(US & Canada) VIDEO | Make Employees Feel Valued — MedOne Healthcare Partners CIO
(US and Canada) Brian Shea, Chief Information Officer of MedOne Healthcare Partners and Interim Chief Information Officer of Lexington Clinic, speaks with Patrick Haller, VP of Sales and Marketing at Computer Products Corp (CPC), in a video interview about leveraging technology for organizational benefit, staff empowerment and retention, remote and hybrid work culture, and maintaining work-life balance in the evolving tech world.
At the onset, Shea states that leveraging technology benefits the organization regarding staffing needs, as it changes the skill sets needed. He mentions working with internal and external IT staff and carefully uses the three pillars – people, process, and technology – to ensure the success of the organization.
Next, Shea pivots the focus on staff development and empowerment at the organization. He mentions conducting monthly one-on-ones to discuss core values and staff development and a weekly touch base to ensure everyone is on the same page. The company also uses collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams to discuss the IT department across the whole organization.
Moving forward, Shea believes it is critical to survey staff to get their input and observations to remain competitive. Shea adds that it is imperative to keep employees relevant by developing and training them while making them feel valued. Otherwise, he continues, there is a risk of staff leaving for other positions with different benefits or higher compensation. To prevent that, the organization must remain aware of how to keep these areas in check.
Emphasizing culture, Shea states that MedOne has created a culture of open communication, which means they can keep everyone informed as to what is going on. Further, Shea states that it is okay to have a flexible and remote workforce and that it does not matter where the people are as long as results are achieved.
However, Shea reckons that some topics have a more impactful conversation if everyone were to be in person. Therefore, he suggests organizations find a balance between operating in-person and remote models.
Additionally, he asserts organizations must remain flexible to meet cultural and business needs. Shea proposes that the hybrid model is the future of work, and organizations must keep up with changes in the expectations and needs of people.
Furthermore, he explains that the acceleration of remote work due to the Covid pandemic forced organizations to address technical challenges and hurdles around security. To meet compliance and HIPAA requirements, the organization leveraged cloud technology to ensure its secure architecture.
Thereafter, Shea puts policies in place regarding checklists for remote users while providing education on security. He indicates that layering in monitoring technologies and data loss prevention tools can facilitate data movement, as cloud technology has enabled organizations to do this effectively and efficiently.
In conclusion, Shea emphasizes the importance of setting effective organizational communication and priorities to ensure a good work-life balance. He stresses that it is a two-way street and that organizations and leaders must be aware of the need to maintain the balance while individuals must learn to let go. He also asserts that the tech world is ever-changing, and it is up to organizations to reprioritize and decide what is most important to focus on.
CDO Magazine appreciates Brian Shea for sharing invaluable insights with our global community.
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