Better together: Most healthcare leaders report using a dyad leadership model

The Medical Group Management Association’s most recent MGMA Stat poll asked healthcare leaders: “Do you currently utilize a physician and administrator (dyad) leadership team model?” In response, the majority (77%) answered “yes,” while 23% reported “no.” Respondents who answered “yes” were then asked, “How is your organization's experience with dyad leadership?” Here are some of the responses:

• “Used at each practice location and works very well for continuity of information and building trust.”
• “Wouldn't do it any other way. Physician leads monthly Board meetings and presents to the Board the agenda items. Practice Administrator runs the practice and meets weekly with physician leader to discuss operations.”
• “Very good. A necessity in today's physician practice environment.”
• “Successful. The dyad keeps appropriate skills and decision-making separate. Regular and transparent communication is key.”

This poll was conducted on October 29, 2019, with 1,303 applicable responses.

Health systems and physician organizations face many complex challenges. To respond and proactively plan for these challenges, an organization’s management structure must support its culture, demonstrate financial stewardship and have strong leadership.

It is not surprising that 23% of respondents indicated that they do not have a dyad leadership team model in place today; changing management structures is hard work and culturally sensitive, which is why so many organizations are hesitant to do so.

Dyad leadership, in its simplest form, is a partnership. It’s the union of an administrative leader and a physician leader, forming a best-of-both-worlds structure. While the term has reappeared over the last five to 10 years, the model is not new. Dyad leadership dates back to 1908 at the Mayo Clinic when Will Mayo, MD, recruited Harry Harwick to help him manage their growing business and operations.1

Often a health system executive will say, “I have had a physician leader before and it didn’t work out well.” In a way, they’re right. Simply designating a leader, regardless of clinical or administrative roles, does not guarantee success. Likewise, simply having a dyad structure does not resolve leadership and structural voids.

Recruiting your physician dyad counterparts should take as much time and effort as recruiting your administrative leaders. After all, these individuals will spearhead clinical strategy, act as change agents and advocate for initiatives to their physician peers. But there is a set of shared attributes for leaders that will increase the likelihood of success:2

1. Effective communication
2. Enjoy working as part of a high-performing team
3. Able to solve complex problems
4. Respected by their peers.

Dyad leadership has proven to be an effective and differentiating leadership model. Research indicates that there are three critical success factors for high-performing dyads.

1. Role definition: Each leadership role has disciplined scoping and explicit delineating of responsibility.

The most effective dyads delineate roles. They do not duplicate work; rather, they are advocates and supporters of each other. Communication is critical, and both parties must understand their share of the common work.

2. Accountability: Leaders are held accountable for specific, measurable goals — some shared, some separate, but always complementary.

High-performing dyads are held accountable to goals and performance toward those goals. This is standard practice for administrative leaders. Performance management goals for clinician leaders are less common but increasingly adopted. Within the dyad structure, goals should be individual and shared and always complementary.

3. Authority: Leader must have sufficient latitude and power to make critical decisions and enact necessary changes.

The most important success factor deals with authority. Each dyad leader must be able to make decisions in the areas they are accountable.

Practical application

What does a dyad leadership model look like in practice? High-performing groups embed dyad leadership throughout all levels of the organization.
Optum recently worked with an organization that established dyad leaders at the executive level, at the specialty administrator level and at individual practice sites. This deep dyad implementation established a consistent structure across the organization. It created opportunities for physician leadership and development, and it positioned the physician enterprise to succeed in a rapidly changing, complex environment. Most important, this structure exponentially multiplied the number of clinical champions across the organization’s practice sites and specialties and created leadership teams to handle difficult conversations and obstacles.




Notes:

1. Cortese D, Smoldt RK. “5 success factors for physician-administrator partnerships.” MGMA Insight. 2019.
2. Trandel E. “Advocating for dyad leadership at your organization? Use our slides.” Advisory Board. March 26, 2015.

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