Come to the aid of your leadership - now is the time!
by Robert J. Loeb

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."

For those of you who may know a little about typewriters, or if you have ever taken a typing course in high school, you may recall practicing typing this phrase, or a similar one, right along with "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back." And to give you a little bit of history, court reporter Charles Weller typed this phrase out when a friend asked him to test out a prototype typewriter in 1867.

As we struggle through the tough times in healthcare, I often think of a similar and more appropriate phrase for our industry, "Now is the time to come to the aid of our leaders." As marketers, we need our message to be heard, using all the tools in our toolbox, we need to rally others and come together, and we need to obtain clarity and create continuity of message throughout our health system. Marketing's role may become diluted day-to-day, but we must move forward, nonetheless. Here are some thoughts as to how you, as a healthcare marketer, can help your leadership and keep the momentum going.

• Ask your CEO, CFO, CMO, and COO what keeps them up at night, this month, not last month. Stay close to them at all times! Take notes, ask them why they are concerned, probe, and take more notes.
• Spend your time focusing on your leaders' important issues. It will not only ensure your job security, but you will be doing the right things, for the right reasons, at the right time.
• Communicate, communicate, and communicate. Use all the tools in the toolbox to get your message across, via the right media, and make it relevant for your audiences.
• When the going gets tough, the squeaky wheel always wins! But you have to squeak in context with what is important to the hospital, the market, and all of the stakeholders.
• Do what you do, better than your competitors, no matter what.
• Finally, get excited about the upside. Don't let the downside drag you down. It is a choice to lead teams that are positive, clear, and ready to do what needs to be done to get the job done.

As a marketer, you can help ensure the longevity, even the financial viability of your hospital. But you will have to become more entrepreneurial in spirit and lead the parade. Create momentum by initiating social marketing and word-of-mouth platforms. Get your database ducks in a row. Know whom you serve and whom you want to serve. There is profitable business, even in tough times, it is just a little less robust at this time. This is not just a formula for the "for profit" hospitals, but for anyone who wants to remain financially viable and competitive during the tough times. Stick to your core competencies and make them even stronger. Communicate about the issues that negatively impact the bottom line, such as "never events," like falls, or infections. Refine your processes. Improve the patient, employee, and physician experience. Work to reduce the effects of complacency. Your competitors will pale by comparison if you do what you do best. Finally, if you are not sure what to do during the tough times, ask a friend, a peer, or your boss. Now is not the time to operate "business as usual." These are extraordinary times that may require extraordinary efforts.