By Vicki Hess
So it’s the holidays and we’re all supposed to be feeling grateful. Music is playing, decorations abound…it’s like you’re living in a sappy Hallmark movie…or is it? What if you really feel tired, overwhelmed, frustrated or jealous? What if the posts on your friends’ social media walls aren’t bringing you joy? What if all you want to do is complain? Relax. It’s okay. You do you. Unless…what you really want is to feel more energy, less overwhelmed and happy with what you have. If you’d like to make that choice, read on. Did you know that according to Robert Emmons and other positive psychology researchers, having a regular gratitude practice actually:
It’s simply a choice to be grateful. Yes, it takes intention and it’s a decision you can make right now. Stop and think about something you are thankful for. Yeah! You did it! Still feeling like you are faking it? Instead of thinking “When I’m happy, then I’ll be grateful” or “When I’m not working so hard, I’ll be grateful” flip it around. Try these on for size: “When I’m grateful, then I’ll feel happy.” “When I’m grateful, things at work won’t feel quite so bad.” Some of you are rolling your eyes. It’s okay. You can go back to your high stress, very busy life any time you want. You see it really is a choice. Not the external circumstances – some of those are tough to change – but the internal response is all yours. You’ve got the power to be grateful right now and every day moving forward. Create a habit of gratitude and you’ll literally become a magnet for things to be thankful for. Still doubtful? That’s okay. Try it a little bit at a time. Soon, you won’t remember what it felt like to complain all the time. You won’t remember why you let the little things get to you. You won’t remember the crabby old you. 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 Vicki Hess
I’ve been listening to the podcast, “How I Built This” with host Guy Raz, which shares interesting stories of entrepreneurs who started their own businesses. Some of the recent episodes include the founders of JetBlue, Eileen Fisher Clothing and Compaq Computers. As an entrepreneur, I’m inspired by the creativity and resilience these business leaders demonstrated in starting their enterprises in spite of small and large hurdles. As the title of the podcast shares, the stories are about building and growth. This got me thinking about how these ideas relate to you – the leaders and individuals working in healthcare today. What are you building? What stories would you share if you were the podcast guest? Leaders and employees in healthcare fall into the category of a Builder or a Buster based on day-to-day performance on the job. The Performance Triangle demonstrates 3 key drivers of workplace behavior: Ability, Opportunity and Motivation. Here’s What Builders Do in Each Category… When it comes to Motivation, Builders are:
Don’t Be a Buster A Buster is someone who does the opposite of the behaviors shown above. Busters are disengaged and come to work and tear down others. They suck the energy out of meetings and customer encounters. They are great at pointing fingers and laying blame. Most folks don’t self-identify as Busters; however, they demonstrate the behaviors that would define them as just that. For today, think about how you would identify yourself. Builder or Buster? Engaged or Disengaged? Satisfied or Dissatisfied? Today’s challenge is to look at one part of the Performance Triangle and figure out how to build your capacity in that area. 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 Vicki Hess
As humans, we need to connect. This is a critical part of the leader’s role in engaging employees. But the news is bleak when it comes to connecting…here are a just few of the findings from a survey which Cigna conducted of 20K+ U.S. adults:
What are you doing in your role to promote positive connections? When I talk to leaders about Creating Connections, I hear about two types:
Chance Connections Chance Connections are those that are reactive in one way or another. Having an Open-Door Policy is an example. It’s good but doesn’t set a very high bar. Have you ever heard of an organization with a “Closed Door Policy”? Here’s what usually happens…you open your door and sit and wait (and mostly hope that no one stops by so that you can get your “real work” done uninterrupted – haha). It’s important to be accessible. So, keep your door open and understand that you are leaving the connection to chance. The second type of Chance Connection is rounding. In this case, you are the interruption to the staff member. Staff are in the middle of their “real work” and you’re stopping by might be a welcome break or an annoying inconvenience. Don’t get me wrong, rounding is very important because not only do you make connections, you also get a visual of how things are going. Keep rounding with staff, just know that you are still leaving the connection to chance. Conscious Connections The most powerful kind of connection is a Conscious Connection – where both you and the team member are proactive and prepared. This happens in a One-on-One (1:1) Meeting (either virtually or in-person). One question I routinely ask leaders in my client needs assessment is “What do you know you should be doing related to engagement and aren’t and why? I’ve asked this question to thousands of leaders and the number one thing they aren’t doing is meeting one-on-one with team members. Many leaders struggle with making Conscious Connections. The number one reason why they aren’t doing it is that “there isn’t enough time.” In follow up conversations, I hear the second reason it’s not happening is that there’s a perception that it’s not worth the time. Of course, these two challenges go hand in hand. If you don’t think something is worth your time, then you aren’t going to make time for it. Make Time for Meetings Here’s one thing I know. Your actions and behaviors reflect your beliefs and mindsets. If you believe that meeting 1:1 with your direct reports is important – you will make the time. Try these ideas:
Make the Meetings Worthwhile What makes a 1:1 meeting so powerful is that both you and your direct report are prepared for the conversation. It’s a Conscious Connection. That alone adds to the value. Try these ideas:
Now is the time to create Conscious Connections and positively impact engagement – yours and your team’s. Enjoy! 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 Vicki Hess
More than 800 healthcare leaders responded to the Voices of Healthcare Management™ survey I recently completed, and an interesting insight they shared is that that one of the top 3 most challenging engagement behaviors for leaders is taking time for reflection and self-awareness. I’m not surprised, are you? If you pulled out your calendar right now, where would “reflection” show up? I’m guessing nowhere. What if your boss walked into your office and you were sitting behind your desk with a faraway look on your face thinking? You might be embarrassed and thought of as "wasting time." That couldn’t be farther from the truth. We know that self-awareness and self-management are two key elements of emotional intelligence. We also know that emotional intelligence is a critical skill for getting along in the world. The great news is that these two skills can be learned and practiced through reflection. According to Barbara Mackoff, in Nurse Manager Engagement: Strategies for Excellence and Commitment, engaged (nurse) managers leverage lessons from experience. They look for clues about themselves and others in the workplace and observe the effect of their own behavior on others. It makes sense that these behaviors would apply to everyone in an organization, regardless of your role. Here are 3 ideas to jumpstart your reflection abilities: 1. When something good happens and you are feeling satisfied, energized and productive (AKA engaged), stop and reflect on how your behaviors contributed to the positive results. 2. You know what’s coming next. When you experience results that you aren’t happy with, stop and reflect on how your behaviors contributed to the negative outcome. 3. Build reflection into your day with intention. Before you dive in to start your next project, stop and reflect on your progress to date. Take 2 minutes to sit quietly and think about what you want to accomplish and how things are going so far. Taking time for reflection and self-awareness allows you to find joy in your own work and to connect to others in a more positive way. 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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