Cause and Effect

Running head: THE LOST LEADER

The Lost Leader

The Lost Leader

A Case Study: Faith Community Hospital

Introduction

The CEO of Faith Community Hospital is in trouble; the hospital's performance is on the decline and its reputation is at stake. Various problems plague every division in the hospital, and the overall picture appears bleak. In order to turn this situation around, the CEO has ordered a case study to identify, evaluate, analyze, and propose solutions to the problems that have contributed to the hospital's downfall.

After careful evaluation of the overall situation, the results of the study determined that three core problems were responsible for the company's current state of crisis. Before exploring the results of the survey, it is important to define the means by which this survey came to its decisions. Evaluation of all areas was via a "cause and effect" decision-making model. This type of model enables one to view several alternatives to a problem rather than concentrating in one specific area. These three problems are the impetus behind every problem throughout the organization. In other words, many of the "lesser" problems (defined below) experienced by the hospital are a byproduct of the three major problems.

The Core Problems

The first problem that faces this organization is that of its mission statement. Faith Community General's mission statement is so broad and vague that it is not understood by the people who are most affected by it. Instead of uniting the hospital, staff, patients and the Board of Directors, this mission statement divides these entities, and creates a sense of oneness rather than wholeness.

Secondly, both the CEO and the Board of Directors are a major source of the hospital's problem. The Board's inability to unite coupled with the CEO's lack of confidence creates a package that is incapable of leading. A strong CEO, along with a united Board of Directors, is required to successfully drive an organization into the future. The Board of Directors must work together in order to convey a strong foundation to the public as well as the hospital staff. They must unite and project an air of confidence and encourage others to follow their lead. In other words, they are the leaders who set the hospital's standards, and therefore their unification is vital to the organizations' success.

The third, and perhaps most important problem facing the hospital is the complete and total lack of communication. The communication breakdown