Introduction to securing leadership support

Sustainability programs that align with organizational priorities will gain senior leadership’s support and lead to long-term success. Most top-performing health organizations have an executive-level champion at the top of their sustainability reporting structure. This brings credibility and authority to a sustainability program, setting a tone from the top that this work is essential, and so is resourcing it. Acquiring leadership support can sometimes be a tall order.

This session prepared attendees to make a pitch to executive leadership by focusing on which channels of appeal and communication skills can help advance sustainability beyond awareness to action with this critical audience. Facilitators guided participants through an interactive exercise to practice using these methods and provided space to exchange ideas and experiences in navigating barriers in securing leadership support.

Key takeaways included:

• How to consider two over-arching channels of appeal for acquiring executive leadership support: mission alignment and operational benefits.
• Applying new mission alignment strategies to secure leadership’s support through health and equity, peer competition and industry landscape, and/or innovation.
• Learning strategies for gaining leadership support through operational benefits such as cost savings and resource efficiencies, regulatory compliance and risk management, staffing, and resilience.
• Replicating tactics for moving leadership through awareness, desire for change, and action, including tips for when you get stuck.

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This on-demand session is part of the Accelerating Health Care Sustainability series. Viewing it and taking a short quiz qualifies as one of four required sessions to receive the Sustainability Program Fundamentals Certificate of Completion.