Healthcare managers and administrators work behind the scenes overseeing operations in clinics, hospitals and other medical facilities. While healthcare administrators handle the day-to-day operations, healthcare managers focus on the “big picture” aspects of running a healthcare organization.
If you’re considering an online MBA in Health Care Management, then take stock of which soft skills you have, which skills to develop and which skills you lack. While enrolled in the program you’ll have endless opportunities to better develop these soft skills along with hard skills.
5 Important Healthcare Management And Administration Skills
Although healthcare managers and administrators have clear differences in their overall roles, they both share specific soft skills to be successful. These include, but are not limited to: conflict management, customer service, decision-making, people management and teamwork and collaboration.
1. Conflict Management
Conflicts can happen at any job, but in the healthcare setting, it’s imperative to ensure interpersonal and professional conflicts don’t negatively impact patient safety or outcomes. Students who enter the MBA in Health Care Management program typically have multiple years of experience working professionally, often in the healthcare field, but not everyone has management experience. Concordia University Chicago’s online MBA equips you with skills to lead and manage different types of organizations, including critical thinking and problem-solving to deal with conflicts that may arise.
2. Customer Service
Although healthcare managers and administrators aren’t patient-facing roles, customer service is still an important soft skill to possess. Customers expect a high level of service from healthcare providers and will change providers if customer service is bad.
A specialized course in the MBA program is Health Care Systems 2. Through examining topics such as private and public financing of health service, quality of care assessment, control of quality and costs of care and professional self‐regulation and compliance, you’ll be able to provide top-notch customer service in any organization.
3. Decision-Making
Healthcare leaders are often tasked with decision-making in high-stress environments. This is why calm, strategic and evidence-based decision-making is a top soft skill healthcare managers and administrators need. Students can build up decision-making skills related to healthcare management in the MBA program.
4. Communication
Written and verbal communication skills are must-have skills for almost all industries. Especially in healthcare, the way managers and administrators communicate policies, procedures and regulations to staff may impact the organization greatly. Whether you communicate on the phone, through email or face-to-face, you must transmit the correct information clearly and transparently. Keep in mind, ongoing communication as a two-way street between staff and yourself will open doors for innovation and feedback.
5. Teamwork and Collaboration
Healthcare managers and administrators collaborate with many different groups throughout their daily roles, including varying staff members, families, insurance companies and more. Developing teamwork and collaboration skills is a top priority because you want everyone to operate as a cohesive unit. Although there will be days when you’ll need to ask for help or something will go wrong, teamwork and collaboration can get daily responsibilities back on track. Concordia-Chicago’s Organizational Behavior for Competitive Advantage course equips you with the knowledge to develop a teamwork mindset among staff and fully understand why people behave the way they do.
An MBA in Health Care Management Develops the Soft Skills to Succeed
Pursuing an MBA in Health Care Management degree proves beneficial because employers value decision-makers and managers who have the combined specialized knowledge of healthcare operations and business needs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 28% through 2031. Hiring departments are on the lookout for healthcare professionals who possess not only hard skills but these top 5 soft skills as well.
Apply today and in just six terms, you’ll be prepared to execute positive change in a wide variety of healthcare management and administration jobs.
