Clintcast

For those out there old enough (or young enough depending on your perspective) to remember the Andy Griffith show, the character of Gomer Pyle was filled constant, serendipitous ‘surprise’ such that life was always filled with happy little occurrences. Today, Clint discusses how there is a need in our healthcare world for professionals to induce some ‘surprise’ into the daily lives of our customers, our coworkers and our organizations to help offset the daily negative surprises we encounter routinely, but also to inject some pure, unexpected care into our lives. We can all benefit from a ‘surprise’ now and then!

A question that often arises, especially in management roles is to wonder if it is okay to ‘straddle the fence’ regarding a decision to be made... must a side always be taken? Eventually, yes a decision is necessary - that’s how we choose a goal and proceed in that direction. However, it is okay to delay taking a side long enough to gather the support data, cost analyses, input from team members, etc to foster choosing a side to favor. The hard part is knowing when that process is taking too long at the cost of getting things done. A better tactic is to get the team involved in forging these directions (sometimes eliminating the ‘fence’ altogether) as long as members understand that once a choice is made, it is off to the races. Which side are you on?

The concept of the right-hand-man, the trusted person closest to the high ranking person dates back many centuries. Still today, it involves developing a trusting relationship with another upon whom the ‘king’ entrusts assistance in the kingly tasks, a position appreciated yet, more than likely, still based on hope of not being let down. Why not adopt a team-based approach so that there are many right-hand-persons to help with the load (and the successes) so that the trust can be shared more universally and all the eggs aren’t in one basket? Listen in!

Any sports fan can relate to the importance of momentum. It is one of those ‘you know it when you have it’ things that can make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary and boost the outcome of a team significantly. The trick is often that the key breakthrough that spurs the momentum is unpredictable as to when and where it will happen (if at all). We can, however, put our teams in the path/conditions typical of fostering momentum creating events. Today, Clint describes some of these conditions that tend to give teams extra opportunities to drive momentum in their organization.

In the grand scheme of things, it is better to have we’s than me’s. Effective team behaviors trump individual efforts every time because the power of the team brings forth inner synergies that exceed the sum of the individuals comprising the team for positive good. That being the case, sometimes in life, we have one or more ‘me’ oriented folks embedded with us that let their self-centered behaviors that rule their lives pervade the team around them. When this occurs, it is critical that the we’s deal with this situation effectively, completely and immediately as it will quickly wipe away any gains made by the team if left unchecked. Learn some tips on waging this important battle within your work environment.

On this first day of the fresh new year, Clint relates the date today (01-01-10) to the uniqueness in each of us, in that it is those ones in a field of nothing (zeroes) that are the significant digits in the date that make all the difference. Similarly, we all carry with us a special facet to the universe in that we are the only one in the great expanse that has the unique skills, background, experience, etc that is the sum of our parts. Therefore, we need to take great care to not only value our uniqueness, but also to utilize it in combining our efforts with the other ‘ones’ to help make a whole greater than the sum of its parts for our customers and those around us in life. Celebrate because today, you’re the one!

We all need to have a plan for our years after our working career and for the steps we need to put in place prior to that life-stage (retirement planning for the ‘future now’). That’s all well and proper. Where things sometime breakdown is when the individual makes the retirement motions while still on the job (perhaps even 20 years early!) because they have decided they have done enough. For these folks, they have already ‘turned off the switch’ and as such, they will likely find retirement itself unfulfilling as well, as they are not finding happiness in their ‘current now’ and doing things that keep an active state in progress, regardless if it is for an organization or themselves. How’s your retirement planning aligned?

A key component of success is the relentless need for constant movement toward a higher goal. It can sometimes be easy to fall into a trap of settling for a status quo position, but it is imperative that we constantly look for opportunities in which to grow as there are always aspects of our work that can improve in timeliness, efficiency, effectiveness, etc that improve upon our abilities to dazzle our customers. The key is to make the decision to not settle for mediocrity. Listen in for some tips on striving for more.

Nothing kills a team’s spirit more than a member who holds the attitude that ‘it’s not my job’. The healthcare profession depends on team players willing to bend and flex with the day as the concept of customer service excellence relies on this ability to deal with the innumerable ‘unpredicted events’ that routinely and randomly sprinkle the day. Obviously, folks should not be doing things they are not licensed/approved to do, but otherwise, if they can pitch in and cover as needed throughout the day, the workplace becomes a much better environment for both the staff and the customers. Make sure your team is on-board!

Throughout our working careers, it is very important that we constantly attend to building personal skills that enable us to be more effective in our work. One skill in particular that is commonly held and utilized by highly successful people is that of initiating and maintaining eye contact with customers and co-workers. In the people business of healthcare, it does not matter if we nail the technical aspects of our work if we do not succeed in our people skills as well. As such, it is very helpful when we can use this skill to help establish a relationship of trust and empathy with those around us to help enhance our technical skill and customer service delivery. Take a look!