Concluding Insights

Well, that went fast. I find myself wondering how it is possible that this is our last blog. Did I miss something? I feel like I have been so rhythmic at looking forward to our weekly presentations and projects, that I missed the weeks ticking by. This has been my first Masters Class, and I feel like the bar has been set high. I can say that I honestly learned in this class. Learned things about myself and for myself. I learned the things that you would normally learn as time goes on. These things all tie into my own plan for myself. I have had a personal mission statement for some time now. I think that it is true, and I believe that this class has helped to sharpen its words. I would like to share with you what my mission statement is.

 

My mission is to use my skills, both innate and learned, to aid in the advancement of others. I will care for, serve, and advocate for those with and without a voice. I will be known by my family, friends and acquaintances as a person of integrity, honesty, reliability and loyalty. I will always remember that even though I cannot change circumstances, I can change my response to them. I will never stop learning and will continually strive to maintain an open mind.

 

I strive to be a leader; a leader in the digital age who inspires, not manages. David Marquet (2014) was able to lead his team to be the best versions of themselves, by allowing them to metaphorically and physically take the wheel. Marques recognized that the weaknesses that he had were in fact some strengths of his team. He recognized that the sum of their skills collectively when used to their fullest was greater than the individual talents with a governor applied to them.

 

I mean, no one would ever dream of keeping this beauty down right? We recognize her potential, and when the time comes we take her out on the open road and let her show us her stuff. Marquet knew this of his people, and he created a team of winners waiting for their turn on the open road. I hope that I am able to inspire the same leader-growing confidence in the people on my team.

 

I love the idea of complexity science. I realize that in the future of healthcare, we need to keep in mind the balance of people and their value. I have learned that people of different personality types are all needed on our teams. The value and balance they bring are invaluable. If we have a team of all extroverts, we may not get much done except socialization. This does not serve our team or our goals.  Instead, when we add people to our team that are of different personalities and strengths, we are able to function in a way that unites us. Take the Rockettes for example. I bet when you think of the American staple of a dance troupe, you think of similarity. In fact they are not similar, they come in different heights, and ethnic backgrounds. A visual illusion is created by blending their strengths. By placing the tallest ladies in the middle and working their way out they create a visual that makes us feel like they are all the same exact height. We are also fooled into thinking that they are leaning on each other. It certainly looks like that right? In fact they are not. They position their arms in a way that checks their position, but doesn’t touch their neighbor. The truth is, that if they were leaning on their neighbor, no one would be able to be their best, they would all be hindered by the limitations of the person leaning on them. Instead, they use their own individual strengths to each pull off their best performance that makes the overall performance so much more magical. I realize how important this magic is, and it comes from diversity.

 

Emotional intelligence is a huge factor that I took away from this class. Though the recent past has taught me its importance, this class has helped solidify its place in my leadership skill set. It is kind of like the framework for a puzzle. There are so many pieces to put into place, but if we use our EQ like that outside edge of the puzzle, we know we will be adding to the big picture. Simon Sinek (2011) had so many words of wisdom in this area, but I think the thing that I feel is the most impactful were his words about not sending emails late at night or first thing in the morning. We need to take our time and decide if it’s worth the cost. I can’t help of thinking of Jim Jefferies (2015) a comedian who was making a point about gun control. He was speaking to the fact that as humans, we react then think. He points out that the constitution was written at a time when muskets were the gun of the day. He points out that if we still used muskets, we would not have as much gun violence as we do today. He says “You know what is good about muskets? It gives you a lot of time to calm down.” He then mimics pouring the gunpowder into the gun, then packing it down.  He says, by the time you are done getting the musket ready, you might think “ahh,… you’re not a bad guy.” While this is obviously a comedic routine, it gives real life examples. When we fire off our responses in anger, we shoot before we think. When we use a musket to fire, we can pack down our emotions and allow the logic of the situation to come to the top. I don't want my words to hurt anyone, and I know that my metaphoric musket will help me to think before I shoot.

 

All musket talk aside, I know that resolving conflict is more about understanding and better communication than being right. One of the principles that Susan Clark and CrisMarie Campbell (2015) spoke of, and really stuck with me, was using the force of the energy from the conflict to dive deeper into what the real issue is. It helps us ask the questions that we may not have asked. I know that conflict is inevitable and probable, but I also know that I have more tools in my tool box now to use. I know that it is my goal to help both sides get to “yes”. I know that I can and will encourage positivity. Because after all, success is hard work. Success is even harder when our front line has a person who is negative. A coach once told me that wearing weights of negativity around does not make us stronger over time…it in fact makes us much weaker and less effective. Dana Casperson (2015) says that conflict can give us the energy to talk about what matters. This is helpful in both flushing out what the actual conflict is, but helping to change that negativity into positivity.

 

Yesterday, I had the best compliment that I could ask for. I have established that my “why” is to make people smile so that they can relax and be ready for change or education or whatever is needed at the time. While at an all day event with my organization yesterday, I went up and introduced myself to one of the newer managers from one of the other clinics. I shook her hand, welcomed her and told her that I was excited to see her at that event, as I hadn’t had the opportunity of meeting her yet (we work at different buildings). She then gave me a huge smile and said “Oh, I remember seeing you at our Ambulatory Spotlight Meeting in January. You had so much energy and excitement about what your staff had accomplished in the last year. You made me smile, and think ‘How could you NOT want to grow and change with her as your leader?’” Yes! (Insert happy dance here) I have gotten my “why” across to at least one person, and maybe more. While I realize that I cannot win over everyone all the time. I do know that I have impacted someone…and that is a good start. It actually made me think of Fred Lee’s presentation (2011). I was the person remembered for how good I made someone feel. As a Leader, we don’t get many Kudos, we give them. It was nice to have had one given to me.

 

I know change is hard, but it is necessary. I am truly lucky to work for an organization that KNOWS where we are headed and are on the right path. In fact, our EVP/COO said yesterday “We are living in a digital age, and we know healthcare is changing. We are on track to be on the right side of that change. I am so grateful that we have leaders like you all who are leading your staff to make that change at the front line…” she went on to speak of how we are such a large diverse group that is spread across a lot of locations. I wanted to raise my hand and say “That is a complex adaptive system you just described!” instead, I giggled to myself and felt pride that I had learned the “How” of our organizations journey. It was all coming together for me now. Looking back I realize that when I started in this Lean model line clinic, I was told that our “True North” was our patients. I, of course, felt like this should have been a no-brainer, but these last few weeks, I realized something: Our “True North” is really our “Why”. We love serving children and their families in all ways possible. Our “How” is by transforming ourselves from a linear organization into a digital age, complex adaptive system. Our “What” is the Lean system for performance management. Sinek (2010). This speaks to what Pat Ebright (2010) talks about when she speaks of where healthcare needs to go, and what needs to happen for it to get there.

 

To quote an old Chinese Proverb: “Feed a man a fish and they eat for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This quote has come to mind several times during the course of this class. I realize that I am that type of leader. Transformational leadership, it turns out, is my style. I admit to sometimes doing more things myself than I need, but usually that is because I know my staff is too busy to take on even one more thing. Having said that, I am also likely to give back to them a problem that is theirs. 

 

Just recently, we started having more providers on Mondays and Tuesdays than any other days. This poses a problem with scheduling. To be more specific, granting people’s requests to have time off. Some people just like to have off Mondays, others might have a trip planned all day, etc. I saw that this is becoming unfair and asked my staff to give me input on how to proceed with their schedules. I gave them two options and asked them for input and asked them to come up with other suggestions as well. 

 

They were kind of confused at first, but then one nurse said “Well, this is our time off, we need to find the fairest way to go forward” I was asked a few clarification questions and had to add the ever popular “This of course is as staffing allows…meaning if something weird comes up, I might have to change things up a bit for that occasion.” They all, of course, lamented over that last bit, but still understand that we have patients to see. They knew that those patients are why we get to come to work. There were a few holdouts who were trying to find the best possible scenario for their own situation.

 

Ultimately, they all agreed on what they thought was the most fair way. They even said, “We may need to just do more trading or communication to each other when we need a day off.” I was very pleased, I had given them a problem, and they solved it. They, as well, were thinking into the future about how to take care of those one-off times when they might need extra help. This is what Transformative Leadership means to me. I know the needs of my staff are important, but always doing things for them will not serve their needs or our patients’. I know the road to transformation is long, but I have brought a few new tools along with me and plan on camping out in order to see it through.

 

Thank you so much for encouraging us to see the leaders in ourselves. I have enjoyed this class more than I would have ever expected.

References

T. (2015, July 13). Conflict is a place of possibility. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=115&v=WfQeH3092Sc

T. (2015, July 13). Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It | CrisMarie Campbell & Susan Clarke | TEDxWhitefish. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97fVGTjE4w

M. (2016, June 07). Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=NzBqJNh8z2U

T. (2011, April 06). TEDxMaastricht - Fred Lee - "Patient Satisfaction or Patient Experience ?" . Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylvc9dY400

M. (2010, February 02). Complex Adaptive System Theory. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=VNFFEJqz9YA

TEDTalks: Simon Sinek--How Great Leaders Inspire Action [Video file]. (2010, May). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from blob:https://embed.ted.com/ecfb94a1-b469-455a-abf2-658e2663e4c4

T. (2011, April 06). First why and then trust. Retrieved February 15, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VdO7LuoBzM

What is Leadership? (2014, May 17). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://youtu.be/pYKH2uSax8U

Healthy Organizations

This week we were asked to complete a couple of self-surveys. To be honest, I didn’t feel like either were true to who I am on these subjects. However, I am more closely associated to the Thomas-Kilmann style that I resulted into. The Anger assessment showed me split between a spewer and a leaker. I felt like neither of these really fit, I am not explosive, nor am I passive aggressive. I am somewhere in the middle. I think this test has missed the boat with me. That is alright though. I get that some people do fit into those categories. In the Thomas-Kilmann quiz, I was shown to be compromising, which fits better, though I admit to being a problem solver as well. I am always looking to find common ground, it helps to get to “yes”. However, I have a rule that if I am going to complain about something I dislike or find unfair, I offer a solution. I don’t think it has to be THE solution, but a solution jumping-off point. I want to show that I know I am in disagreement, but am open to finding a new way. I am not a griper just to gripe. I think this is one of the reasons that I am not a fan of having the split anger score. It makes me feel like this…

Healthcare relationships are so important. We don’t actually know who or what we are dealing with. Non-compliance can be a result of being obstinate, ignorant (in the literal sense), or circumstance. Dave Moen (2009) spoke from the heart on this subject about seeing the person, hearing what they are saying, and not alienating them from their own care. When he saw the woman, whom he knew was being abused, he recognized her shame. He knew that he needed to ask her about what she needed rather than lecture her (that didn’t turn out well for him the first time). That woman was able to feel comfortable and she was helped. If she didn’t feel comfortable, she would have shut down, and may have left. I have seen this in my practice in many versions. The one that stands out in my mind and heart, is one that has shaped my beliefs.

I had a family who brought their 4 week old daughter in to our hospital, because she had been sick and had a fever for several days. We all know that a newborn with a fever is no bueno. By the time the family brought their baby in, the baby was full-on septic. I was the nurse taking care of this baby when she began to deteriorate further. I called a rapid response, and the baby ended up being transferred to the PICU. I will never forget watching the providers tell this family that the baby was very sick and might not survive. The mother was sobbing, doubled over in her sorrow and guilt the dad was stunned, holding his wife and staring into space. You see, this family had waited to bring their baby in on purpose; they were in the US illegally. Because of their fear of being deported, they held back on the treatment of their newborn. The baby did not make it. I will never forget this story. Not ever. We often shake our heads and say things like “Why would you wait to bring in your baby?” or “Well, you can’t fix stupid”. The fact is, we needed to look at that family and say, “we want to help your baby, please tell us how long she has had a fever.” We need to see their humanity and not mistake their fear for ignorance or stupidity. We needed to give them grace.

Patient experiences are as unique as the patient. I often think of my dad when I think of unique patients. Fred Lee (2006) spoke of how we can put our patients at ease. My dad kind of forced his nurses/Dr’s to put him at ease. Even after several rounds of unsuccessful Chemo, when he filled out his patient forms, under “Questions for the Dr” dad would pick a theme “Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?”. These things are what made those tough conversations easier. It put him at ease when they laughed and joked about whatever his topic of the week was, he loved to make people smile and laugh. It allowed those providers to give that special customer experience. I agree that we need to do better at putting to rest the fears of our patients. Some patients are easier to engage than others, but that is a challenge that we all face with each interaction we have.

Speaking of crucial conversations…and millennials. Those two topics are kind of blended in my mind currently. I feel like I have had more conversations on the importance of communication lately with millennials. Communication is the key, to…well… it all. Without effective communication we don’t know where the other is coming from, or where we want to go. I had a young woman interview for a job opening last week. She was planning on starting nursing school in the fall and informed me “Well…they say I can only work until I start nursing school, then I have to quit”. This is a topic that I find very amusing. Let me give you a glimpse of my perspective. I went through an accelerated nursing program, while being a single mom, and working full time. Boom…mic drop.

I feel like more people these days want to do their own thing, on their own terms. So why would being told that they HAVE to do something mean they would/should start doing it now? If they WANTED to work and do school, they would. I also find that they have a thought processes that they deserve to be hired without experience, because….well, they just do. More times than I can count, I have heard nursing students lament to me over “not getting interviews because ‘they only hire from within’”. My response is usually “well go get in”. When they say “we can’t work and go to school” I give them my history. They usually look at me blankly and say “why did you do that?”. I always respond “I wanted to work here, I knew people here, and I never had to work nights, because I was already here”.  It usually takes some time to sink in.

Back to my interview last week. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with this young nurse-to-be. She looked at me and said “So, you think work ethic is more important than school?” I told her “I think work ethic is more than a good GPA, it shows your level of commitment, not your level of regurgitation.” As she left, I realized that I had just described emotional competence as a value over strictly IQ. I also realized as I was going over presentations that this is why it is important to de-toxify my team when the emotional competence level is low. It all blends together. This is our chaos model. 

-Joleene

References

T. (2012, August 09). The future of patient-centered care: Dave Moen at TEDxUMN. Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUsyuloD198

T. (2011, April 06). TEDxMaastricht - Fred Lee - "Patient Satisfaction or Patient Experience ?" . Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylvc9dY400

Emotionally-Competent Leadership

Sweet lawd Brene Brown is my spirit animal! I may have plenty of differences with her, but listening to her I heard a kindred spirit. I was surprised to find that I did see vulnerability as defined by Brown (2011) as a willingness to do things from the heart on a leap of faith. That is who I am. I am the friend that says, I love you, and even if you need to blame me for your confusion in life right now…that’s fine. I will still be here. I know that to be vulnerable is not always smart or easy, but it is right…for me. I love that she then goes on to discuss how horribly she reacted to her first Ted Talk. It was clear that she was still on her journey. Though the sheer fact she was discussing her reaction showed her vulnerability and courage.

Brown (2012) spoke of shame vs. guilt and how they come from very different places. Shame is saying that “I am bad” and guilt is acknowledging that “I am a good person who has done something bad”.  Wow, this is one I need to discuss with my kids. I KNOW that I am not a bad person, but I also KNOW that I can do bad things. This is something that we have learned all our lives, “Hate the sin, not the sinner”. It is easy to apply it to others, but hard to do that to ourselves.

While going through the readings this week I noted a theme:

1. Trust your gut

2. Keep your eye on the prize

3. Know your strengths and weaknesses

4. Admit when you are wrong, use it as a guide, then recycle it

5. Wear your heart (personality) on your sleeve.

All of these are great, and for the most part I resonated with them. I know I will never be a perfect leader. I will always strive to be though, even when it means making myself uncomfortable, and sad. This too, shall pass.

Susan…I have a confession. I never actually read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. We were supposed to have during our final semester of our BSN program. I skimmed, and wrote my paper. I thought I was too good then for needing help in that area. Karma has a funny way of showing me how wrong I was. You know the first thing I did when I had a time in my life that I needed to stop and redirect myself? Yep, got that book out and read it. I needed that information, but I don’t think I was at a time in my life to “hear” it. I could have read the words, but I would not have applied them then to my life. Watching the videos from Goleman gave me great insight. It reinforced that the overarching motto and goal for interaction is right. You can’t change your circumstance, only your response to it. In other words. STOP, take a breath, collect yourself then think/speak again. This same information was also given in various form by Simon Sinek (2011) when he says to not send emails late at night or early in the morning. When we distance ourselves, we might not feel as passionately.

The story Goleman (2007) tells about the Stanford daycare children is so vivid. We all want that juicy marshmallow, but the patience to wait in order to get a second one…that takes skill. I use EQ when I interview people, I am that manager who asks the situational questions. I want to know your response, but I also want to see how you respond. Do you just spew out an answer that may not be the smartest one (I am AMAZED at what people tell me in their job interviews) or do you pause, and share the answer that tells the story that paints you in the best light? Don’t get me wrong, I am calling your manager to get a referral, but I do believe that this is a huge insight into people.

You know, I haven’t actually worked for a highly competent EQ leader. I have however had teachers who had that. I LOVE them, I can tell you specific things from their classes because they resonated with me. They touched a part of me that wanted to not just do my personal best, but that teacher’s personal best. I knew where I stood with them, and I knew I could be honest with them. It is a mix of tough love, vulnerability, and compassion that makes them great. I think this speaks to our book in chapter 10 on how Leadership occurs in the space between individuals working together” (p406). I think that that space within is a more powerful pull than we think. 

I am really excited to read and watch all of these presentations, I feel like I could write a book based on the information that I have learned. I can’t wait to see what next week has to offer.

References

T. (2011, January 03). The power of vulnerability. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

T. (2012, March 16). Listening to shame. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0

A. (2007, November 12). Social intelligence. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoo_dIOP8k

C. (2011, April 11). Simon Sinek: Why to Wait Before Making an Emotional Decision. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIIJIqLmptg

Porter-OGrady, T., & Malloch, K. (2018). Quantum leadership: creating sustainable value in health care. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

18 Behaviors of Emotionally Intelligent People. (n.d.). Retrieved February 01, 2018, from http://time.com/3838524/emotional-intelligence-signs/

Cole, S. (2014, December 19). Why Emotional Intelligence Is More Important To Hiring Than You Think. Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.fastcompany.com/3029306/why-you-should-make-emotional-intelligence-the-cornerstone-of-your-hiring-strategy

10 Things Successful People Never Do Again. (2017, November 29). Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.success.com/article/10-things-successful-people-never-do-again

Errors as Opportunities

I have had the luxury of working at my facility for nearly 22 years. I started out as a Care Assistant, and held that title until I graduated with my BSN. I know people who don’t work in healthcare prior or during nursing school. I feel they are disadvantaged. It was in my position at the “bottom” so to speak, that helped me see the things I did and did not want to model. I had nurses who would tell me “I changed that kid’s diaper.  It is laying in the crib. Since that is your job, I left it for you to weigh.” Wow, talk about being told your place, I thought we were a team here? On the flip side, I had nurses who would walk out of their way to have me help them hold for an IV. They did this just so they could talk me through pointers that were valuable teaching points. I learned pretty soon, that I wanted to be the second nurse…and I didn’t like to be micro-managed. I would not do that to others. I believe strongly that you can tell by actions those who were and were not CA’s prior to their nursing career. 

Someday we will find the answers...maybe

Hi, my name is Joleene and I am not a perfect nurse. (Hi Joleene!) I have made errors in my career.  Big errors, small errors, errors I didn’t even know about until someone else told me much later. My big error was a result of multiple fails that fell through a few departments. I missed my opportunity though; I failed and end result was my fault. My patient ended up being safe, but the processes that led to this error were not. I was unfortunate to have a leader that was more interested in the failure than the events that led to the failure. She told me that she was too angry to talk to me, so I would have to deal with someone else.

So one weekday afternoon I sobbed my way into the Chief Nursing Officer’s office and told her my story as I shook. I was relieved when her response was “What do you think is ONE thing we could change about this system to prevent this from happening again?” I remember telling her, “Well…I actually have thought about several things. I can’t get this out of my head.” As I spoke, she took notes, and would comment on feasibility. She ended by telling me “Thank you for not being afraid to admit your error and to help us learn from it”. A weight was lifted. Over the next six months or so, most of my suggestions were put into place. I feel a bittersweet pride about that. I personally experienced a tale of two leaders in that one experience. One was seeing the world via a concrete lens and the other through a complex adaptive system view. There is no doubt that I am/plan on being the second leader. If one falls, we all fall. The best way to prevent that is to find what tripped us up. 

We, as an industry, must work towards minimizing interruptions. We also need to show that we are aware the role staffing and triaging our tasks play in our job to help prevent errors. As I watched the section on “Just Culture” I was moved, especially by Annie’s Story (2014) Transparency, Compassion, and Truth in Medical Errors: Leilani Schweitzer (2013). Those stories were me. I was the nurse who had made an error, and I was a part of the journey to make it right. Mandatory reporting is a tool to help make it right if used in the right context, or rather, depending on how it is marketed. We need to stress to staff that we are learning from our mistakes, and we need to know what to change. People feel more open to share when they know we are trying to listen. If we just say we need to report any and all events that occur, people feel vulnerable. I have had nurses tell me that their manager would discipline them when they put in incident reports. They decided just not to tell anyone. Wow! That is a bigger problem. We can’t know what it is that we don’t know, so we are shooting ourselves in the foot if we take that route. I was also surprised that the state of Kansas does not report adverse events. The failure to do this results in lack of transparency to the Kansas healthcare consumer — not to mention that it is hindering our ability to move towards a more complex adaptive system. Come on Kansas, get your head in the game! (To be fair, those last words were uttered by me during this week’s loss to OU…my husband’s team). 

This week, we watched the video from Gawande on healing medicine/healthcare. This video in my opinion is the bridge between the two ideas we focused on this week. It pointed out that in order to have value, we need to see where we can cut some unnecessary things. Gawande (2012) used the example of counting the number of CT that were done and compare them to the number that they found positive. They were giving a lot of unnecessary radiation to people — that can in-turn cause harm. By looking at outcomes, they found what changes they did need, and it turns out it can be as simple as a checklist. 

As I watched Ebright’s videos (2010) I became more and more aware that my facility was in fact trending towards a new-age leadership system. We are deep into our Lean journey to identify areas of opportunity, evaluate what makes them opportunities, gather input from all areas to come up with solutions and then put them into action. We don’t stop there though. We re-evaluate, modify, and trial again. Rinse and repeat. We have and will continue to see growth, I have no doubt. I am proud to be a part of leadership here during this time. It is helping to create a mindset of change as good practice. As a leader it helps to know that we are on the right path to the future.

Understanding Preferences & Personalities

I forgot how fun this learning thing can be. This week I learned a lot.

1.       My personality

2.       How to live my personality for what it is.

3.       How to relate to other personalities.

4.       Conflict is necessary for growth.

5.       Growth exists in the places that others haven’t realized.

6.       Change is not a sign of weakness, but a symptom of growth.

It turns out that I am an ESFJ. Yep, that is me. As I looked at the strengths I nodded along… I am practical, have a sense of duty, loyal, warm, and connect well with others. I scroll down a bit and look at the weaknesses, and I grunted along this time. It said I worry about by social status…umm not since my 20’s, but ok. Inflexible, yes, except this also changed when I met my husband. I guess that I could be more flexible. Reluctant to Innovate or Improvise, that is a hard one. I am not an innovator, but I encourage others to do so. Improvise is something I admit to actively working on. Vulnerable to Criticism, oh boy here we go, yep that’s true. It is also why I did some soul reflection years back and came up with my life motto’ “You can’t change your circumstance, only your response to it”. ESFJ’s are also described as Too Needy and Too Selfless. I am not needy, yes! Finally one that didn’t fit, but I am "too selfless", to be fair that one can sometimes be true. I enjoyed learning of the details of this type of personality, I found it to be so interesting in fact, that my incessant jabber about it inspired my hubby to take the exam himself. It turns out that he is a very rare INFJ Advocate type. It was very fun to read about him and reflect on our lives, we have both helped each other in our areas of weakness. I guess opposites really do attract.

The fact that my husband is an introvert has helped me to do some of the things that Susan Cain (2012) suggested, I respect the need for self-reflection and limited group activities. My hospital is currently on a journey to take us to the digital age that is more continuous and dynamic to not only sustain but move us forward. These are some of the same ideas that were touched on in the Quantum Leadership video (2014). The system we use is the Lean system (Toyota Lean Management), it is designed to help include everyone. I believe that my knowledge of introverts has helped when asking for people to be assigned tasks. I can assign standalone tasks to our introverted team members and group tasks to our extroverts. This helps us all be a part of the team, and put forth our best effort as well.

Caroline McHugh's video was fantastic. I loved her vibe, she was embodying the exact points that she was teaching in that speech. I could never have the guts to wear short hair, nevertheless look so stylish while wearing it. One point that specifically touched me was that we are living our best selves when we are young children (2013). I find that Caroline’s appearance and candid ideas reflect this idea at its core. We are our best selves when we wear our personalities on our sleeves. It is freeing as well, to not feel pressure to hide under a persona that we want others to perceive.

Personality is also a key component in resolving conflict. Conflict, though tough, is one of the more positive things a leader can do to move forward. It allows us to confront an issue that is in the way of our progress as well as allow us to coach our team to reach new heights. Susan Clark and CrisMarie Campbell (2015) speak of using the energy that the conflict has created to force the question that we wouldn’t have asked before. If we use this, as well as factor in the personality factor, we have a better chance of getting to the root cause and pushing past the perceived issue. I have had an example of an employee who was frustrated and perceived I was taking responsibility away from her. I asked this person why she thought I was taking responsibility away from her. Her response was, well, you said that you knew I was overwhelmed so I didn’t need to attend this meeting. She told me she felt like I was punishing her. I knew that she had made that assumption without communicating her concerns. I clarified for her that I in fact said that she didn’t have to worry about attending a meeting. I knew she was busy, I was already going to be there, I felt like I was taking something off of her plate and helping her out. I was very hurt that she felt I intended to punish her, I thought I was helping. I asked her to communicate to me in the future if she has a clarification question. I told her that I would do a better job communicating where I was coming from as well. If I had taken into account her personality type, I would have known from the start that I needed to lead with my reasons for the action that I took. I am a firm believer that our mistakes are the best learning tools and I plan to use this tool to make changes in the future.

A communication breakdown can lead to a much larger issue than the original conflict. I am just going to go out on a limb and assume that we all know the above story line. #FriendsisaTVstaple 

I felt that the video from both Ledgerwood and Gutsche touched on a similar theme. That is that we need to look at life with different lenses (2013). In both situations it is the ability to view the world from a perspective that is rare that gives us the ability to grow.  Gutsche (2015) spoke of the NASA scientist who used his Origami after-work passion to give him the insight to answer the question of how to fit complex satellites into rockets. He also spoke of his own father who used what could have been seen as unfortunate situations into opportunity.

It sure looks like a bank run. In It's a Wonderful Life, we see George Bailey keep his cool and seize the opportunity to  move his community forward by turning an economic crash into a growth opportunity. Yes, at the end of the day he only had Two Dollars to show for his work, but it was his work that was the victory. 

I think it appropriate that in order to use my own example of systems thinking I embodied multiple ideas that were explored this week. I realized that I used the perspective of an authentic self, in a childlike state. I looked at this issues from a lens that shows a glass half full perspective. I realized that what I once thought of as a painful parental obligation has given me insight. the top thought that came to mind when I was watching the video on The Complexity of Life (2009) was…

 I surprised myself that this was the example that I initially thought of. I was not previously a fan of the Power Rangers, but this movie was so important to my 6 year old daughter. It was pleasantly fantastic, with a wonderful message. If you watch the clip, the Rangers are confused as to how they are supposed to fight this creepy villain all stuck together. In fact they fall at first. It is that fall that helps them to get on track again and join together to make their newly formed Megazord move forward as a team. This is how I see our healthcare system working together. We can all be independent entities, and if we spend too much time looking at each segment, we miss the larger message. However, when we unite, and figure out how to move as one, we move forward as a hero in the community. 

 References

ESFJ - THE PROVIDER MBTI The Myers & Briggs 16 Personality Types (Personality Test) ANIMATION. (2016, December 02). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzuTeWUoZq4

J. (2014, March 31). Quantum Leadership Webinar | Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF8xqKTjC5w

TEDTalks: Susan Cain--The Power of Introverts [Video file]. (2012, March 2). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4

T. (2013, February 15). The art of being yourself | Caroline McHugh | TEDxMiltonKeynesWomen. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=veEQQ-N9xWU

B. (2009, October 07). The Complexity Of Life. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1biuNl90380

T. (2013, June 22). Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) | Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XFLTDQ4JMk

T. (2015, March 05). BETTER & FASTER: Innovation Keynote Speaker Jeremy Gutsche's Top Speech on Innovation. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFshvhzcCVw

T. (2015, July 13). Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It | CrisMarie Campbell & Susan Clarke | TEDxWhitefish. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97fVGTjE4w

We were on a break. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1477058915ra/20912446.gif

Capra, F. (Director). (n.d.). Its a wonderful life [Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/12/e2/2812e271cc2f00ee39573751d89f8b36.jpg

M. (2017, October 13). Power Rangers (2017) - The Mighty Megazord Scene (9/10) | Movieclips. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jojFdN-oysU 

Understanding My Why

So…Here goes. How funny is it that sitting down to write a blog post has caused so many butterflies in my stomach? I mean, it isn’t like it has been 18 years since I’ve written anything for a grade, right? Yet, when I finally sat down to write this post, the realization that I am just supposed to write about myself sinks in. 

Myself—to detail who I am, to reflect on how I processed some amazingly inspiring video presentations, and to project what I can be if I focus on areas that need coaching. This whole assignment is designed to make me better. Now that I have come to that understanding, this doesn’t seem so butterfly-worthy after all.

I am a nurse. This has defined me for nearly half of my life. I am incredibly proud of that. I have often reflected on who I am and where I want to go, but never really “why”. I have always been someone who loves justice—open-minded justice. I want everyone to know where they stand with me, but I want them to laugh with me as well. My father instilled that trait in me. He was a military man, and if you have ever met a military person, you know what I mean. Only he had one additional quality: he used his personality to make people smile, to let them know that he was trustworthy and honorable. That clever personality sealed the deal. You could see his hard work and amazing work ethic, but when he made you laugh, you could relax and breathe. I believe that is what made his leadership abilities so successful. I think they are what make my qualities uniquely special as well.

I love my family, spending time with my friends and neighbors (I live on the most fun street in town by the way, so don’t be jealous), running, reading a good book, and because I am a nerd…I also love podcasts. I may not be living the life I envisioned, but really who does? I mean, if that were true, I would be married to Joe Mcintyre and jetting all over Europe as a fashion icon. Instead, I live and equally amazing life. I get to be Colby Miller’s wife, a mother to four wonderfully individual kids, a loyal friend, and an easy-going, goal-oriented leader for my team at Children’s Mercy.

It could have been different though, I wasn’t always on this course.  About 10 years ago, I decided that I needed to change something about myself, though I didn’t know what. I was in a rut in life. I reflected on my life and how it shaped me. I began to notice that it was the choices that I made that shaped my life, my responses. I used this insight and I started telling myself what is now my motto “You can’t change your circumstance…only your response to it”. This self-talk has shaped much more than who I am, it has changed the way I look at nursing. I have always thought of myself as an advocate, one who fights for what my patients and their families need, or what I think the policy should be. As I have grown in myself, I have noted that I can be a much better advocate, for all that I want to advocate for, as a leader. 

Fast forward a bit and here I am. I am currently a nurse manager at Children’s Mercy Hospital. I have worked here nearly 22 years, how lucky am I? I am new to any official leadership position, but I enjoy it. I get to put all of my qualities to work. I am certain that this is the best use of my passion to help people better who they are, and in turn they are able to better care for our patients and their families. 

This week, as I watched the assigned presentations, it became clear how important living my “why” is. Simon Sinek (2010) spoke about the differences in companies’ success as a result of where their message came from, as opposed to what the message asked of us. I had never given much thought before now on this topic, but it makes perfect sense. Being able to communicate our raison d’être in a way that resonates, makes people feel they can trust. It is in this same vein that as nurses we hear it said “People won't care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

I have long admired Steve Jobs for various reasons. His “why” was so large that it literally moved our world into the technology age that we are in now. That is one powerful “why”. In the video from Steve Jobs (2005), he spoke about connecting the dots. These dots aren’t just retrospective, but also foreshadow the direction we will go. In my job, I have unknowingly been relying on the dots to take our clinic to the desired future state. I feel like sometimes we hit a level and those dots are clear, and all the work we have done makes sense. In hearing this speech, I have learned to trust the dots to take me where I am going. 

In the Michael Jr. video (2015) the audience member was a great example of how purposeful our “what” can be when we apply our “why” to it. When that gentleman sang the first time, it was very good. When he was given direction to sing based on emotion, he knocked it out of the park! In my own life, I can tell how much impact my “why” has had just based on the ease of implementation of new practices. When I can help them relax and breathe, I know they trust the process. 

Porter-O’Grady (2016) is passionate about nursing. He is also passionate about the fact that nursing has to change. He spoke of how most of our nurses are of the age to be Technological Immigrants and this means we need to change how we use technology in healthcare before the technological natives catch up to us. I have long had this same thought, we have to stop living in the “This is how we have always done it” world and start living in the “Let’s just give this a quick try” world instead. Not to mention, we also need to start doing this in a relevant timeline, in order to see the most optimal benefits.

In “what is Leadership” (2014), we see an example of how much better people do when they aren’t being micro-managed. In nursing, we weren’t taught to delegate and trust, we were told to delegate, re-evaluate, and then re-evaluate our re-evaluation. It isn’t always the most productive of actions. David Marquet was able to grow his men to be the best versions of themselves as long as all the conditions are right. The end result was leading and not managing. 

As I reviewed the Nursing Administration Scope and Standards of Practice (2016) I felt like my area of needed growth lies in those areas that make me nervous. I want to grow in my ability to “Recognize conflict as inherent and valuable in effective collaboration” (p.50). I also need to be better at “Provide(ing) support and resources to facilitate the nursing care given by others while retaining accountability for the quality of care an effectiveness of teams.” (p.51). I tend to feel the obligation to do more instead of delegating more, ironically this can backfire. 

Nursing Leadership is the path that I know I am meant to be on. This means I need to always keep growing. I want to get better at leading my staff. I hope that knowing my “why” and using it from the standpoint of The Golden Circle, connecting the dots and singing my song with purpose can help me move forward to be an even better leader, and my team to an even better place.

References:

TEDTalks: Simon Sinek--How Great Leaders Inspire Action [Video file]. (2010, May). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from blob:https://embed.ted.com/ecfb94a1-b469-455a-abf2-658e2663e4c4

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die [Video file]. (2005, June). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die

Michael Jr: Know Your Why [Video file]. (2015, September 10). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=LZe5y2D60YU

AONE Thought Leader: Tim Porter O'Grady [Video file]. (2016, April 22). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=29&v=ytAV0jcIVPc

What is Leadership? (2014, May 17). Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://youtu.be/pYKH2uSax8U

Nursing administration: scope and standards of practice. (2016). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.