnel such as doctors and nurses.

One consultant also questioned a management move to hire nearly 20 non-medical staff, saying their jobs were previously handled by just three people.

“IJN is currently making money and it should continue its main objective of serving the public,” said another senior staff member, pointing to the more than RM100mil in cash that IJN currently has. The staff also said it was inappropriate to expand IJN now in view of the shortage of critical personnel.

IJN chief executive Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus, who was appointed in Sept 2003, had brought in two advisors on contract to deal with human capital organisational development and strategic management.

Staff at the centre also contend that some of the changes by the management were unnecessary and had eroded the consultants clout.

The CEO of IJN, Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus reiterated that, "The management of the National Heart Institute (IJN) will continue with its expansion plan to turn it into a centre of excellence despite strong objections from some of its employees". He said the changes were to ensure that the country's premier heart centre would stick to its core objective of providing more efficient service.

“What I am trying to do is to build on IJN's solid foundation, which was built over the last 10 years, and take the institute forward in the next 10 years,” Mohd Radzif told The Star in an interview yesterday.

Mohd Radzif also outlined IJN's ambitious plan which included raising funds privately, building new facilities and collaborating with other government-run heart centres.

COMMENTS:

If Mohd Radzif had his way and persistently go forward with the changes he wanted without the support of the specialists, will the specialists migrate elsewhere? What will happen to IJN then? Maybe, Mohd Radzif are well prepared on this eventualities.

The main characteristics of CHANGE MANAGEMENT is chaos and complexities. I suppose the new CEO had the profound knowledge to understand what he is doing and what can happen. The management poser is: "Is he doing the THINGS RIGHT", or would he not consider doing "THE RIGHT THING"?

The fundamental doctrine of a successful LEADER is that he has followers and that his followers adored him. At such, in managing a specialist centre, it is imperative that the CEO must be well-respected and liked by the specialists (and their assistants), and he is their source of inspiration and motivators.

Looking at the scenario from outside, it doesn't seem so!

All leaders and managers need to manage all the stakeholders, particularly, those critical stakeholders. You can have the government's support, some managers support; but without the specialists support, (more so as is the case of a medical centre) then, you are looking for trouble.

The MEANS MUST JUSTIFY THE END. CEOs had to walk his talk but if the talk is unacceptable, and the CEO persists, then, a new and more potent crisis will erupt. The result is a NO-WIN situation for all, including the government and the rakyat.

THE HYPOTHESIS: The Government appoints leaders who lacks the competency to manage people.

A good manager will not succeed if he cannot gain respect from his people. Trying to do what business schools had taught you may just be DOING THE RIGHT THING! But It is DOING THINGS RIGHT that counts!

MALAYSIA BOLEH....cari pasal!!!!!!