Executive Outplacement Ripe for Disruption

Executive personal branding and the Excavate-Tell-Affirm? process from Revealing Genius effectively support executives in transition.

The email arrived on a Tuesday afternoon. “Dr. Sarah Chen,” chief medical officer at a prestigious healthcare system for the past decade, stared at her screen in disbelief. The merger was final, and her position had been eliminated. After years of dedication and countless achievements, she was now facing an unexpected career transition.

As the initial shock subsided, Sarah's thoughts raced. “What's next? How do I even begin to look for a new role? Will anyone value my experience? What do I really want to do to have impact at this juncture of my career?”

The outplacement services offered by her organization seemed underwhelming—a few résumé writing sessions and generic networking tips. She couldn't shake the feeling that this approach was woefully inadequate for someone at her level, especially in the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Sarah's story is far from unique. I've encountered countless healthcare leaders thrust into similar situations. Their experiences have led me to a profound realization: The field of executive outplacement services is ripe for disruption. Fortunately, executive personal branding and the Excavate-Tell-Affirm? process from Revealing Genius can lead the way toward better executive transitions.

The Changing Face of Executive Careers

Gone are the days when executives would stay in their roles for decades, unprepared for eventual exits. In today's dynamic business environment, change should not just be inevitable—it should be planned for and even welcomed. The new world of executive careers is characterized by frequent transitions, with leaders expecting to move into new roles every few years.

This shift in career expectations has created a mismatch between traditional outplacement services and the needs of modern executives. The old model, often stigmatizing transitions and focusing on tactical, templated approaches, is no longer sufficient.?

The traditional approach rarely addresses on a substantive level how to navigate through the “loss” regardless of how the executive exited, planned or unplanned, amicable or not. Even loss of routine and creating a new normal with large amounts of white space on a calendar can be daunting. Executives have different needs and desires compared to an early or mid-careerist.

Instead, what's needed is a strategic, customized process that goes much deeper to embrace change and prepare executives for the next chapter in their careers.

The Unique Needs of Healthcare Executives

Healthcare executives, in particular, face unique challenges when transitioning roles. Many, especially those with medical backgrounds, have never been formally trained in executive personal branding or strategic self-positioning. Yet, in today's competitive landscape, these skills are crucial for securing new opportunities and making impactful career moves.

From my experience working with healthcare leaders, I've observed that what they truly need is a bespoke process for reinvention—a complete rebrand, if you will. This process should help them:

1. Gain clarity and direction about their purpose, why they exist to serve, a North Star they can use for the rest of their careers?
2. Position themselves and message strategically using a Brand Manifesto?
3. Confidently pursue their next keystone goal

A Fresh Approach: Excavate-Tell-Affirm

I believe we need a paradigm shift in how we approach executive outplacement. The time-proven three-spoke process I've developed, Excavate-Tell-Affirm, offers a fresh perspective:

1. Excavate: Deep dive into the executive's experiences, strengths and aspirations to uncover their unique value proposition and extraordinary why.
2. Tell: Craft compelling narratives that effectively communicate the executive's brand and potential impact that feels authentic and most importantly reduces complexity and ambiguity and is heard, trusted and actioned.
3. Affirm: Build confidence and clarity through targeted feedback and support.

At Revealing Genius, we believe in taking a giant step back, thinking deeply about one’s purpose, why you exist to serve, how you want to live and how you can find fulfillment and have seventh-generation impact.?

This approach moves beyond the tactical to the strategic. It's about helping executives like you not just find their next role, but reimagine their professional identity and how they want to show up as part of their new normal.?

Real-World Impact of Executive Personal Branding

The effectiveness of this new approach is evident in the success stories I've witnessed:

• An EVP in organizational development from one of the largest health systems in the Northeast? gained the confidence to start her own consulting firm.
• A finance executive for a national foundation? successfully positioned himself for a president's role.
• A CEO from an iconic health insurance brand , who had never needed a réumé before, created new messaging and became an advisor in behavioral health.
• An introverted COO with expertise in call centers uncovered signature brand stories that landed her a coveted role at a Fortune 10 firm, amidst fierce competition.
• A hospitalist rebranded herself and was invited by a private equity firm to lead a rural telehealth startup as CEO.
• A physician-executive who had reached the pinnacle of his career in his region went on to work with a nationwide influencer, expanding his influence and impact to a broader audience.

These stories demonstrate the power of a personalized, strategic approach to executive outplacement. They show that with the right guidance, you and other healthcare executives can not only navigate transitions successfully but also expand your influence and impact in new and exciting ways—the next act might look very different.

The Organizational Imperative

It's worth noting that upping the game with executive outplacement isn't just about the success of individuals. It's also a reflection of organizational values. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, organizations have a professional and ethical obligation to provide outplacement services to healthcare executives who have dedicated their time to the organization. I’d add that organizations have an obligation to provide modern, effective outplacement services to these high-value executives.

How an organization handles outplacement speaks volumes about its brand, culture and core values. By offering innovative, high-quality outplacement services, healthcare organizations can demonstrate their commitment to their leaders' long-term success, even as they part ways.

What You Can Do Today

By reimagining outplacement as a process of reinvention and rebranding, organizations and individual healthcare leaders like you can pursue the great work of their lives. Because that’s the game, right??

The time for change is now. Let's welcome reinvention, embrace the possibilities of career transitions and get you the support you truly need to thrive in the next chapter of your professional journey.?

If you have questions about how you can use your outplacement package to work with Revealing Genius, I hope you’ll schedule a complimentary exploratory call.

Mary E. Maloney, FACHE, is an executive advisor, educator, speaker, author and producer, the founder of Revealing Genius and the expert that accomplished leaders trust for positioning, messaging and brand strategy for themselves, their teams and their organizations. A former CEO and CMO, Maloney guides healthcare C-suite leaders, founders, physicians and board directors to powerfully and strategically message their expertise and “why” so they lead with conviction and achieve their most coveted goals. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), one of only ~8,000 in the world to earn the credential, the benchmark for board certification in healthcare management.