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EW SHOW DAILY 38 ASCRS Symposia Monday, April 20, 2015 by Chiles Aedam R. Samaniego EyeWorld Asia-Pacific Senior Staff Writer The model has increased longev- ity and dedication among employ- ees, with the most recent addition to the staff already with them for 8 years and some celebrating their 15 anniversary with the team. Significantly, HR problems now consume less than 1% of managerial time. "The health of my relationship with the staff is directly correlated to the staff members' relationships with each other and the patients," she said. "Ultimately, relationships are the reason our practice is unique and why we can optimistically look to the future despite a volatile healthcare environment. "It's just good business sense." Mr. Riordan described situation- al leadership as an alternative. Situational leadership looks at the balance between 2 kinds of leadership behaviors: directive and supportive. It considers these against the development level of a team's members in terms of their level of competence and commitment. Against these criteria, a leader can adopt 1 of 4 approaches to each individual: supporting (supportive) an individual with high competence but low commitment; delegating (supportive) to an individual with high competence and high com- mitment; coaching (directive) an individual with some competence, some commitment; and directing (directive) an individual with low competence but high commitment. In any case, self-assessment is imperative. Mr. Riordan posed 3 questions leaders should ask them- selves: What is my most predom- inant "innate" leadership style? Where is it most difficult for me to "shift" my leadership behaviors? How might my innate style be cre- ating a "bias" in how I view specific individuals or situations? Essentially, situational leader- ship is a case-by-case style that de- pends on the circumstances of both the leader and the individual; the leader's self-assessment is a critical factor. EW Editors' note: The speakers have no related financial interests. The theories classify individuals by attitude, direction, sense of respon- sibility, and motivation, with type X individuals considered inherently lazy and not happy with their jobs while type Y individuals can be am- bitious, self-motivated, and exercise self-control. In practice, Dr. Parekh said that the role of environment matters and that managers help create environ- ment. Motivating staff is complex, he said, and to do it requires the right ingredients, which include theoreti- cal and practical elements. In terms of theory, Traci J. Kim, MA, CMPE, Flint, Mich., and John Riordan, Washington, D.C., de- scribed 2 models for leadership. In her role managing a solo ophthalmology practice, Ms. Kim identified a few problems in the practice: lack of teamwork, lack of trust, formal systems of reward/dis- cipline rather than ongoing training and mentoring, all of which osten- sibly resulted in high staff turnover and human resource (HR) issues consuming management time. In seeking a solution, she found herself turning to the Relational Leadership Model (RLM) to effect change and engage employees. Rather than forming a top-down structure, RLM is a process-oriented model that is inclusive, purposeful, empowering, and ethical. "RLM is the ethical and inclusive process of empowering people to come togeth- er and engage in positive change in a purposeful way," she said. Basically, she said, in RLM, "re- lationships are the key to leadership effectiveness." pyramid with physiological needs forming the bottom layer, followed by safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and, finally, self-actualiza- tion at the top. Dr. Parekh said we all aspire to self-actualization—Maslow's "What a man can be, he must be." But how do we motivate ourselves and others to achieve it? Dr. Parekh wondered. Do we use a carrot or a stick? He cited another 20th century thinker, the management professor Douglas MacGregor, who proposed theories of human motivation dubbed Theory X and Theory Y. "I n theory, theory and practice are the same," Parag Parekh, MD, MPA, Brookville, Va., said. "In practice they are not." Dr. Parekh quoted Albert Einstein in his talk at a symposium, "Creating the Dream Team," in which theory and practice were pre- sented side by side in an exploration of various models of leadership. Dr. Parekh also referred to 20th century American psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, typically portrayed as a Leadership models for model leadership Dr. Parekh says that motivating staff is a complex undertaking requiring both theoretical and practical elements.

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