MIR 2015: Managing a Complex Radiology Department

Managing a large radiology department is not the job for just one leader, according to Jim Reekers, Amsterdam, who spoke at the Management in Radiology (MIR) annual meeting in Barcelona this week. Appointing deputies for each area, and delegating responsibility will help to avoid bottlenecks in decision-making, he said, and the role of the leader starts with good listening.

Reekers compared leadership with being the captain of the ship, as they are the final responsible person for everyone’s safety. In his own department, there are deputies for the five areas of the department: patient care, education, research, IT management and hardware management.

The department leader should concentrate on people management, Reekers advised. The leader needs to create and communicate a set of shared values and solid understanding of the department’s direction.

The golden rules of managing people are to respect the professionals, not to be concerned with the fine details, and keep your eye on the end goals, he said. It is important to build a good relationship with your co-workers. Everyone in the department needs to take responsibility for their role, be fully engaged and contribute to the end goals. Failing to communicate drains energy and productivity. If communication is not authentic, then people start to speculate and waste their energy worrying.

Show employees how they can make a difference, and ensure that they have the autonomy to get the job done. When staff succeed, recognise and celebrate the effort, but if they fail or make a mistake, use it as an opportunity to help them learn and grow.

Every good conversation starts with good listening, he emphasised.