Healing the Hearts of Healthcare: Leadership

In this podcast, Arleen is joined by guest podcast host, Dr. Beatrice Anduze-Faris, a.k.a. Dr B., for an insightful discussion about the importance of self-care and finding ways to release emotional triggers from past traumatic events. Dr. Anduze-Faris, an experienced clinician in the field of HIV and palliative care, shares her personal learnings and insights as a healthcare executive, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT or tapping) practitioner and life transformation coach. Dr. B. leads us into a discussion inviting leaders to find the courage to tend to their own needs first, so that they can lead their organizations even more effectively. In particular, the awareness that past traumatic events can affect us daily, without proper intervention, is key. Releasing the resulting emotional triggers will open the possibilities of living a life that is more connected to our purpose. 

Dr. B. reminds healthcare leaders that trauma is "overcomeable” and it is our responsibility to nurture our own needs so that we can be our best selves as leaders. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in healthcare, the workforce might still be struggling with the effects from exposure to various traumatic events they experienced. They may need to find ways to release that trauma and find joy and purpose again. Dr. B. shares her personal experience as a certified EFT practitioner as a way to release the triggers from past traumatic events and shares the importance of being effective and authentic leaders, building trustful relationships and showing that you genuinely care about your people. When you invest in yourself, you will be more effective investing in the health of your workforce. Then you can support team members to reconnect to their passion of helping others, as their true purpose. 

You can connect with Dr. Anduze-Faris by reaching out via email at [email protected] or connecting with her on social media.

In this podcast, Arleen discusses one of the most painful problems in healthcare by sharing the great work in Patrick Lencioni’s book Death by Meeting. Arleen reminds healthcare leaders that meetings can absorb a majority of your time every day, preventing you from interacting with team members, patients and visitors who need your presence and support.

Arleen reminds leaders that if you've ever participated in an unstructured or poorly run meeting, you understand firsthand that achieving deliverables and moving targets can feel like you are pushing a large boulder up a hill. Arleen shares with leaders the importance of developing strong time and organizational management skills and being aware that any loss in productivity and efficiency from poorly run meetings, should be raised up for discussion. 

Arleen shares her personal experience working with one organization, Novo Nordisk Inc., who used LEAN methodology over 15 years ago to transform the way meetings would occur in every part of the organization around the globe. Wasteful practices such as poorly defined agendas, inadequate facilitation practices, lack of participant preparation/engagement and failure to keep time to task were corrected with the implementation of a more efficient and consistent set of standards and expectations regarding use of time during meetings. 

Arleen shares how Novo Nordisk Inc., a global healthcare company headquartered in Denmark, instituted a global process-improvement initiative known as “Meeting Effectiveness” which added structure and effectiveness for leaders and team members to ensure time was not wasted, allowing leaders to spend quality time with their team members from attending too many meetings.

Arleen reminds every leader that it takes courage to speak up and protect your greatest commodity–your time lost attending unproductive meetings. When we find strategies to improve meeting effectiveness we increase engagement, productivity, efficiency, quality care and patient outcomes.

In this podcast, Scott Ellner, DO, MPH, MHCM, FACS returns to join Arleen as guest podcast co-host to discuss the important considerations regarding artificial intelligence and how it relates to leaders, your workforce and the patients you serve. Technology continues to evolve and is an important aspect in healthcare delivery. Scott shares insights from current research regarding looking at artificial intelligence as augmented intelligence for healthcare workers and what you need to consider in order to stay competitive.

Leaders must understand how artificial or augmented intelligence will support healthcare workers and the role it plays in improving patient outcomes. With artificial intelligence there will be legal, regulatory, ethical and financial considerations that will require us to make decisions regarding its use and the opportunities to evaluate it for your teams. Scott reminds leaders that artificial intelligence can never replace your authenticity as a leader. And that you must build trustful relationships and seek opportunities to provide additional support to the healthcare workforce every day. Authenticity is what will help leaders to create the path for change to occur in healthcare.

In this podcast, Arleen is joined by co-host Veronica Barber, EdD. for a discussion about the importance and power behind emotions and how they affect your ability to lead healthcare workers through the day-to-day challenges. We discuss, as leaders, when we better understand how to manage our emotions we can navigate with ease, calmness and connect with every team member on an emotional level. Veronica reminds our audience that empathy is a critical skill set for leaders and healthcare workers to connect with people on a cognitive and emotional level. However, leaders must understand that it is okay to feel what your team members are feeling, but you must shield yourself from absorbing everyone’s energy, otherwise it will wear you down. 

Veronica educates us on the differences between introverts and extroverts and how as leaders we need to recognize the individual needs of your team members. Veronica also shares from the research the concepts of emotional contagion and antifragility and how they relate to our emotions. Arleen and Veronica share what leaders need to know when it comes to the power of emotional intelligence and how it is needed to sustain the workforce.

In this podcast, Arleen reminds leaders in healthcare that taking a humanistic approach and showing your workforce that you care is essential.

Arleen reminds leaders that the experiences your workforce face every day are highly complex and full of challenges. Your ability to inspire, motivate or offer words of encouragement might just be the one thing that keeps them coming back. 

Arleen reminds leaders of the importance of developing your expert noticing skills. Whether it is spotting a team member who needs help, emotional support, or just words of encouragement you taking action is what your team needs from you.

Arleen reminds leaders that if you don’t prioritize taking time out of your busy day to show you care about your team, then you shouldn't be surprised when they do the same with their patients.

You are in the business of caring for people. That means you must care for your workforce. Arleen reminds leaders that if you don't build in daily practices to show people you care, you may find it harder to attract those caring, compassionate people.

In this podcast, Arleen discusses the important role leaders play in demonstrating ownership and accountability especially when delivering feedback to team members. Arleen reminds leaders of their duty to inspire, motivate and engage with team members, but more importantly to share ways to make an impact on the day-to-day experiences your team members face. Arleen reminds leaders that an important aspect of your team’s success is supporting your team members to heal their hearts through daily self-care.

Arleen discusses how healthcare is unpredictable, which causes the workforce to experience challenges every single day, sometimes resulting in stressful behaviors to surface. Arleen reminds leaders that you set the conditions for the conversations to happen naturally and organically. Arleen shares key principles to consider before delivering feedback to your team members. Learning how to create a psychologically safe place where feedback is shared as a teachable moment that allows the person to self-reflect and be open to receive the feedback.

In this podcast, Arleen shares the importance of developing your communication skills to achieve mastery as a core leadership competency in order to support team members in healing their hearts from their day-to-day experiences. Arleen reminds leaders when you are not able to set strategic plans and/or execute them, it affects your credibility as a leader and your messages may land poorly. Arleen helps decode some common traps that leaders face with communication and developing leadership skills. When leaders are unclear in delivering key messages, do not properly set expectations or have not developed effective listening skills, it absolutely affects your team members view you as a credible leader. 

Arleen reminds leaders of the importance of creating a structure or outline every time you engage in those difficult or challenging conversations. Doing this simple prep activity will help you achieve mastery through practice and build your confidence. Arleen reminds leaders that when you develop your communication skills and learn how to inspire and motivate your team members, you are in the best position to grow your talent and to feel extraordinary about your leadership skills.

Arleen reminds leaders that when you motivate people in your organization through effective communication skills, you will achieve personal and professional satisfaction and be in the best position to support team members.     

In this podcast, Arleen shares how you can be a not so undercover boss in order to support team members. Through storytelling, Arleen shares how sitting with a team member to better understand how he managed the flow of 200-300 emails every day opened her perspective and created an educational opportunity for all team members.

Arleen reminds leaders that creating a safe psychological space, and getting the permission of the team member is necessary before shadowing them. Arleen reminds leaders of the importance of using the opportunity to be generous with praise and appreciation during the experience. Arleen also reminds the importance of clearing roadblocks and barriers in order for team members to become more efficient and effective, ultimately making them happier.  

Arleen shares how Costco uses their secret shopper program to improve the customer service experience without making it punitive for team members. By understanding the perspective from the lens of your team members, you are best positioned as a leader to improve systems and internal processes. Arleen reminds us you can use this opportunity to advocate and sponsor team members to be seen for their skills and talents while supporting their professional development. 

In this podcast, Arleen reminds leaders that team members secretly wish and hope for the day when they can just return to pre-covid days of providing care. However, just like when a person loses a loved one, it is normal to crave a return to prior times. Arleen reminds leaders that the business of healthcare will continue to evolve, and leaders play an important role in supporting team members every day.  Arleen reminds leaders of their duty and responsibility to support team members to heal their hearts from their day-to-day experiences and offers a new approach to creating a new normalcy through leadership. Arleen shares with the leader's common triggers and traps that can rob a leader of their credibility and create an inability for team members to follow behind them. Arleen shares simple solutions that will help leaders connect to team members and provide meaningful support.  

Arleen shares the lessons from Chade-Meng Tan, author of Search Inside Yourself citing leadership lessons from Anthony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos and the important role leaders play in helping team members achieve a higher purpose. Leaders must understand the important role they play in creating the environment where people are motivated by a higher sense of purpose. According to Hsieh, under these conditions, “work can become a source of sustainable happiness.” Arleen ends the podcast inviting leaders to identify their personal values to ensure when they show up, they are leading from a place of authenticity. 

In this podcast, Arleen discusses several important lessons regarding the power of your communication, including your words and how you say them. Arleen shares lessons from the book, Leadership is Language by L. David Marquet, a retired United States Navy captain. Arleen shares what leaders need to keep top of mind to empower and engage team members. Arleen shares from Marquet’s book, the story of the El Faro, a container ship that sailed directly into a hurricane resulting in the death of the entire crew. Arleen shares words from the transcripts of both captain and crew member responses leading up to the ship sinking.  

Arleen also reminds leaders of Toyota’s use of the Andon Cord on their production line to empower team members to raise up communication whenever quality is suspected to be compromised. Arleen reminds leaders in healthcare of similar measures we use to ensure patient safety, especially with communication.  

Finally, Arleen reminds leaders how authority and hierarchy play a role in communication. Arleen shares insights from John Miller’s book, Flipping the Switch for leaders to learn how to unleash the power of QBQ (Question behind the question). Arleen shares why leaders must ask better questions and improve your coaching skills to help team members achieve their highest potential. Arleen ends the podcast reminding leaders of typical traps in communicating with team members.