In thriving healthcare organizations, trusting relationships are a foundational piece of the culture. Trust is mutual: we tend to trust people who also trust us. That’s…
Looking to spark a trust-building conversation with someone you lead? Start with a question. Asking (not telling) builds rapport, fosters psychological safety, and makes…
In my experience, a person’s professional journey has ups and downs and twists and turns. It is more of a roller coaster ride than a lazy river. The hills and valleys help us learn. I was sharing with a good friend and mentor that I am now better at pausing. The pause helps me resist the urge to act at times—or at least take the action that’s more in line with the situation. At work…
As I continue to be out and about and inside many organizations, I am impressed with the passion and commitment I see, hear, and feel. These past several years have led many to feel that they were in a “valley of despair.” Today, while we have hopefully come out of the deepest part of the valley, most people understand that things have changed. Some call it the “new reality.” My colleague Dan Collard calls it…
It is gratifying that the e-book Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired is being so well received. In writing the book, we were very careful to outline how to decide which actions can benefit from rewiring and which ones are best to leave alone. The key question is “How is it working?” If the desired outcomes are being achieved, it is best to leave it be. If the desired results are not being achieved, it makes sense to…
Writing my book The Calling: Why Healthcare Is So Special was a journey. The original concept of the book was that leadership is an inside job. This means that the better our “insides” (emotions and thoughts) are working, the better the external outcomes will be. I presented the talk “Leadership Is an Inside Job” at a large leadership session for TriHealth in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 6, 2019. Afterward, TriHealth President/CEO Mark Clement was very complimentary about…
In my workshops, I ask the question, “Do you have people who accept a job and then do not show up?” Hands go up and heads nod. In addition to measuring experience, we recommend that organizations track “no-shows” of people who accepted a job and didn’t show up. It could be that their current job convinces them to stay, or that another company realizes the person is open to change and hires the person. Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to…
At one time, I probably thought the phrase “high ground” meant only a land mass. Today I understand the words much differently in relationships with people. “Stay on the high ground” is advice I received when I was involved in a difficult situation. I have not always listened to that advice. At one time, instead of staying on the high ground, my tendency was to look for faults in others. Instead of lifting myself up,…
Having people trust leadership is a goal of every organization. It is something people devote lots of work and resources to. So, with all of the effort being put into building trust in an organization, why are the results less than what most leaders want? Trust, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” My experience is that it helps to ask those…
Do you focus on the goal or on the barriers to the goal? When asked this question, most people will answer that they focus on the goal. I know I would have answered it that way—until I had an experience that changed my perception of myself. I spend time with people in leadership roles. I describe some of them as very high performing. This is based on the measurable outcomes that are produced by them…
I share “boots on the ground” observations. This week’s column is about some phrases that may seem harmless on the surface, but that may send a message we’re not aware we are sending. A person who read my new book Sundays with Quint, which is a collection of some of my leadership columns, recently reached out. She shared how helpful the book is to her and asked where the content comes from. My first response was “thank…
When he returned to lead Apple, the late Steve Jobs shared with employees that the goal was to make much of what they do obsolete—not the mission of Apple, but the tools and techniques. His belief was that each person and every organization benefits by always being in the mode of continuous improvement. Twenty years ago, I wrote the book Hardwiring Excellence: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, Making a Difference. The Wiktionary dictionary defines hardwire this way: “to connect components…