Skills for selecting valued leaders. Eastern Mercy Health System takes a nine-step approach to choosing managers

Catholic healthcare facilities seek skilled leaders who can adapt to the organization's culture. Eastern Mercy Health System, Radnor, PA, has developed an educational course, Selecting Valued Leaders, that teaches interviewers selection skills on the basis of the organization's values and mission. The course covers four major topics. The first is building culture. Each participant examines his or her organization's history, communication styles, organizational behavior, and mission. Next, course participants discuss the competencies necessary for a leader's success. Eastern Mercy Health System has identified the following six competency clusters essential for its values-oriented leaders: empower people, steward resources, integrate values, act as advocate, support sponsor's priorities, and maintain Catholic identity. The third part of the course covers a nine-step approach for selecting values-oriented leaders. Participants discuss topics such as the search committee, job description, search strategy, and job offer. In the final section of the course, participants sharpen their selection skills. They review appropriate interview procedures and discuss open-ended questions to ask the candidate.