Scott A. Mason - Executive Turned Consultant: Transitioning from Experienced Executive to Trusted Advisor in Healthcare

PRAISE FOR EXECUTIVE TURNED CONSULTANT

Scott has the kind of insight and perspective that only a lifetime of practical and pragmatic management experience can bring. As a career strategy consultant, Scott has clearly established himself as a national thought leader. In this most recent book, Executive Turned Consultant, he continues his tireless pursuit of knowledge to help optimize results in the most complex industry in the world by speaking to experienced executives who might be considering a career change to consulting.

Jonathan Burroughs, MD, MBA, consultant, author, speaker

In these turbulent times, the healthcare industry desperately needs advice from those who have developed their insights and wisdom from practical experience. As Scott points out, Being a successful consultant is not easy. This book is timely, providing a glide path for those with practical industry experience to become effective consultants from someone who has been there, done that.

Nathan Kaufman, strategy consultant, speaker, author, digital influencer, transaction specialist

In Executive Turned Consultant, Scott has again used his extensive consulting experience to provide practical and real-life advice to mid-career or nearing-retirement healthcare executives. As someone for whom this is a lived experience, Scott has captured how the two roles of executive and consultant differ dramatically. These are challenging times in healthcare. The executive who can partner successfully with a trusted advisor has a step forward in managing these challenges. Scott describes clearly how ones ability to achieve the status of a trusted advisor requires overcoming significant challenges. This book makes a real contribution to healthcare executives considering consulting as their next career.

Don Wegmiller, member, Healthcare Hall of Fame; retired CEO, Allina Health; chairman, Scottsdale Institute; chairman emeritus, Gallagher Integrated Strategies

Scott Masons new book Executive Turned Consultant: Transitioning from Experienced Executive to Trusted Advisor in Healthcare is a must-read for all healthcare executives and consultants. Key insights are offered on how the role of advisor and executive are distinctly different. Having partnered with Scott on numerous engagements, I know his gift resides in truly understanding the client context before offering expert guidance on how to approach a certain issue. Scott gives a compelling case for effective consulting and the essential role it must play if we are to successfully transform healthcare. Executives contemplating such a career change would do well to heed Scotts advice.

Bob Ritz, president/CEO of MercyOne

ACHE Management Series Editorial Board

Douglas E. Anderson, DHA, LFACHE, Chairman

SHELDR Consulting Group

Tyler A. Bauer

NorthShore University HealthSystem

CDR Janiese A. Cleckley, FACHE

Defense Health Agency

Kris M. Drake, FACHE

Ingham Community Health Centers

Guy J. Guarino Jr., FACHE

Catawba Valley Medical Center

Shanna Johnson, FACHE

Ascension St. John Hospital

Sylvia E. Lozano, FACHE

Alameda Health System

Faith Needleman

Samaritan Life Enhancing Care

Mitali Paul, FACHE

Houston Methodist Specialty Physicians Group

Jayson P. Pullman

Hawarden Regional Healthcare

CDR Lisa A. White, FACHE

Navy Medicine Professional Development Center

Nichole C. Wilson, FACHE

Community Health Network

Your board, staff, or clients may also benefit from this books insight. For information on quantity discounts, contact the Health Administration Press Marketing Manager at (312) 424-9450.

This publication is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold, or otherwise provided, with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

The statements and opinions contained in this book are strictly those of the author and do not represent the official positions of the American College of Healthcare Executives or the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Copyright 2022 by the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Mason, Scott A. author. | American College of Healthcare Executives, issuing body.

Title: Executive turned consultant : transitioning from experienced executive to trusted advisor in healthcare / Scott A. Mason.

Other titles: Management series (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Description: Chicago, IL : Health Administration Press, [2022] | Series: HAP/ACHE management series | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: This book provides a road map for executives contemplating a move into management consulting. It walks readers through key considerations and includes firsthand accounts of executives who have navigated the transitionProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021055778 (print) | LCCN 2021055779 (ebook) | ISBN 9781640553378 (paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781640553347 (epub)

Subjects: MESH: Health Services Administration | Consultants | Vocational Guidance

Classification: LCC RA418 (print) | LCC RA418 (ebook) | NLM W 64 | DDC 362.1dc23/eng/20211124

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021055778

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021055779

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

Acquisitions editor: Jennette McClain; Manuscript editor: DeAnna Burghart; Project manager: Andrew Baumann; Cover designer: James Slate; Layout: Integra

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To my trusted advisors

my wife, Melanie,

and my children, Kayla and Nicholas

for their love and support.

MANY YEARS AGO, I was part of a group of healthcare consultants who gathered at an educational meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, to discuss several topics of interest. Although I have forgotten most of the conversation, one thing that stuck in my mind was when we went off script and talked about how we would most like to spend our time if we were not consulting. It was obvious as we went around the group that some had not given it much thought. Gardening and travel were among the common answers, but by far the most popular was writing. I think part of this stemmed from the near universal belief that, as experienced professional consultants, we each felt we had something of value we needed to share with others. After all, that is effectively how we made our living, and we each were well compensated for our opinions and insights. Yet as I look back on this conversation, very few who took part have taken up the pen.