Working for a Nurse Leader Who Did Not Hire You

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Nurse Leader One of my professional colleagues called me recently to discuss what she described as a personally challenging situation.  She is a senior director over several departments in a large medical center.  Her Chief Nursing Officer had recently retired and was replaced by a new leader with a totally different style and approach.  “I am having problems adjusting” she confessed.  “Things were so easy in terms of my relationship with my boss and now they are not.”  She reported that she was not the only one experiencing these new challenges but had begun to wonder if it might be time to seek another position.

This nurse leader’s dilemma is not an uncommon one.  Most nurses and nurse leaders confront a situation like this at some point in their career.  The higher that you move in any organization, the more likely it is that you will experience it. Managing yourself well in this situation is very important.

1.  Be Realistic

Working with a new Boss can be challenging.  It can feel like you are starting over.  Most new leaders come into organizations with their own ideas and vision about what they would like to accomplish.  Some new executive nurse leaders may also have received specific direction from other leaders in the C-suite about things that are working and what is not.

2.  Shift Your Mindset

You have to shift your thinking and realize that you are now dealing with a new person.  If you had a strong relationship with your old boss, there is a tendency to compare.  You need to recognize you are now dealing with a different person whose work style and personality may be considerably different from what you have been used to in the past.  View the transition as simply another professional challenge. Your ability to accept it, better yet, to make the most of it, will enable you to stand out.

  1. Be Proactive in Setting Up a Meeting to Discuss Expectations

Your new leader may schedule a meeting to share information and set mutual expectations.  But if this does not happen, take the initiative to ask for such a meeting if necessary. It can be helpful helpful to find out if an incoming leader has different goals for a department or for your role.  Clarifying expectations about communication is important including your new leader’s preferred communication style (email, phone, in person, text).  Don’t be distressed if projects that your last leader viewed as high priority may have suddenly lost their urgency. This often happens with a leadership change.

4.  Monitor Your Own Reactions

Robert Half, an expert in Human Resource Management, advises that you keep in mind that the success and quality of the relationship is heavily dependent on your own mindset and actions. If you’re welcoming and supportive, you’ll set the stage for a positive and productive partnership one that can be instrumental in helping you achieve your long-term professional goals.

There will be situations that despite all your best efforts, the chemistry is not good and your relationship with your new leader hinders your ability to be effective.  Sometimes, new leaders have a strong desire to bring in new blood into the organization or colleagues that they have worked with in the past.  If this happens, you need to be wise enough to know when it could be in your best interest to seek other professional opportunities.

In most cases, working with new leaders presents more promise than anguish. If they’re reasonable and you’re willing to adapt to the new situation, there’s no reason that your ability to contribute and thrive in your position might be even stronger than with your previous leader.

 

Five Ways to Make a Good First Impression

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As we all know from our life experience, first impressions can be wrong as we learn about people over time.  The problem is that you may not be given a second chance to make a first impression.

In 2005, Malcolm Gladwell published a book on this topic called Blink.   It is a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions.  With this in mind, it is important to be intentional in the first  impressions that we create, especially in high stakes relationship.  The following are 5 ways to make a good first impression:

  1. Consider in advance the image that you want to convey

Whether you are meeting a new boss, joining a new committee or interviewing for a job, think about what image you want to convey and what you will say, do and wear to help you achieve this image.  It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the”picture” you first present says much about you to the person you are meeting.  Expectations are different among organizations so find out about cultural norms related to dress.  Practice how you will achieve this at home.

  1. Arrive early and plan for every contingency so you are not late

If you are late for an initial meeting, it can be very difficult to change that first impression even if you have a very legitimate excuse.  Plan your arrival well in advance of when you need to be there.  When I was in the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow program, we were always told that to be on time is to be late.  There is truth to this – because you have allowed yourself no margin for error.

  1. Smile and be the first to extend your hand in greeting and introduce yourself

There is nothing more welcoming than a warm smile and a firm (not limp)  handshake.  If you are proactive in being the first to take this step, it will increase your confidence.  Be in the moment and turn off your smart phone in advance.

  1. Watch your body language

Use your body language to create a sense of confidence and self-assurance.  In most but not all cultures, lack of eye contact, cross your arms or positioning yourself far from the others in the room can convey that you are guarded or defensive.  You want to adopt body language that matches the culture and conveys a sense that you are engaged in the conversation.  Work hard to not let confusion, annoyance, frustration, or lack of interest show.

  1. Convey genuine interest and look for common ground

When you are meeting people for the first time, approach others with a genuine interest in the organization and/or person.  This is often contagious and you will have better conversations and lasting connections when you are interested because they become interested.  Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.

As Gladwell has written, you have just a few seconds to make a good first impression and it can be impossible to change it. So it’s worth giving each new encounter your best shot. Much of what you need to do to make a good impression is common sense. But with a little extra thought and preparation, you can make that first impression not just good but great.

 

Finding a Nurse Leader Mentor

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Mentoring is an important career strategy regardless of where you are on the career ladder.  Yet finding the right mentor can be challenging.  Although some organizations have formal mentoring programs and assign mentors, research shows that you may receive the best mentoring experience if you find your own mentor.  As you begin the process of trying to identify who might be the best mentor for you, use the following 5 steps:

 

  1. Ask yourself what you want from a mentor and the mentoring experience.

Before you approach anyone to mentor you, it is important to think about what you want from the mentor.  Are you looking for career guidance, personal development, a shadowing experience, networking opportunities or guidance on how to handle a difficult professional situation.

  1. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses

It is important to choose a mentor that you will find easy to talk with so think about what personality type might complement your own.  Identifiy your strengths and weaknesses.  Look for a mentor who has traits that you would like to develop in your self.

  1. Decide on what qualities you want in a mentor

A nurse leader mentor should be someone that you admire and feel is an excellent role model for professional behavior.  He or she should be an excellent listener and someone who will be honest with you.   Although your mentor can be of any age, someone who is 5 to 10 years ahead of you in their nursing leadership journey can provide the best guidance.

  1. Consider the availability of the mentor

Although you may be tempted to choose a nationally known leader to mentor you, it is important to consider geographic proximity.  Think about the ease of getting together to talk.  You will also want to think about whether you want a mentor from within the organization where you currently work.

  1. Make a list of potential nurse leader mentors

As a last step, identify potential mentors who match the requirements of that you have identified above.  Think about nurse leaders

you have worked with or nurse leaders that you have met in professional organizations.  Ask others for suggestions.  Learn as much as you can about the mentors that you are considering.  Don’t assume that because they are nationally known that they wouldn’t be interested in mentoring you.  It never hurts to ask.

Following Up

Once you have identified a potential mentor, ask him or her to lunch to discuss the idea of mentoring.  A personal approach is always best but if they don’t live geographically close, you can make your request by email, letter or telephone.  Prepare an agenda for your first meeting and develop questions you will ask.  Explain why you have chosen them and what type of support you need.  Remember that mentoring is a two-way street so talk about what you can bring to the mentoring relationship.  If a mentor turns you down, don’t take it personally.  Be sure to thank them for considering it and ask for other suggestions for mentors.  Managing awkward situations well will make a good impression on the nurse leader even if he or she does not mentor you.

Following Through

It is important to respect your mentor’s time.  If a mentor offers a suggestions, be sure to follow through on them.  Be willing to do some stretch assignments that demonstrate you are committed to the mentoring experience.  A good mentor will push you outside your comfort zone and help you achieve bigger things than you ever imagined for yourself.  Be sure to show appreciation.

At some point in your career, it will be your turn to give back.  Mentoring is a gift and one that hopefully you will eventually pass on by mentoring others.

 

Being the Inside Candidate for a Nurse Leader Role

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Candidate A colleague of mine recently called and asked for advice about managing herself as the “inside candidate” among a highly qualified pool for an executive role in her organization.  The good news for my friend is that business research increasingly indicates that highly qualified inside candidates when selected usually have a smoother transition, perform at a higher level and are more likely to stay with the organization over time.  There usually is already a good cultural fit, and the internal candidate has extensive organizational knowledge.   The downside of being the inside candidate is that you are well known to the organization and have a clear track record to evaluate.  You may also have supporters as well as co-workers that you may have had disagreements with.  While external candidates may worry about solid inside candidates, being an insider is not always an advantage and these candidates need to manage themselves well in the interview process.

Common Mistakes Made by Inside Candidates

Internal candidates sometimes underestimate what the interview process will be like for them.  They may falsely assume that the organization will do less due diligence on internal candidates than external ones, assuming that their employer knows them well.   If there is a search firm involved as is true with many high level positions, the internal candidate will be undergo the same vetting process as any external candidate.  You will be asked to provide references and these will be checked as they would be with any external candidate.  They are likely focused on a different set of roles and responsibilities than those encompassed by the new role.  Every ounce of personal and  political baggage that you have acquired over the years will be closely examined, and old grudges will be revisited.  People you thought were your friends may fail to support you.

The Do’s and Don’ts if You are an Inside Candidate

  • Do treat the application process in the same way as you would if you were applying to a new organization.
  • Do an extensive amount of due diligence on the new position.
  • Do be able to give specific examples of your current achievements to illustrate why you are a good candidate.
  • Do dress the part of the position you aspire for and prepare thoroughly for the interview.
  • Do realize that you are competing for the position and will need to earn it.
  • Do provide references that can speak to your ability to be successful in the new position.
  • Do recognize that you make be an excellent candidate but there may be a need for more diversity on the leadership team.
  • Don’t expect special favors or differences in treatment from the interview team.
  • Don’t ask anyone on the search team for any confidential information.
  • Don’t share any information about the interview with your work colleagues.
  • Don’t assume you have an edge or that you will be given the position – even if you have been given assurances by senior management.
  • Don’t get angry or verbalize frustration if you are not selected.

Candidates who are interviewing in their own organizations sometimes make the mistake of not preparing for the interview.  Approach every interview in the same way whether you are an inside or outside candidate.  Don’t schedule an interview to follow a 12 hour night tour and don’t wear scrubs to a leadership interview.  Schedule the interview on your day off when you are rested and dressed for success.  After the interview, think carefully about the job that you interviewed for and whether it is a good fit with your strengths, weaknesses and career plans.   Recognize that you may not be selected for a position that you really want but take the risk anyway.   You just never know where it could lead you.

 

Clarifying Your Nursing Leadership Values

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Do you know what your leadership values are and perhaps even more important – do you live them?   This is a question that I often ask my graduate students because your values should help drive your decision-making.  I was reminded of the importance of this the other day with a story that a friend related to me.  She is second in command in a large healthcare organization.  Her senior nurse leader was unable to attend an important strategic meeting with senior leaders from throughout the organization so she went in her place.  The CEO began the discussion talking about the need for succession planning as part of their strategic plan.  He then discussed current leaders who would be retiring before the end of the year.  My friend was surprised to hear the name of her senior nursing leader announced as someone who would be retiring in the next six months.  It did not seem like new information to anyone in the room other than her.  This leader, she explained, prides herself on her communication transparency calling it a core leadership value yet her plans had not been disclosed to her own leadership team.  It seemed to be a disconnect when transparency was being promoted as a core value.

Clarifying Leadership Values

In their book, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner identify clarifying one’s values as one of the five best practices in leadership.  By identifying those principles that matter most, you will gain tremendous clarity and focus that will allow you to make consistent decisions and take committed action.  From their research, the authors report that leaders who have clear leadership philosophies and values are rated 40% higher on their leadership skills than those who don’t have clear values.  Finding your voice as a leader better allows you to make choose a direction, act with determination and make the tough choices that come with leadership roles.  Values should constitute your personal “bottom line” and tell you when to say no and when to say yes.   The clearer that you are about your values, the easier it will be to stay on your chosen path and commit to it.

Some examples of Leadership Core Values

  • A commitment to collaboration
  • A belief in the need for teamwork
  • A commitment to diversity
  • A belief in the need to foster innovation
  • A willingness to tolerate differences in opinions
  • A commitment to customer service
  • A belief in the need to develop staff at all levels of the organization
  • A commitment to a caring-based approach to leadership
  • A willingness to be vulnerable

Living Your Core Values

Being clear in expressing your values as a leader is important but staff will watch your behavior to see if you really live it.  In the case situation presented by my friend, the leader involved had not lived her core value about a belief in the need for transparency in communication.  When this happens, staff lose confidence in your leadership because the “talk” and the “walk” are incongruent.  Staff look to their leaders to clarify their values and want to share these values.  Shared values are very affirming on a team and can lead to exceptional outcomes.  Having a strong sense of your core values can also help you make decisions about whether a workplace culture is the right one for you.  All of us have had the experience of being on a team or walking into an environment where we have felt that we just didn’t belong.

Kouzes and Posner recommend that the first step on any leadership journey should be to clarify your values and beliefs that will guide your actions and decisions on path to success and significance.  In leadership roles, building shared values is also critical.  In times of crisis, nothing can help align an individual or a team more effectively than a refocus on core values.

 

Developing Mindful Leadership

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Mindful If you are like most leaders in today’s environment, you are maintaining a relentless pace of change yet may not feel like you are keeping up.  An evidence-based strategy to help you slow down and find the space to lead is the practice of mindfulness.  In her book, Janet Marturano (Director of the Institute for Mindful Leadership) describes strategies that leaders can use to slow down and move away from a constant state of partial attentiveness.  There is good evidence that cultivating mindfulness, a practice inherited from the Buddist tradition, can help leaders to relieve some of their stress and feel more in the moment with their work.  Mindful leadership will improve your work by helping you to be present, maintain better focus, become more authentic and expand the repertoire of possibilities and responses in your leadership. In an article in Hospital and Health Networks, Wendy Leebov suggested that mindfulness is the one skill that can transform healthcare.

The Power of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined as knowing what you are doing, feeling or thinking in the present moment.  For leaders, it also means the cultivation of leadership presence.  Nurse leaders are expected to solve complex problems and work with teams of individuals who often have differing points of view.  These activities can be very stressful and it is often difficult for leaders to stay present in these conversations and not to drift to other work which may be left undone.  Mindfulness is practiced by focusing your full attention on whatever is happening in the moment with clarity and acceptance.

By bringing ourselves into the present moment and away from thinking about the past or future, we can shift our relationship to stress. We can think of the present moment as a vacuum chamber and that stress, anxiety, and depression-generating thoughts require an oxygen rich atmosphere to thrive. By being in the present moment we help ourselves as nurse leaders to deal with the challenges of stress and attempt to successfully confront what captures our attention in the present.  This is important for nurse leaders to consider because sometimes our greatest strengths (energy, ambition, willingness to act quickly) can become our greatest liabilities in maintaining the pace of our work.   In today’s environment, nurse leaders spend a great deal of time trying to multitask, often unsuccessfully.

Being present as nurse leaders means that we are more available to those that with are with, and can be more empathetic, compassionate and caring.  There is evidence-based literature to support the use of mindfulness in nursing leadership.  Pipe et al. (2009) did a randomized research study at the Mayo clinic in which 33 nurse leaders were assignted to either a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention or a control group that received a  leadership development course.  The mindfulness intervention was found to significantly reduce self-reported stress symptoms among nurse leaders when compared to those in the control group.

Strategies to Cultivate Mindfulness

For some nurse leaders, mindfulness comes very easily but for most of us, we will need to cultivate mindfulness in a very intentional way.  The art of being present in the here and now can be more difficult than you think.  Here are several strategies that can be used to cultivate mindfulness:

1.  Meditation

Mautarano is a big believer in short meditation breaks for as little as 10 minutes a day.   This slowing of the mind allows us to listen and pay attention to what we might otherwise overlook—whether it’s a fresh idea or a new way of perceiving a situation—enhancing our creativity and letting go of our obstacles to innovation.  During this meditation, accept all your physical, emotional and intellectual experiences, even the negative ones.  Focus on your breathing and have a sense of the space around you.

2.  Attune yourself to the Feelings and Actions of Others

Closely listen and observe others while suspending all judgement of what you see.  This “leadership moment” is called purposeful attention and blocking out everything else in the environment.  The goal here is to be nonreactive and carefully choosing your response to a situation.  It also means recognizing that you don’t always need to respond.  For nurse leaders, this also means closing the space (shutting your door) during the conversation so you can truly focus on what is being said.

3.  Exercise Daily

Daily exercise has been found to both help leaders become more attune to their bodies, reduce stress and improve mind fitness.

4.  Finding Space to Reflect and Be Creative

Cultivating mindfulness also involves becoming more attune to our own thoughts and feelings.  This involves intentionally carving out time each day for reflection on our leadership.   It is important to ask questions such as, Am I acting in concert with my values? Am I the leader I aspire to be? How am I doing managing the stress of my current situation?

Victor Frankel once astutely observed that “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom”   Many nurse leaders, such as the manager I discussed in the introduction, respond to the pressure inherent in leadership by working harder and doing more of the same.  Through mindfulness, we can learn to reflect, and to attend to both the quiet voice inside and the subtle clues from others and our environment, which can steer us in the right direction as nurse leaders.

 

How to Spend Your First 100 Days in a New Nursing Leadership Role

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100 days When you are selected for a leadership position that you really want, it is very exciting.  While celebrating career success is important, many leaders don’t give enough thought to how to manage their own transition to the role.  How you spend your first 100 days in a leadership position can help set the stage for the rest of your tenure in the role.  Those you lead closely watch how you orient yourself to the organization, how you spend your time and what relationships you begin to build.  Five key activities that you will want to build into your action plan include the following:

  1. Learn as much as you can about the department and organization prior to your first day

Carefully study the website of the organization so you know the mission, vision and range of services provided by the health care agency.  If the hospital or agency is part of a larger system, go to the systems website as well.  Review any publicly reported data available about the agency such as what is on the hospital compare care site in the United States.  Many nursing services today use specific theoretical frameworks such as Watson’s Caring theory to guide care – be familiar with it.  If the hospital is Magnet designated and you have not worked in a Magnet hospital, review the forces of magnetism. You will be expected to know the role of leadership in promoting a healthy work environment.

2.  Meet with all your direct reports

Whenever there is a change in leadership, nursing staff will worry about how a new manager will affect them.  A key success factor for the new nurse leader is to be proactive in alleviating this concern by scheduling a meeting with each staff member during your first 100 days.  These meetings will provide you with an opportunity to build a relationship with each staff member, find out about their concerns and seek support from them.  Some good questions to ask during these meetings include the following:

  • What are three things that you are proud of about this unit/department/organization?
  • What are three things that we need to change?
  • What do you most need me to do as your leader?
  • What are you most concerned about that I’ll do?
  • What advice do you have for me?

3.  Gain trust by listening and observing

To gain the trust of staff, you need to avoid rushing to judgement about “what is wrong”  based on your observations.  At the same time, you do need to take note of what you see.  Listen during your conversations with staff and carefully observe what happens on the unit when you make rounds.  During the first 100 days, new leaders should also reach out to stakeholders including patients, interdisciplinary team members and other department leaders.  They will provide you with important insights into your work setting, and you will want to build strong working relationships with them.

4.  Learn the culture and politics of the organization

Every organization has a unique culture and organizational politics.  New leaders can damage their credibility by being insensitive to the politics of the unit and organization.  You may have grown up in another organizational culture that has become so familiar to you that it is like the air that you breathe.  When you come into a new culture with different norms, the differences can be profound.  Take time to learn the norms.  A good example of this involves meetings.  Meeting norms, behaviors and standards vary widely across organizations.  In some organizations, meetings are very formal while in others, they are casual and informal.  Take time to observe, adapt and learn.  New leaders can alienate members of their organizations by talking excessively about how things were done on their previous units, so avoid doing this.

5.  Find a Mentor

You will want to build strong relationships with your staff but remember that they are not your leadership peers.  You should not use members of your staff as sounding boards particularly when the topic is confidential.  Look for an experienced leader in your organization who can help mentor you during your transition.

6.  Avoid Acting too Quickly

Wise nurse leaders don’t announce huge changes during their first 100 days and don’t turn their departments upside down.  It is important to let staff know that you have high standards and expect their best work.  You can lower the level of what you expect if it turns out the demands are too high but it is almost impossible to raise it if you have started too low.

For many new leaders, the first 100 days will be challenging but exhilarating.  What if your feel during this first 100 days that you have made a mistake accepting the leadership role?  This is a difficult question to answer because you may feel overwhelmed during these first 100 days, but it may not be a good indication of how you will feel in six months.  If you feel you have made a mistake, it is important to have the courage to discuss the situation with your supervisor.  It is often said that success is becoming who you already are.  Using this first 100 days to build this success will set the stage for a great leadership career.

 

Learning to Apologize When You Are Wrong

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Apologize The other day, I had a conversation with a young leader who was planning to leave her organization.  When I asked why, she told me that she had been blamed for a situation involving a patient’s family when she was not involved.  The senior leadership were very upset about the controversy surrounding a communication with the family.  The family, she told me, had totally misunderstood what the staff was try to tell them.  Because the patient was a significant donor to the hospital, the repercussions were swift and she was blamed for failing to control her staff.  Even when facts came out that indicated that she was correct and her administration had overreacted – there was no apology.  She said she felt very devalued.  It can be very difficult for some leaders to apologize when they are wrong but this is an important leadership skill to learn.

When leaders make mistakes and judge too quickly, they may feel that their followers will get over it quickly and their actions were inconsequential.  Nothing is could be further from the truth and it can result in an employee leaving an organization because of a lack of trust.   Leadership expert Michael Hyatt describes 4 sentences that every leader should have in his/her vocabulary and be willing to say them:

1.  I’m sorry

Hyatt contends that this simple sentence can set everything in motion to make an authentic apology.  With it, we take 100% accountability for our actions.  Instead most leaders will say I’m sorry BUT which deflects responsibility away from themselves and builds excuses for their behavior.  I’m sorry is what it takes to initiate the repair of a relationship.

2.  I know that hurt

To effectively apologize, you must acknowledge that you have caused pain.  This conveys empathy and the willingness to put ourselves in another person’s shoes and feel what they felt.  It is best when done proactively and not in response to being caught in a situation where you have to apologize and look less authentic.

3.  I was wrong

This Hyatt says is the most difficult statement of all for most leaders.  The reality  is that you will sometimes wrong and admitting this can be a very powerful message to staff.  Don’t ever assumed as a leader that you will be given a pass when you make a mistake because you are in a high stress job and staff know it.

4.  Will you forgive me?

This is not a statement such as Please Forgive Me but a question and a powerful one.  By saying this – you acknowledge that forgiveness is not an entitlement but a choice on the part of the other person.  They may choose to withhold their forgiveness but this is a risk that you need to take.  Too often leaders will say instead “I’m sorry if I offended you” which implies the other person is the one with the issue.

As leaders, all of us will have a lot of opportunities to apologize on leadership journey.  We need to work hard to get better at it and commit ourselves to reconciling broken relationships.  Hyatt believes strongly that if you don’t do this, you will never win the heart of your team and development the type of alignment that you need to build excellent outcomes.  Nothing gets in the way of success like broken relationship.  The path to healing begins when a leader learns to apologize when he or she is wrong.

 

Nurse Leaders

Managing Your Own Psychology in Leadership Roles

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As a young leader, a wise mentor once told me that my toughest leadership challenge would be to manage myself.  I found this to be true over my leadership career.  Leadership can be stressful especially during times of great challenges.  Anxiety can lead to a loss of confidence in one’s own abilities as a leader and negative self talk.  Research studies suggest that when our anxiety levels increase – we often lose the capabilities that we need the most.  These include the ability to think clearly, to prioritize what needs to be done and to plan for new strategic directions.  The following is some important advice from the experts on to manage your psychology when you experience anxiety:

Keep the lines of communication open

Sometimes when things are not going well for a leader, the natural inclination is to retreat into one’s self.   Working diligently to contain your own anxiety and communicate with your team members on a regular basis is very important.  When a leader feels anxiety – these feelings often get communicated to the team.   During challenging times, team members need to be kept informed and know that their leader is working hard to resolve the problems that exist.  Maintaining a sense of humor can also help to alleviate anxiety.

Don’t procrastinate important decisions

Do not put things off when you can do them today.  Often the best way to deal with stress is to be proactive and anticipate it.  Planning if-then scenarios can be very helpful.  Anticipate a worst case scenario and then think about how you will react.  Decide your response in advance.  As an example if you will be attending a very stressful budget meeting to discuss staffing, plan in advance how you will react if you are put on the defensive.  If you need to do a very difficult employee counseling, think about how you will handle it if things do not go well.

Focus on the present

By bringing ourselves into the present moment and away from thinking about the past or future, we can shift our relationship to stress. We can think of the present moment as a vacuum chamber and that stress, anxiety, and depression-generating thoughts require an oxygen rich atmosphere to thrive. By being in the present moment, we help ourselves as nurse leaders to deal with the challenges of stress and attempt to successfully confront what captures our attention in the present.  This is important for nurse leaders to consider because sometimes our greatest strengths (energy, ambition, willingness to act quickly) can become our greatest liabilities in maintaining the pace of our work.   In today’s environment, nurse leaders spend a great deal of time trying to multitask, often unsuccessfully.

Within the context of our day to day work, it is easy to forget that work is just one aspect of our lives and all of us are replaceable.  There are so many things in today’s health care environment that are beyond our control and stressing about it won’t change it.  It is easy to begin to doubt yourself when things don’t seem to be going well.  We often measure ourselves by what we have not done versus our accomplishments.  The truth is that leadership is a journey.  I am a great believer in networking.  Leadership can at times feel lonely but when you talk with other leaders, you are likely to gain a better perspective on your progress in your work.  You also quickly learn that many leadership challenges and anxieties that you may feel are universally shared and you are not alone in your feelings of doubt.

 

The Need for Essentialism in Nursing Leadership

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Nursing Leadership We live in a noisy world.  This is especially true in healthcare where there are significant paradigm shifts impacting our work.  The pace of change has taken a toll on even the most adaptive nurse leaders.  Leaders find themselves spread so thin in their work that finding a sense of real accomplishment becomes challenging.  Many nurse leaders describe the problem as one of time management.  But will there ever be enough time to accomplish all that we may want to?   In his new book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown counters that NO – there will never be enough time if we are not disciplined in our approach to concentrate on what matters most.  The message of this important new book  is that it is the disciplined pursuit of less that will empower us to reclaim our time and energy.

What is Essentialism?

Essentialism is training our brain to focus on what is really essential in our work.  It means saying no to projects, meetings, commitments and activities that don’t advance the quality of our work.  It is committing to and being willing as McKeown describes it to “go big” for the few vital activities that will have the most impact.  It involves making the trade-offs that come with not involving yourself and a recognition that to become really good at our work – we need to focus on what matters most.  You then begin living by design and not by default.  Steve Jobs often credited his success with being able to say yes to what really mattered and no to a thousand other things.

How to Develop Essentialist Habit

Becoming an essentialist is not easy if you have a hard time saying no.  You may feel like you are disappointing people by saying no.  McKeown contends that essentialist leaders in the long-term become highly respected for their discipline and focus.  They recognize that more effort does not necessarily yield better results.   Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, often said that people become better as leaders when they are able to say “no – that isn’t for me.”  Here are 10 key steps: to developing the essentialist habit:

  1.  Decide what in your work has the highest impact and yields the greatest results.
  2.  Create space/time in your life to concentrate and think.
  3.  Stop worrying about “not being included”  and develop a willingness to accept decisions made without you in areas that don’t have a significant impact on your work.
  4.  Get enough sleep to enable you to be most effective.
  5.  Vigorously evaluate your need for participation in every event or new project – rate the importance on a scale 0-100.  If it is less than 90, it may be unessential.  If it is not a clear yes – then it is probably a no.
  6.  Review all your current activities and priorities with the idea of eliminating the trivial many.
  7.  Say no gracefully – separate the decision from the relationship.
  8.  Cut your losses quickly if something is not working.
  9.  Take time out to have fun.
  10.  View removing boundaries as a source of liberation.

What You Gain by Essentialist Thinking

Essentialism is remembering that you can do anything but not everything.  If you are a nurse leader who finds him or herself completely overwhelmed with your work – then you are probably doing too much.  You will gain much more if you say yes to the right project at the right time in the right way.  It means developing the disciplined pursuit of less.  What you will gain in being more selective is empowerment in your choices and control over where you spend your precious time and energy.