BOARDS

in today’s society the pace of change is at an all-time high.
Hospitals however, and in particular the Governments that
fund them, are not known for their speed or implementation
of change, so one needs to be realistic when pushing for creativity
and innovation if it means governments and their ministries
themselves need to change. Having worked in the high
tech sector, and as a small business owner, the bureaucracy
associated with health care in general can be stifling. Don’t
let that stop you from embracing change because regardless
of the bureaucracy that surrounds any organization or profession,
all can benefit from creativity and innovation.
Q: What do you see as the greatest governance challenge
facing boards today?
A: Getting the long-term funding right. The current fiscal
restraint and year-to-year uncertainty regarding funding
allocations only serves to increase the cost of doing
business. This uncertainly regrading Health Care Funding
Reform creates challenges and impacts good governance
and oversight. This cannot continue no matter how much
you streamline organizations and drive efficiencies as it is
not economically sustainable.
Q: In your own words, complete the following sentences:
When it comes to being a board member – If I knew then,
what I know now, I…
A: ... would have tried to learn more quickly so that I could
understand what had gone on before me and then contribute
to the current issues based on sound, knowledgeable
opinions. Many times I’ve seen senior executives come into
organizations thinking that what they accomplished in their
last job will create a solution in the new one. Not a good
approach when being part of a board. No one appreciates
someone who starts each sentence with ‘When I was running
‘xyz’ company we did this and that...’ you start to hate
the ‘this and that’ as it assumes that those before either
didn’t know what they were doing, or that simple answers
are the best. I found I needed to beware of simple answers
to complex questions in this field especially. While I agree
there is no such thing as a dumb question, there are occasions
when asking something without some basic due
diligence or just for the sake of asking can actually be kind
of dumb! I personally learned that lesson the hard way.
My one big, bold idea to improve governance in
Ontario is…
A: I’m afraid I have two but seeing as the first one relates
directly to the need for inspired leadership at the provincial
level and I cannot impact how that should change, I’ll try
and articulate the bold idea that actually has a chance to
create improvement… That is to try and reduce the growth
in the amount of time, effort and people costs that go into
efforts that do not directly contribute to improving patient
care. Reduce the bureaucracy assigned to unnecessary
following up on administration of our funding and oversight,
instead allow institutions to perform with effective, not
excessive, checks and balances. This combined with
minimizing the bureaucracy within the regional community
care model will allow more of the funding to go to where it
is needed and that is patient care.
My vision for governance in Ontario is…
A: Continue on the governance path that oversees the
cooperation and seamless integration with our partners.
Cooperation for the best interest of patients and their
families should be the goal of governance for all hospitals
today. We are on a better track now than 10 years ago
but no where near where we need to be.
ROB NOTMAN is Chief Operating Officer, Optimum Talent,
Ottawa. Currently, Rob is proud to serve as Past Chair and
current member of the Executive Committee on the Board
of Trustees for the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group and as a
Board Member for the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club. His career
background encompasses senior management positions in
the areas of business development, human resources and
career counselling. Since 1992, Rob has continued to develop
and lead what has become the most prestigious career
consulting firm in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
Before entering the field of career transition consulting, Rob
was Director of Marketing Programs at one of Canada's leading
defense electronics firms and spent more than 10 years
directing human resources departments in unionized and
non-unionized environments in the high technology industry.
In addition to his business management experience, Rob
directed the efforts of human resources departments
specializing in the areas of recruitment and retention, which
provided him with the opportunity to coach individuals with
career development choices. Throughout his career, Rob
has developed and implemented policies related to career
management. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science
degree from Carleton University, has his Certified Human
Resources Professional designation and a Certificate in
Strategic Marketing from Duke University. Rob has represented
business as a past board member of the Canadian Labour
Force Development Board. His community involvement
includes a Campaign Cabinet post for United Way/Centraide
Ottawa and he served as a Board Member of Manoir Ronald
McDonald House.
BOARDS: OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GOVERNANCE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE 16 16