Executive skills for medical faculty: a workshop description and evaluation

As the healthcare system continues to change, healthcare professionals will need to assume an increasing number of administrative and management responsibilities. The goal of this article is to describe a two-day workshop on Executive Skills for Medical Faculty and the results of an evaluation conducted one year later. This workshop consisted of specific modules on analyzing time-management skills, determining goals and priorities, improving time-management strategies, assessing leadership styles and skills, and conducting effective meetings. The workshop evaluation consisted of an immediate post-workshop questionnaire administered to all of the participants, and semi-structured interviews, conducted on the telephone, with half of the attendees. Both evaluations were designed to assess perceptions of the workshop's usefulness and areas of individual change. Feedback from the participants immediately after the workshop indicated an overall satisfaction with the workshop content and methodology and a desire to try new time-management strategies. Evaluation of the workshop one year later indicated that the majority of the participants had determined their priorities more clearly, altered their time-management strategies, and planned more effective meetings. Less change was noted in the area of leadership styles and skills. Both the immediate and delayed workshop evaluations indicated that the most useful sessions were those devoted to determining goals and priorities, time management and effective meetings. These results suggest that a two-day workshop can improve health care professionals' administrative and management skills in certain areas. A longer workshop and built-in 'follow-up' activities would enhance the potential for change.