Vengeance Will Be Mine

There is a delicate balance in leadership. I see the struggle play out regularly. It seems to me we've evolved our collective corporate lives into something very different from our personal ones. In so doing, we leave behind the messages of support we tell our friends and family, being there for them, and forgiving them when they make an honest mistake.

In the world of work, we've created cultures that are far too often risk averse, mired in negativity and have our team members worried about making even the slightest mistake. 

This simply can not be. Our hyper-competitive world simply will not survive under the weight of an old school command and control management style. 

Beware the New World

As the corporate world begins to open it's eyes to the possibilities of a new way to work (and more and more old school leaders retire) we are beginning to see real change take place.

What hasn't changed however are the pressures and expectations on leaders to deliver. In fact, the corporate post-recession business model seems to be focused on a new obsession with "do more with less."

This simply can not be. I'm a huge fan of efficiency...and don't mind going through some pain to achieve it. But simply being "nicer" while having an underlying my-way-or-the-highway leadership style is candidly a huge fail. Huge. Fail.

Temptations Are Everywhere

Power is what most often seems to get in the way of good work. As the pressure from the senior leadership team flows down, the middle managers have no choice but to succumb to the culture that has been established. 

"Culture is what senior leaders do, not what they say, or post on a plaque, or put in a press release. Yes, words are powerful...but action is culture."

Yet it is so hard to resist the trappings of power, and authority and a fancy job title to make sure good work gets done! When the desire to wrap oneself in their ego drives decision-making  because "they know their view is the correct one" then it's time to call it a day. None of us have all the answers. But collectively all of us do.

Are you with me?

How About You

The culture chase is a tricky one. On one hand we in leadership have an incredible opportunity to transform our organizations. On the other, we have the opportunity to create chaos. Just so we're all clear, chaos is bad. Right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic

I'm Hiring! - Employee Relations Consultant

Do you wish you had a human resources job in an organization that was constantly trying new things?

Do you wish social media was integrated in to how your HR team did their work?

Do you have employee relations experience?

Are you tired of your lame job?

If you answered yes to these questions you need to apply for the vacant Employee Relations Consultant position at All Children's Hospital. This role will report to our Director of Employment and Employee Relations, Joe Conrod. Joe is a great leader, so you'll be thanking me for the chance to work with him.

Our Hospital is growing, we're part of Johns Hopkins Medicine, we live and work in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, and we provide some of the most rewarding work experiences possible.

So what are you waiting for...our HR Team rocks...do you?

pic

3 Hottest Trends In Healthcare Hiring

This post originally appeared on Jobsite.com. Check out all of the great material on their blog!

The American Healthcare Machine

The world of healthcare is virtually recession proof. Let’s face it, people do not avoid getting sick because the economy is floundering. Oh, and you may have noticed that babies keep being born even if private sector jobs are being cut. The American healthcare machine keeps surging forward, adding jobs, battling for talent, and hoping to keep their best and brightest employees.

So, what are the hottest trends hitting healthcare hiring and what should the savvy jobseeker or employer do to make sure they don’t miss out?

Check out three hot trends that everyone should be paying attention to right now.

1. Social Media Rules the World (or at least it should)

For those jobseekers and employers that have either been living under a rock or who actually believe they can still rely on the Sunday paper to find jobs and applicants I have some news for you: social media rules the world of health care recruitment. The healthcare industry is filled with women at an astonishingly high rate as evidenced by this study from Catalyst Research.



With so many women in the health care workforce, and knowing that social media (particularly facebook) is so popular with this same group, it should come as no surprise that leveraging social media is absolutely essential to attract today’s health care jobseeker.

For those employers that have not taken advanatage of the power of social media (much of which is free by the way!) I have nothing to say but stop worrying about making a mistake and start working in the 21st century!

 2. Being Talented Really Does Matter (find the best is more important than ever)

As the competition heats up to find the best talent in an industry that literally deals with life and death each day, it has become clear that most healthcare organizations are becoming more selective than in the past. Gone are the days that any “new grad” could simply apply for a position and start the following Monday.

The stakes are simply too high. The burdens of risk, compliance, reimbursement based on quality outcomes and the growing influence of patient satisfaction all force employers to only identify the best and brightest for each vacancy.

3. World Class Culture Wins (and also retains your best people)

The final trend that will undoubtedly be a fixture for years to come is the role that corporate culture plays. Very few industries face the pressures faced by those in healthcare. Whether you are in a long term care setting, an acute care community hospital, or specialty pediatric setting, the loss of life that naturally occurs is a stressor not faced by most employees.

What employers do about this fact; and more importantly, how they support their employees during these difficult moments is essential to both attracting and retaining talent. What support systems are in place for staff to work through these tragic events? How are employees made aware of these resources? Does the recruitment team know about these programs so they can effectively share them with candidates?

"If these questions are left unanswered for too long,
the likelihood that the top talent will join an organization is more and more unlikely."

What are you doing to react to the latest trends?

Healthcare Recruiting:  Are you active on social media? Have you worked hard to differentiate yourself as a top quality candidate? What about culture…do you know what is in place for employees? Find out if you’re a jobseeker, and get started if you’re an employer.

There’s no time to waste!

pic

The Best Meeting I Ever Attended

Yes, there was only one...and it really was the best meeting I ever attended. It was well organized, had a clear agenda, stayed within each topic's timelines, engaged every attendee (all 75 of them!), and delivered a high quality work product at the end.

It was the best meeting I ever attended. And now I lament the fact that my master list of "best" meetings  is so short that even thinking about mentioning a "couple of best meetings" feels like I'm lying through my teeth.

Shouldn't All Meeting Be That Good

No, they shouldn't. The meeting I'm talking about was special, with a diverse group of attendees. It had strategy, emotional stories, clearly defined objectives, and passion. A boat load of passion. Most meetings are not intended to change the (organization's) world. Most meetings are meant to keep organizations on track...moving forward...reporting out results...sharing ideas...communicating information...right?

Oh yes, and then there's the other 75% of meetings that suck.

Hating On Meetings

Okay, I'm a meeting-hater who spends the overwhelming majority of every business day in meetings. I'm a pretty organized guy, but that doesn't mean I'm always perfectly prepared. I'm guilty as sin of  not holding others accountable when meetings drift and meander, but that doesn't mean I don't actively participate in every meeting.

What's a meeting-hater to do? Stop going? Stop scheduling? Stop participating?

Hating on the Meeting-Hater

When I think about that special meeting one key point seems to keep coming back to me. No matter how I try to twist the truth, or write my own revisionist meeting history, I can't avoid the reality. I was fired up going in to that session. I felt like the outcome of that meeting depended on me...personally...doing a good job.

I was one of the meeting organizers, I had an important role to play before, during and after. This meeting meant something to me. 

Hmm. I wonder if I took that same approach with every meeting I attend if they might go better? Maybe my energy, enthusiasm, preparedness, and commitment could change the outcome of the meetings that I so easily feel comfortable hating? I wonder if my colleagues and team members would notice?

How About You

Have you ever been to a meeting? If you have, and particularly if you've attended more than one, you may have noticed that not all meetings are the same. Maybe if you and I commit to making each one effective we might just change the world? Or, at least our organizations.

I'd love to hear from you

No Excuses.

pic

My Year of Living Dangerously

I am not a regular HR guy. I'm not exactly sure what a regular HR guy is; but if it involves avoiding social media, using a fax machine, clinging to a policy manual or being so timid that no one respects you, then I would say that's a regular HR guy. That's simply not me.

I like to push the limits of how things are done in HR. My team has to be the most patient group of human resources professionals on the planet. They put up with my crazy ideas on a regular basis (read here --> weekly.) Thank you team...you rock!

However...

Taking risks and testing new strategies may sound sexy, but that doesn't mean they always work. In fact, many new ideas typically don't work. But if the culture is set up the proper way, the failures only fuel the desire to keep pushing the limits of accepted HR approaches without fear of reprisal.

So what happens when those new and exciting tactics don't pan out? What happens when the HR leader is trying things that don't have an industry benchmark or best practice?

What expectations are set when these new-fangled approaches are launched with passion and confidence, but evolve on a different timetable than originally anticipated and communicated?

That's Why We Call Them Comfort Zones

I must be wired a bit differently than most. Why? I can't stand feeling like I'm in a routine for any length of time. Sure, I have my daily rituals (commute, coffee, favorite apps to stay organzied) that bring a sense of control to my chaotic and fast-paced world of work. I'm not talking about that.

"What makes me uncomfortable is the feeling that I've stopped moving forward. I don't want to be the follower. I don't want to be the one that learns from everyone else's mistakes. I want to make the mistakes. I want to overpromise sometimes, because playing it safe is lame. When was the last time you heard of breakthrough leadership from someone who underpromised?"

I understand now, finally, why others relish their comfort zones...and that's okay.

Change + Risk = Danger

I've written multiple times about the wild ride I'm on this year. Exciting, once-in-a-career type changes going on all around me, and I have the privilege of helping stir the pot...on purpose! But I'm still pushing the limits of the HR space in my industry. (Or at least I think I am.) Maybe that combination is too risky? Maybe it's not risky enough? Should I be doing more? Is it time to ease off the throttle? Is everyone exhausted around me? (I know the answer to the last one.)

What risks to my current role are there among so many changes, new ideas, successes, and even more new ideas on top of those successes? Plenty, I'm sure.

How About You

Are you living dangerously this year? How so? What are you doing that pushes your world of work to the limit? How does your organization (remember, organizations are people!) perceive what you're up to?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic

Playing the Race Card

I have a couple of hot buttons in my life. Here's the list:

- racism

- discrimination against those different than you (for any reason)

- violence against women and children

- racism

Racism gets two votes because not only is it one of the most cowardly and disgusting belief systems I've ever encountered; but it also goes against the very core of what being a decent human being is all about.

Are you with me so far?

 

Racism Is Not A Card Game

One of the phrases I hear over and over has to do with one's ability to "play" some sort of mysterious "race card."

What?

It seems to me that each time this phrase is used it is by someone who is trying to attack a minority for raising a legitimate issue; but God forbid it has something to do with racism. We certainly can't talk about that! Right?

"Would someone please explain to me why we aren't comfortable talking about racism for what it is; and instead feel the need to deflect our inability to confront the bigots among us and degrade the issue to a common game of cards?"

What?

What the hell is going on here? Avoidance, that's what. Fear of speaking the truth, that's what. The inability to step up and confront racism when its staring us in the face, that's what. Whose job is it to step up anyway? In your work life human resources leadership better be ready to drop the gloves instantly.

We all have options. Some of them are easy. The easiest one is called silence. Silence equals endorsement. Silence means you are actively supporting racism.

Silence means you are now the racist. How does that sound in your head?

Another Option

We have another option too. We can do something. We can stop the bigots in their tracks and expose them for the foolish, evil, radicals they are. All we have to do is speak up. You see once we raise our voice two things immediately happen:

- everyone will know exactly what you stand for

- everyone will know exactly what the racist stands for

Are you still with me?

How About You

Stop playing cards. Start confronting racism. If you're not sure what to do, call me and I'll help. It can be scary when you're the only one in the room doing the right thing. I know. But in the words of Dr. King: "the time is always right, to do what's right." 

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic  pic

Curse of the Legions of Fear

"Oh no, it's my turn. I absolutely hate doing this. Why did I sign up for this public speaking class anyway? I must have been out of my mind."

"Great. This guy is going to call on me in front of everyone and I have no idea what to say. Here comes another moment of looking stupid."

"They don't really expect me to speak on behalf of the whole organization do they? Why doesn't the CEO handle this? Why is the COO wishing me good luck? This is brutal."

Fear Sucks

Going through high school, and then later as a young professional I was not real excited about speaking in front of anyone other than my buddies or my family. Sure, I liked to be the life of the party, but that usually meant a very social atmosphere with plenty of latitude to be a goofball.

Fast forward a few years and I was asked to speak in front of a company wide meeting of 400 executives and leaders with literally no warning and actually pulled it off. That might have been nothing short of a miracle...if I hadn't taken control.

Fear had a grip on me, and wasn't interested in letting go for a long, long time.

Fear is Power

What I came to realize was that fear (as if it is some sort of being separate from me) was getting way too much credibility in my world.

So one day I decided to kick fear's ass.

I was tired of fear having all of the power in our relationship. I wanted to be the one in control...calling the shots...making the decisions...according to my plan.

It wasn't as if I simply flipped some sort of internal switch and took control. Over time I forced myself to be in situations that were very uncomfortable. In the beginning I was miserable.

But very quickly I realized one critical outcome of dealing with your fears: you don't die when you confront your fears! (Unless of course your fear has to do with wrestling a lion...then, yes...you're going to die.)

Power is Good

The result of this painful yet necessary step was a fairly sudden power shift. Wow! I kind of like this power thing. What a difference! Now I get fired up about getting up in front of a crowd (large or small) and actually enjoy myself. No more cursing the fact that people will be looking at me and watching for a slip up. I don't care about that anymore...what I care about is no longer wasting my time dealing with that thing called fear, and doing whatever I want to do.

How About You

What is fear doing to you? Are you being held back because that arch nemesis of yours has you quaking in your boots? I recommend you decide to do some ass kicking of your own, and take back what's rightfully yours.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic