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By Kristin Baird
Service recovery is an essential element of a great patient experience improvement plan. Of course you want to get service right the first time, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. When you have a service failure, it’s the apology that holds more weight than a gift card or coupon. If your associates can’t make a sincere and timely apology on behalf of the organization, you’re at a real disadvantage. But they need to know how to do it. A few weeks ago we were doing service recovery training with front line staff. As part of the training, we give examples of common service failures and ask participants to craft a verbal response. I overheard a conversation that validated the need to practice apologies. It went like this: Jane: This happens all the time. Sue: I know. I see it all the time too. Jane: So what do you say to the patients when this happens? Sue: Nothing. I don’t know what to say. Jane: I know what you mean. It’s awkward so I don’t say anything either. The truth is that many of your team members are at a loss for words when a patient or family member is upset. In fact, many associates say that they consciously avoid approaching anyone who looks angry or upset. That is precisely why they need to practice responses in their own words. Apologies can be awkward, so by practicing, you can begin to normalize your planned response. The best service recovery is a four-pronged approach.
Remember, telling someone to apologize and helping them to practice in their own words are two very different things. Help them build confidence with practice. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Tim Hague Sr.
There is something about a particular conversation around Parkinson’s that I occasionally find somewhat challenging. I know that we among the Parkinson’s community are not alone in this form of conversation I am alluding to, but of course ours is more personal than the others. I also accept the heart felt yearning that gives rise to it. I hear the refrain regardless of what ailment is being represented and whether the speaker be the charity, the foundation or the persons suffering from it. It is the ever-present need to find a cure. Before I go too far here I know I run the risk of sounding like I’m off my nut, but I trust you will walk with me just a way down this road. The simple reality is that we as human kind have not cured much. For example; what is the first medical cure that leaps to your mind as you read this? We have made astonishingly amazing strides towards wiping out many diseases and eradicating various scourges from the earth but can’t quite say we’ve cured much. The purpose of my broaching this subject is not to suggest that we should do anything less than to relentlessly pursue a cure for Parkinson’s. By all means let us pursue a cure. But first, let us relentlessly pursue life. I’ve heard it spoken of, and have felt it myself, this depression of sorts that stems from the question; ‘When? When will they cure this thing?’ And then, at times, the depression gives way to hopelessness. ‘Will it ever happen in my lifetime?’ ‘Will my disease progress too far for it to ever matter?’ I fear that there are times when we get the matter turned all around and allow what should be of paramount importance to slip to the back. We become so focused on what we wish we could be, have, or become that we lose sight of all that is. I often fear that we have become so fixed on pursuing a future state that we neglect our current need to live life to the full. My son, Tim Jr., gave me the heads up that he was making a quick trip home from the east coast a few weeks past but did not want me to tell his mom. He wanted to surprise her. The real surprise he said was that he and my daughterin-law, Kara were coming home a year early. They are going to finish their degrees back at home. He walked into the house and met us all at the supper table. Of course his mom, my wife, cried tears of surprise and joy as she sought an explanation. He told us of their decision to move home, this April (!) and that they were going to buy a house. Bam! It all seemed so much we were stunned with feelings of delight and gratitude. Then he handed us a little gift bag. Inside the bag was a children’s book ‘Grandma, Grandpa and Me’ by Mercer Mayer and on the inside cover it says, ‘Hope you’re ready…Grandma and Grandpa!’ It’s our first grand baby and I’m going to be a grandpa. I had a really lousy couple of days recently and it seems I spend more time dealing with non motor symptoms of Parkinson’s than motor. Some days are just bleak. And then came hope. In the birth of a little baby comes hope. ‘Hope you’re ready…’. I am ready. I’m ready to live for this little grand baby, to be alive and present. To watch him or her grow and spoil them terribly every second of the way. For today and many months to come this will be all I need. Yours may not be a new grand baby, but I encourage you to name what it is that gives you life, that stirs your soul. Do I hope and work for a cure for this disease called Parkinson’s? Sure, and I will take it if and when it comes. However, that pursuit will forever remain distant to the pursuit of living a full life filled with joy and contentment. In the meantime, should you need me you’ll find me out at the park living life with my grandkid! Leave your need for a cure for just a while. Come join us. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Donna Cardillo
Practicing gratitude has been clinically proven to have a profound and positive impact on a person’s health and quality of life — and it’s free! No co-pays, no time spent at appointments, no needles, no prescriptions. However, the fast-paced lifestyle that many of us have become accustomed to makes practicing gratitude difficult if we do not make a concerted effort to work it into our daily routines. Gratitude is appreciating the things that are meaningful to each of us as individuals. And since improved health is certainly something to be grateful for, if you aren’t already on the daily gratitude bandwagon, now’s the time start! 5 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude According to gratitude expert Robert A. Emmons from the University of California, Davis, the health benefits of practicing gratitude include: 1. Lowers Blood Pressure Some studies have indicated there is a parasympathetic response when gratitude journaling, which slows the heart rate and in turn reduces blood pressure. 2. Improves Your Sleep and Reduces Daily Fatigue Sleep improves especially when practicing gratitude right before bed. As you drift off to sleep in a more relaxed state your body will reap the benefits. Better sleep leads to less fatigue during the day. 3. Decreases Depression Some studies state that the regular practice of gratitude reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels by up to 23% which in turn reduces a person’s lifetime risk of depression. 4. Living a Happier and Healthier Existence Some studies report increased exercise and better eating habits in those who practice daily gratitude which overall leads to a happier and healthier life. 5. Improves Self-esteem and Mental Clarity As we feel healthier and happier, enhanced self-esteem and improved mental clarity in day-to-day activities increases. 5 Ways to Incorporate the Practice of Gratitude Into Your Life 1. Start Your Day Being Grateful for a Person or Thing The practice of gratitude before your feet hit the floor in the morning can help you start your day off with a positive vibe. You can be grateful for something as simple as a new day. 2. Implement Daily Meditation Meditation is another way to focus on positive thoughts. With each slow inhalation followed by each slow exhalation, remain in the moment and focus on being grateful for what you have. 3. Create a Gratitude Jar A gratitude jar is a great way to get the family involved in the practice of gratitude with each person dropping a note in the jar every day. After all, gratitude can be learned, so helping kids (and adults) incorporate this into their lives will not only have an impact on the individual’s health but on the health of the family as a whole. Create a tradition where you read the notes in the jar and stick to it every year. 4. Commit to Evening Journaling Each night before bed consider writing a few things you’re grateful for. You can use a traditional journal or consider exploring one of the many electronic apps available today. 5. Write a Gratitude Letter Think of people throughout your life who have had a major influence on you. Consider athletic coaches, local librarians, a former boss, a special mentor, and take the time to thank them. You don’t even have to mail the letters for the practice to be effective. Expressing your thanks in writing, even privately, does the trick. Embracing an Attitude of Gratitude Developing an “attitude of gratitude” approach to life is sure to help you be resilient even in the toughest of times. The more satisfied you are with your life the more likely you are to be healthy and give off positive energy to those around you. You have complete control over making time to improve your health through the regular practice of gratitude. It’s that simple, so start today! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
One day, ensconced in my car on the conveyor belt of an automatic car wash, I noticed the sun play a trick through my windshield. The light refracted exactly right to create an amazing collage of blues, purples, and greens that mixed with the white, soapy bubbles. The image was worthy of a frame. Moments later, as the conveyor belt pulled my car deeper into the concrete tunnel of the wash, the color vanished, replaced with dirty brown water. These two moments represented only snapshots in time, but the impression I had changed in a split second. Your “guest” (customer, client, patient, or patron) has this same experience every time he or she interacts with your team members. We call this a “Guest Encounter” and it is just like the snapshot in time from the car wash. This fleeting encounter impacts the overall guest experience and often dictates the report card you receive after the sale has wrapped. How much attention do you give to improving your encounters? Does your team work to improve the body language, the word choice, and the engagement level needed to ensure your guests feel valued? Remember, customers take ALL encounters into consideration when judging service, not exclusively the frame-worthy snapshot. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Steve Berkowitz
Hardly a conversation goes by between myself and a fellow Chief Medical Officer where one of us does not bring up an issue regarding a difficult physician on the medical staff and how best to deal with it. Whether the presenting issue is disruptiveness, inappropriateness, incompetency, impairment or anything else, the medical staff leader ultimately faces the dilemma on how best to resolve the situation. These cases are frequently uncomfortable on multiple levels for the medical staff leadership– in the areas of personal involvement, professional disagreements, and lack of individual experience on the part of the medical leader in dealing with the process. Over the years, I have developed a few simple rules and questions that have been helpful to me to reach a reasonable remedy in the great majority of the situations that have arisen in my roles of Chief Medical Officer and Consultant. First, I like to apply four straightforward rules: Rule 1: Patient safety comes first. Rule 2: Follow your established Bylaws, policies and procedures. Rule 3: Involve legal opinion early on. Rule 4: Implement the least disruptive disposition that will satisfy Rule 1. As we go through the process, regardless of the nature of the complaint, I like to address the following hierarchical questions in order of severity: 1. Is there an egregious issue going on that constitutes an immediate threat to patient safety and therefore may require a summary suspension or other immediate action? This is the most extreme case and fortunately the most rare. If there is a clear danger to the patient, immediate measures are necessary. We must be sure to protect all patients, present and future, from harm. When I am comfortable that the case does not rise to this level of severity, I go to the next question: 2. Is there an aspect of this case that is reportable to the NPDB, state Medical Boards, or other agency? It is important for the medical leader to be familiar with what must be reported on a national level and with the particular state medical board. A legal opinion is essential if there is any doubt to whether the offense qualifies for immediate notification of any of the agencies. If there are no reportable issues, it generally gives us more flexibility down the road in the resolution process. Not the least of which, it opens up the option of voluntary resignation by the physician as a possible outcome. 3. Is our process completely in compliance with the Bylaws/ Rules and Regulations?Following the established policies and procedures are necessary throughout every step of the process and every participant in the action must be familiar with them. Many of the problems that are encountered through this process are directly due to not following established procedures, rules and policies. We must be sure that the physician is completely aware of the procedures and the resulting consequences of not adhering to the action plan. Of course, the appropriate confidentialities must be maintained throughout the process. The goal is to have a comprehensive action plan that all parties understand, with pre-established goals and timelines. 4. Is the situation remediable? What has been done with the physician to date. Has everything been appropriately documented? Are we following the appropriate graded steps in dealing with the situation? Have we seen improvement toward the desired outcome and is the physician motivated to take the necessary steps down the road so that the particular incident will not occur again. Ultimately, we come to the disposition and the application of my Rule 4: what is the least disruptive option that ensures the appropriate patient safety. As we consider potential interventions along the continuum of doing nothing at the one extreme and immediate summary suspension at the other extreme, I like to implement the least severe option on that continuum that accomplishes our overall goal of patient safety. Obviously, the appropriate intervention is very individual and based upon the specifics of the case. I strive to do everything that I can for the physician. I very much respect that a physician’s livelihood may be at stake, but even more, I respect that the patient should never be put in potential harm’s way. What is the least disruptive remedy that gets the job done? Managing medical staff interventions is a very complicated topic, and this post was simply meant to outline the graded steps that should be taken in order to achieve the best outcome for all parties involved. There is much more to say on this matter, but I have found the application of these rules and questions has kept me out of trouble administratively and has led to the best outcome for the physician and the patient. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.
What question do you ask when things don’t go your way? What about when things go even better than planned? Or when you sense a wonderful new opportunity, but aren’t confident you’re qualified? What about when you see a problem within your family, office or community that no one is addressing? A recent conversation with a new friend provided powerful insight on a simple question we should be asking in each of these situations. Let me explain. Daniel Silverstein is a successful business owner, designer, fashion expert and trailblazer. After advancing in a career focused on high-end fashion, Daniel saw a potentially higher calling for his talents. You see, in his early career he observed two major problems within the industry: (1) The waste produced during clothing manufacturing (14 million+ tons annually in the US) and (2) The inability for many of those who create our clothing to make a living wage. We are all gifted in identifying challenges in our families, communities and at our places of work, aren’t we? Issues that bother, annoy or even anger us. But, so often our response is nothing more than: Eh, what can I do? But what if instead of asking a question that enabled us to turn our back on the problem and curse the darkness, we asked one that encouraged us to take action and make a difference? One Question to Help You Overcome Challenges Daniel Silverstein’s grandmother taught him the power of doing exactly that. As a school teacher in her mid 60’s, Daniel’s grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. In addition to reflecting on the concerns associated with her diagnosis, she took time to consider the life she’d lived and how she wanted to spend the remaining time she had. She loved teaching, but she’d always been interested in painting. Although she’d not painted since childhood, as she stared into her own mortality, she asked a simple question: Why not me? She invested in brushes, canvases and paints and began painting. Not only did this incredible woman go on to win the battle with cancer, but she also won the war to fully live the time she had. More than six decades into life, she discovered and began using her gift. Her paintings now grace the walls of hundreds of offices and homes around the US. She also modeled for her grandson the power this one question can have on a life and how it can navigate a journey in an utterly new, unchartered and hopeful direction. Why not me? With grandma as his example, Daniel left his position in the traditional world of fashion to begin his own business. Zero Waste Daniel is a shop in New York City that takes textile waste from garment factories and repurposes them into new, beautiful clothing. In the windows of his shop – you can see his team working hard to produce the beautiful clothing; to help educate passersby on why adequate prices must be paid for clothing so that the people producing them can make a livable wage. So, what questions are you asking yourself as challenges mount, fires burn and life happens? We can curse the darkness and turn our backs...or have the audacity to light a candle and make a difference. My friend, why not you? This is your day. Live Inspired. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
In my last post, I mentioned a phrase from my childhood about our being “worth our salt.” Here are some of the remaining principles which I embrace. Hopefully, by seeing them, you will think more purposefully about the principles you value... Fun A rabbi, a priest, and a nun walk into a bar. The bartender says, “What, is this a joke?” Since I did my graduate thesis on humor and my brand is “Do it Well, Make it Fun,” it makes sense that I believe in fun and humor. The research is clear—a spoonful of fun makes the stress go down (or something like that). You see, during our lifetime, we will encounter both joy and sorrow. To truly experience joy, we must understand the experience of sorrow—and vice versa. Yet, many of us tend to focus more on our challenges and as a result, we miss many of the simple pleasures in life. So, while we don’t need to be reminded of the adversities we experience, since we’re already good at focusing on that, we do need to be reminded to seek more fun and humor—to balance the adversity. So quit working so hard and get back to goofing off! Honesty Mark Twain once said, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” Honesty is the best path to take even when a “little white lie” appears to be the better course of action. For instance, has anyone ever said to you, “Now, this is just between you and me”? When that happens to me, I explain that my wife and I do not keep secrets from each other. Therefore, I willshare the information with her. I explain this so the other person can decide if they still want to share the information with me. I could just as easily say, “sure” and then tell my wife anyway. But that’s not honest. When we’re honest, even in those situations when we’re sharing difficult information or we have to admit a mistake, I believe the honesty shows integrity and that we can be trusted. Humility I am a speaker and author. That means if people like me and what I talk about, I tend to get hired more. This is risky proposition for someone who leans toward the narcissistic end of the self-centered spectrum. So, when someone says, “That was the best presentation I’ve ever seen,” I have to fight the urge to believe that I am a precious gift to the world at large. It turns out, humility is actually a better approach. And, it’s a very powerful principle even though it may not appear to be. When we show humility by admitting mistakes, sharing credit for our successes, and focusing on others, we actually make a greater impact than when we try to take all the credit for ourselves. A humble approach to most things endears us to others because it makes us less arrogant and more gracious. So, when we start to feel entitled and think that we deserve to be treated a certain way, we should remind ourselves that in most situations, we’re probably blessed to have what we have—rather than thinking we deserve more. And that can be a powerfully humbling realization. Professionalism Whenever I speak, I typically wear a suit. There are two reasons for my attire and both are related to professionalism. First, besides the fact that I look handsome and debonair, I found that I’m funnier when I dress up. If I look like a business speaker, my humor catches people off guard and I appear funnier. When I dress more casually, the audience expects me to be looser and funnier. And honestly, I don’t need that kind of pressure! So, I prefer to dress up and surprise them with the funny. The second reason I wear a suit is that I respect the role I’m in. I’m being paid to deliver a presentation and I want to show my client that I take that role seriously. Even when the conference coordinator tells me that the audience’s attire will be casual, I still wear a coat and tie (oh, and pants too). I think it shows respect for them and that I appreciate the importance of my job. Professionalism is really about taking your role seriously and respecting the integrity of the work. And it doesn’t matter what you do. I’ve seen garbage collectors take their roles more seriously than corporate managers. And when a cab driver goes out of his way to make my experience better, that’s professionalism. Someone once said, “Every job is dignified if done well.” Professionalism is, therefore, not just what we do but how we do it. Respect In the hospice where I worked, my colleagues and I felt very strongly about the role of respect, dignity, and self determination in the care of our patients. Many patients had come from an environment where they felt poked, prodded, and without a voice in the care they received. We tried to give them their dignity back by respecting their situation and their input. It seems that in the world today, respect has lost it’s dignity—especially when it comes to our differences. I believe that many challenges could be resolved if we would be willing to respect those who have a different perspective and to have a civil conversation about those differences. We’re all on this journey together and when we respect people as fellow human beings, we not only honor them, we often receive respect in return. Responsibility Responsibility means owning our situation, whether good or bad. I have found that this principle can be challenging because it’s tough to admit when we’ve made a mistake. As a hospice manager, I made a decision that turned out badly. At my next staff meeting, I explained my thinking, admitted my error, and described my plan to correct the situation. I believe it may have been one of the best decisions I ever made because it showed my staff that I was not only human and therefore could make mistakes, but I was willing to take responsibility for the problem. So, when we make an error, we should take responsibility. And when we do something good, we should take responsibility (with a bit of humility as noted above). Either way, we avoid blaming people or the system for our situation. Self Improvement Well, here again, this principle seems obvious. But I’m amazed by how many people I’ve heard say, “I don’t ever read” or “I’m not interested in learning about this” or “I’ll just get by.” In this life-long adventure we’re on, our goal is to end up better than we started. In other words, our goal is to always improve. If you’ve ever had a hobby, you know how good it feels when you improve. I played tennis in high school and when I learned a new way of hitting a ground stroke or got better at my serve, I enjoyed the game more. Life is richer when we’re better at it. Try to find a few things to improve and see if it isn’t true for you too. As I said in Part 1 of this series, the principles in our life are like salt: they season our lives. I hope you will take some time to figure out which principles are important to you. Then, as Stephen Covey suggested, write them down and put them where you’ll see them every day. If we’re all a bit more value-abled, we will season our own lives and make the world just a little bit tastier. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success!  By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
Several years ago in Golf Digest magazine, I read a story about a young golfer named Charlie Siem. He was playing in a tournament and after making the winning putt, he bent down to retrieve his ball from the cup. Immediately, he realized that the ball in the cup was not his. At some point along the course, he had played the wrong ball. Hitting the wrong ball in a golf tournament is grounds for disqualification. However, in Charlie’s case, no one else knew he had hit the wrong ball. Still, he presented the ball to the tournament officials and was promptly disqualified from a tournament he had just won. This was a case of a young man’s principles guiding his decision—even though it was not an easy decision to make. When I think of behavioral principles, I’m reminded of a phrase I heard as a child but had no idea what it meant. The phrase was, “He is worth his salt.” As someone who cooks quite a bit, I didn’t think being compared to a cheap commodity like salt seemed particularly complimentary, but the phrase supposedly has its origins in ancient Rome where soldiers were paid in salt. At the time, salt was quite valuable. And in the Christian Bible, there are numerous references to salt. Most use salt as a metaphor about enhancing our lives the same way salt enhances food. Christians are supposed to be the “salt of the earth”, or to bring value to the world. Perhaps salt, like principles, is more valuable than I realized. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said, “Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value.” Principles are the way we carry ourselves through life and work, and essentially, they are our salt. Our principles are the seasoning that makes life better. So, I thought I would spend the next couple of articles focusing on the principles I have chosen to guide my life and work. Hopefully, by seeing them, you will think more purposefully about your own principles and how they season your life. Then, hopefully, we can all be worth our salt. Appreciation One morning, after getting dressed for a presentation, I got my second cup of coffee from the free hotel breakfast bar. As I sat the cup down on the desk in my hotel room, the lid slipped off of the cup. The cup bounced onto the desk back up in the air and then coffee spewed all over me and the floor. I did not have much of an “attitude of gratitude” at that particular moment. In fact, I recall a few “salty” words that were brewing in my head. And yet, after my initial irritation, I realized that there were many things for which I was grateful. On that particular morning, I was grateful to be working. I was grateful to be in a decent hotel with a free breakfast. I was grateful for my client and the audience who ultimately appreciated my presentation, despite their wondering why the sleeve of my shirt was brown. Here is the funny thing about appreciation. Sometimes it’s offered too routinely and we fail to recognize the sincerity. Just like the person who salts their food without tasting it, it’s automatic and not purposeful. True appreciation is sincere intentional gratitude for the good things in our lives and by reminding ourselves of this on a regular basis, life tastes a little better. Balance The simple truth is that when we have balance, we don’t fall down. And we need balance in most areas of our lives. We need balance between work and play. We need balance between people time and alone time. We need balance between our spiritual, emotional, and intellectual experiences. Otherwise, just as too much salt can mask the flavor of our food, we don’t get to experience the full variety of flavors in our lives. One year, I had taken on too many volunteer jobs in my Rotary club, my church, and my professional association. I was spending nearly 15-20 hours each week just keeping up with my duties. It was affecting my work, my family life, and my health. So, I had to cut back a bit and become more selective in the roles I took on. This balance helped me to do a better job in each area of my life. Compassion There is a common meditation practice called “Loving Kindness” which encourages us to both receive and give compassion. As someone who has a pretty active cynicism gland, this meditation is a wonderful reminder of the importance of compassion. In every situation, a compassionate attitude will give us more success and add substance to our relationships. Whether we’re opening a door for someone, saying “thank you” for a kind gesture, or just offering a smile to a stranger, kindness born out of compassion connects our hearts to others. Whenever I remind myself to consider what someone else might be experiencing, I always feel kinder towards them. A few days ago, I mentioned to a women tending a hotel buffet that the sausage gravy was really good. And as a southerner, I told her that I know my sausage gravy. Her face lit up as if I had given her a great gift. She worked hard on her buffet items and was grateful that someone noticed. We live in a world where negativity and aggression get the most attention. We can turn that around with a kind word and a generous spirit. Instead of “give me the salt,” perhaps we can say, “please pass the salt…and thank you.” Excellence As the author of Do it Well. Make it Fun., I chose excellence as the foundation of my book. If we seek excellence in everything we do, we create a platform of integrity on which to build our success. But we may not always know what we need to do to achieve excellence. When I took a motorcycle safety course in 2001, I assumed that I knew everything about riding a motorcycle because I had owned one in college. And since a motorcycle only has two wheels, I couldn’t imagine that there was that much to learn. Once I got into the class however, I discovered there were things I didn’t know I didn’t know. The class opened my eyes to my knowledge deficits. Unless someone gives us feedback or points out our mistakes, we will never discover where we need to improve on the road to excellence. When I worked as the Director of Quality Service at Hospice of Northern Virginia, we used a 360-degree performance evaluation process. In other words, for my yearly review, I was evaluated by my boss, my peers, and the people I supervised. It was certainly an unnerving process but it was one of the most helpful ways to find out my strengths and where I needed to improve. In all areas of our lives, if we strive to determine where we need to get better as employees, parents, partners, neighbors, etc., then we really can enhance the days of our lives…like salt through the hourglass (a few of you will know that obscure reference!) Fairness When I was offered my first management job, I realized that two of the people I would be supervising were my peers from a previous job. In order to manage the department effectively, I needed to make sure I treated them fairly and that the other employees felt they were also being treated fairly. So, we talked about it before I took the job and agreed we could make it work. However, if my other staff had felt that I favored my former colleagues, my ability to supervise would have been compromised. The concept of justice is based on fairness. None of us wants to be treated unfairly. We don’t want someone else to get a discount at the store when we’re not eligible. We want our children to get the same opportunities as other children. And we don’t like it when people who have more seem to get away with even more. Fairness is the basis for effective organizations and relationships. Every time we make a decision that affects other people, we might ask ourselves, “Is this fair to everyone involved?” It’s an ideal embraced by Rotary International and a good principle for the rest of us. When someone treats us fairly, we believe that they really are worth their salt. Hopefully, these principles will help you think about your own principles and how you can “walk the talk” in your own life. Please know that my own process of living my principles is a work in progress. But isn’t that what life is all about? We’re on the journey just trying to make the next day a little better…or saltier! To be continued...Read Part 2 here! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Bobbe White
My extremely wise friend, Lisa Pemberton, says, “Ask not what are you doing, but ARE you doing?” She knows me well. If anything speaks my truth, this is it. When our son, Nick, was a little pup, he’d ask many times a day, “Doing?” We would tell him, but he never seemed satisfied with our answers for very long. Maybe as a little guy, he was Buzz Lightyears ahead of us and wanted to ask, but lacked the vocabulary:
Those questions are an obvious segue to my 2018 DO YEAR LIST:
Let this year be the Year of the DOING (and when necessary, the UN-DOING.) HAPPY DO YEAR TO YOU! LET’S DO THE DO! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
Happy New Year! To start out the year, I’d like you to think about the answer to this question: "Is your boss a mind reader?" Most likely, your response is a resounding "no." I’ve never met a real mind reader (that I know of), so I’m assuming that they are few and far between. To save you from having to try and read my mind, I’ll get right to the point. If your boss can’t read your mind, then why would you expect him or her to know what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive (AKA engaged) at work? I think lots of folks wish their manager would spend more time getting to know them to better understand what makes them tick. I see others who wish their boss would take charge of their engagement by fixing all the external broken things and solving all the day-to-day problems. Here’s the news for 2017: Engagement is an inside job. You are the boss of your own engagement. Here are a couple of ideas for how to avoid the mind-reading trap and create your own Professional Paradise right now... 1. Get really clear about what puts a skip in your step at work. What are those things that make time fly? Common responses that I hear are “getting work done”, “positive connections with coworkers” and “learning new things”. Of course your answers might be different – there are no right or wrong responses. When you know what makes you feel engaged, then you are more likely to notice it when it happens. 2. Sit down one-on-one with your supervisor and share what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive at work. You don’t need to wait until he or she schedules the meeting – just ask for the time and share your agenda. Sure, it would be nice if your boss initiated this conversation, but you don’t have to wait. No need to point fingers or lay blame, just professionally discuss those things that up your engagement factor. Be sure to include ways that you could more regularly connect with these things (ie, if you like learning new things – offer to be on a project team). When you are engaged at work, it benefits you, your customers and the organization as a whole so your boss should be happy you asked for this meeting. Engagement is a shared responsibility. Sometimes managers get it right and sometimes they don’t. There’s no reason why you can’t be the catalyst for the conversation if your boss hasn’t stepped up to do it. No fancy mind reading…just good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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