I have frequent conversations with leaders regarding change. The term “change is hard” is commonly heard. At times, we can underestimate just how hard…
When healthcare leaders think about advanced practice clinicians (APCs), the conversation often starts with staffing. Where do we have a gap? Where do we need…
I have many teachers. Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick are two of them. They are best-selling authors, presenters, and coaches. Chester has presented in Pensacola,…
Healthcare doesn’t need a fresh start—it needs a thoughtful rewire. Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future brings together senior leaders to step back…
Why do you feel your leader is successful? I am fortunate that I get to observe many leaders and organizations. I was at an extremely high-performing organization. By high-performing, I mean they are rated number one in their area in consumer trust. They have incredibly low employee turnover. They rate in the top 1 percent in having a culture of safety. They are financially successful. I spoke with a number of people in leadership at…
It’s no secret that healthcare workers have a lot on their plates. The easier we can make it for them to remember and do things, the better. I’ve noticed this is true for the people I work with. And I know it’s true for me! I saw this principle play out recently when I taught my granddaughters “My Favorite Things,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Julie Andrews made famous in The Sound of Music. I expected…
I often write and present on change. A change formula that I find helpful is B+A=O=U=F. The letters stand for Belief, Action, Outcomes (results), Understanding, and Faith. Belief is the first step. There is the belief that a change will make a difference. That belief might be based on experience or an innate conviction that something can be better. This can be anything from a community project to organizational performance. If the CEO believes in…
When faced with a new challenge, what do you do first? Do you start by gathering data? Do you talk it through with colleagues? Do you jump in and try something and adjust along the way? When learning a new skill, do you seek structured instruction or an opportunity to practice? We all learn differently. This (of course) applies to our leaders too. These differences can affect how well they do their job, which in…
I have frequent conversations with leaders regarding change. The term “change is hard” is commonly heard. At times, we can underestimate just how hard it is. Some years back, a CEO of one of the world’s largest retail companies spoke at a conference. It is a big box company that was adding online shopping to their business model. The CEO hired an outside expert to help navigate the change. The top leaders met with him.…
When healthcare leaders think about advanced practice clinicians (APCs), the conversation often starts with staffing. Where do we have a gap? Where do we need more coverage? Where can we add capacity? Those are important questions. But I believe there is another question we need to be asking as well: Are we developing our APCs to lead? Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, and other advanced practice clinicians are essential to healthcare today. They are helping improve access, extend…
I have many teachers. Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick are two of them. They are best-selling authors, presenters, and coaches. Chester has presented in Pensacola, Florida, at the yearly EntreCon conference. Adrian and Chester appeared on a podcast with me. Adrian’s recent article that appeared in Forbes grabbed my attention: “The ‘Soft’ Leadership Skill That Shows Up on the Balance Sheet.” In it, Adrian outlines how skills considered soft have a large impact on the success of an…
Some of the most challenging leadership situations occur when we are expected to move important work forward, but the people we need to engage do not report to us. We may be leading a project, working across departments, chairing a committee or council, or simply trying to bring colleagues together around something that matters. Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare® (HCL-HC) gives us a helpful way to think about this kind of leadership. It begins with Self…
Have you typed a message and quickly hit send, even as your brain is saying, You may want to think about this one first! Most of us have been there. That’s why I wanted to write on restraint (pausing). It’s an important message and one that bears revisiting. My columns often have repeated topics. Why? New readers. I have more than 30,000 subscribers to this column via LinkedIn. Reminders are helpful. Our brain can retain…
What do employees want most from their leaders? It’s a crucial question, especially in an industry like healthcare that is doing everything we can think of to engage and keep good employees. So, when we find that the answer hasn’t changed in two decades, we take note. In 2005, Gallup did a U.S. study that revealed the “four needs of followers.” Then, 20 years later, it published its Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want and released it…