Management Style Works At Home, Too

Chuck Sted’s “prioritization” management style has helped keep Hawaii Pacific Health on an even keel while other companies have faltered. The same approach can keep families on track.

Prioritization management means taking one thing at a time, not everything at once. It’s like building a house: first the foundation, then the frame, then the walls, and so on. The most important pieces come first.

“We focus on the few most important things that have to be done, get them done very well and then move on to the next,” Sted says. 

The company puts health and wellness — both physical and mental — on an equal footing with doing your job. This means the company values its employees going home on time so the family can have dinner together. It means the company also offers training to its managers on how to accomplish these goals by working smarter and being more focused. When there are problems or questions, managers are always available to help find solutions.

Using this credo within a family means setting priorities, then following through. If the priority is improving family fitness, but there doesn’t seem to be time, it means turning down other things to make time for walks or the gym. If the priority erodes, everyone sits down together to recommit to it. 

Children are never too young to understand about setting priorities. It helps them develop balance, live within financial and time constraints, and work toward goals. Goals build teamwork within a family, and strengthen children’s understanding that they can’t always have things as soon as they want them.