Sometimes as we’re wrapping up the year, it’s easy to drift into negativity. End-of-year evaluations tend to produce mixed findings—some areas show strong results,…
People need mentors now more than ever. Career paths are more uncertain. AI, technology, and economic shifts are creating cultures of uncertainty; working with a…
When the founders of uLeadership—Kay Kennedy, Lucy Leclerc, and Susan Campis—met in 2019, they were seasoned nurse executives who had spent years working all…
With 2026 bearing down on us, everyone is coming up with their Word of the Year. Merriam-Webster chose “slop.” Oxford University Press chose “rage bait.” Dictionary.com chose “67”—and…
Healthcare doesn’t need a fresh start—it needs a thoughtful rewire. Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future brings together senior leaders to step back…
When I am asked to present to a group, I ask the organization to survey the attendees to find out what they are looking to leave with from the session. The topics mentioned quite often are how to manage change, communication, building trust, improving staff retention, achieving excellent customer service, and the most requested item is how to address performance issues. For this column, we will dig into the last one, performance situations. The most common…
Have you ever thought your communication was clear, yet the action that followed was not what you expected? Have you ever assumed an action had been taken, then learned it had not? If your answer to both is yes, join the club. There are reasons for the above. It could be the communication was not clear and specific enough. It could be the timeline for completion was not understood. It could be a lack of accountability.…
“Thank you.” “No, thank you!” One thing we will never agree on is who should be thanking whom. In 1996, I met Norm Adams. Norm was older than me and served as a life guide until his passing. His teaching lives on. In late 1999, I was considering starting my own company. I shared with Norm that I did not know what to do. The idea of leaving a secure job, in which I was happy,…
Do people in leadership rate themselves higher in ability than their results demonstrate? The answer is dependent on the individual; however, my experience is the general answer is yes. I like objective measurement. Though we are not able to directly measure some items, measurement should help people see what they do well and identify areas that may need improvement. It is not easy to be a leader. With good skill development, they can learn to do…
Originally published by Becker’s Healthcare – click here to read in Becker’s Hospital Review. With all the changes and disruptions impacting healthcare, the need for innovation has never been greater. Organizations that don’t prioritize innovative thinking risk falling behind their competitors. That’s why rewiring your culture to encourage and reward innovation is so crucial. It’s no secret the best innovations often come from the people on or near the front lines. You may have heard the…
There are productive ways to provide feedback and productive ways to receive it. In talking to many people, I hear the message that they want feedback. Do they? It seems most of the time people like feedback if it is positive. This makes sense: critical feedback can be uncomfortable to hear. While it is never easy getting feedback that is not what we want, the better we learn to handle the information the more likely we…
It’s a statement referenced often in the mental health world: Do not quit till the miracle happens. The meaning behind it is to keep going even when things are tough. Please do not take this so literally you think it means staying in an unhealthy situation. What it does mean is that if you are taking positive actions, at times the outcome may take a while to achieve. I have a front row seat to miracles. These…
More and more studies find that investing in the workforce does more than improve results; it is a vital talent retention method. Today, people want more than a paycheck. The latest employee engagement data shows employees stay longer if they believe the organization cares about their well-being. Investing in skill building and career development supports that feeling of being cared about. It is important for organizations to create a feedback-rich environment. This means people regularly…
No two fingerprints are the same. We all leave fingerprints, and we all are impacted by the fingerprints of others. While fingerprints can be cleaned off, the fact that a person left fingerprints cannot. When we wash a child’s toy, we wipe off their fingerprints. Yet years go by, and we find it hard to let go of the toy. Why? Because someone we love touched it. Fingerprints leave memories and stay with us long…
If you’ve ever moved a parent or grandparent into a long-term care facility, you know: It’s never a decision that’s made lightly. Yes, giving them the skilled care they need is the best choice for them and for you. Still, walking away and leaving your vulnerable loved one in the care of strangers is a heart-wrenching act of faith. You must trust that those who work there will lovingly care for him or her…and at that moment, you…