It is an absolute certainty that at some point your department will have an unplanned absence of leadership. Relocation, retirement, maternity/paternity, sabbatical, lottery winner, and a host of other reasons difficult to predict or foresee.  Below are 5 ways this can be addressed so that you can:

  • Ensure work gets done
  • Continue to support your team
  • Reduce employee burnout

  1. Hire an Interim  
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    As you prepare for a new person to come on board, an experienced interim can fill the gaps in your operation quickly and in a cost-effective manner.  Drawn from a pool of well-vetted, industry professionals, the DM&A Interim Management addresses your needs to ensure work gets done to support your team and reduce employee burnout.  (This includes management-level positions such as Food Service and EVS Directors, Executive Chefs, Clinical Nutrition Managers and Registered Dietitians.)

  2. Hire New Staff

    It is important to spend enough time to recruit new staff because employing the right person with appropriate leadership skills, experience and credentials take time.  Create strategic interviewing, hiring, and onboarding processes to ensure the new hire has the experience and the right attitude to align with your organization’s culture.

  3. Adapt Your Current Workforce

    Existing employees may need to carry on additional workloads.  Pay close attention to your current employees to see if they have the ability to apply their skill in different ways.  If you chose this route you must communicate with your employees about expectations and progress to prevent burnout, lowering morale and/or lowering productivity.

  4. Promote from Within

    Employers often overlook potential rockstars within their organization.  Once a knowledgeable employee with valuable expertise is identified, training can be offered in-house.  Another option is to seek outside training.  Our Catalytic Leadership Academy has trainers and coaches who are experienced, nationally recognized, and highly credentialed leaders in the field to help strengthen your new leader.

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  5. Student Volunteers are a Win-Win!

    Even before the “great resignation,” who couldn’t use an extra pair of hands? An often-overlooked resource are student volunteers. While Student Volunteer Programs do require development and coordination, paying it forward can have wonderful payback for you and your operations!
    Click Here for some guidelines.