What Kind of Leader Am I?

As part of Colleen and David's pre work, we were told to take a quiz on what type of leader we were. My results were:

"Paternalistic: You are a parent to your employees and show plenty of concern for them and their work. The relationships between your team members are strong and positive. You are constantly offering guidance and help to those who need it. However, you are known for playing favorites every now and then. "

I was a little shocked to hear this result at first, however looking back on my past leadership experience I can see how this may be true. At my past job, one of my employees jokingly would call me "mom" when she needed help or was in a sticky situation. I did feel like I was a emotional support system, as well as someone to go to for help during work hours. Although this was just a quiz, and my results could easily change as I grow in my career I did find some truth in these results. 

Makeup in the Workplace

I've always been a big fan of makeup. At age 13 I remember discovering the YouTube beauty tutorials and being fascinated by these people who had devoted careers to mastering the art of cosmetics. As much as I love a lazy no-makeup day, I can tell a difference in my confidence on days where I have makeup on, and I know I am not the only one.

I found this article by the New York Times explaining that studies have found that those who wear makeup in the workplace were perceived as more trustworthy and intelligent than their non-makeup wearing counterparts. At first, I thought that this was a shallow assumption, and I still fully believe that employees should be judged on the quality of their work and not their lipstick shade, but this quote by Daniel Hamermesh, an econ professor at the University of Texas made a lot of sense to me: 

“we conflate looks and a willingness to take care of yourself with a willingness to take care of people.”

I feel like this goes along with why we dress professionally. We want to express our position in an organization by the way we dress, and makeup can be a part of that. If we dress and look like a professional, then people will see us as that. However, I do think makeup is a personal preference. I feel more confident and put together while wearing it, especially when I work. Whether you want to go bare-faced without a drop of makeup or a smoky eye, your advancement in the workplace should be based upon your skills. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html

Ethics in Healthcare

Today, Caroline and I presented on the topic of Ethics in the workplace and in healthcare. My research while preparing for this lead me to the case concerning the Dr. Fata Case, and I wanted to look further into it. I remember hearing about this case and being completely mortified that someone that was entrusted to care for so many people could betray his patients like that. Personally, I feel most vulnerable when I am sick or being treated in a healthcare setting, and would listen to whatever the healthcare provider recommended. In this case, they put their trust in the hands of someone who was blinded by greed. This case made me think more about the Hippocratic Oath and what it actually entailed. The modern version states:

"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:...

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can but I will always look for a path to a cure for all diseases.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help."

While reading this, I realized that Dr. Fata violated almost all of these guidelines. As a future healthcare administrator, I think it is important to keep these points of ethics in mind. Although administration is not directly proving care person to person, they are still responsible for the quality of care and satisfaction of the patients.

Being a Role Model in the Workplace

When Chris Armijo video chatted into class to talk about leadership, he brought up some good points about being a role model in the workplace. I think these points also tie in well the concepts of mentorship that we had discussed in previous classes. The ones that stuck out to me the most were :

• Be yourself
• Your job does not have to consume you, but it is a part of who you are
• Be human, people will seek you out when they need you the most
• Everyone is always watching

My favorite point that he brought up was the idea of being human or being yourself. I feel like I often forget when I am in a professional environment to relax and be myself. I have a tendency to tense up and become too serious. Moving forward I will consciously try to be more open with the new environments and people that I will be encountering in my future career. I have come across leaders who reflect who they are in their work and leadership styles, and those are the ones that I find myself most looking up to.

30 Second Dance Party!

This week has been super busy and pretty stressful. The semester is coming to a close and its getting harder and harder to find time to relax. I'm usually the type of person to relax by taking a break and napping, but Jess, Carly, and Sarah's presentation sparked my interest in the stress relieving power of a 30 second dance party.

Studies show that dancing and traditional exercise both release endorphins, but dancing is more successful in boosting your mood and relieving stress. Both of these video clips below show Dr. Meredith Grey relieving stress in emotionally charged moments with a 30 second dance party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgrpmabEpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmqhkRvuTY

I think this concept of fun stress relief is good to keep in mind as a college student and beyond. Not just for self-care, but also for the care of employees and co workers. I believe that employee morale is such an important part of organizational culture. Even though a 30 second dance party may seem silly, it is a quick way to boost your mood.

Mentorship

I came across this clip from the Office and thought it tied in well to the topic of mentorship we had been discussing. Erin is the receptionist in the Office, who desperately wants to be in accounting, and looks for guidance. Angela offers to be her mentor. As you can tell by this clip, although very entertaining, Angela was not the most positive mentor. She decides to turn Erin into a clone of herself, instead of helping her to realize her own potential while teaching her a skill.

http://www.nbc.com/the-office/video/the-mentor-the-pupil/n29398

Childlife and Patient Satisfaction

I was reflecting on Jason and Erin's presentation about the different views of administrators and physicians and one quote from their pre work really stuck out to me:

"What I’ve learned from both working in the ER and visiting patients on the floors is that real quality is not a zero-sum game. Quality is multidimensional and nuanced; we can’t sacrifice or neglect one dimension for another. When patients are dissatisfied with the minutiae of care, their real message is that their emotional needs are not being met. They may feel disrespected, confined, vulnerable, fearful and lonely. These are all 10s on the scale of painful emotions. Not treating them interferes with healing."

This quote followed a passage about nurses not wanting to attend to small emotional needs of patients, such as wanting Splenda and not sugar. The administrators were frustrated that the patients weren't getting an experience, and the physicians were frustrated that they were being held back from practicing medicine. 

I was talking with one of my best friends about the topic of quality patient care. She is a Child-life Specialist major at UNH. A child  life specialist is a certified professional who helps children and their families cope with the stress of illness and hospitalization. They use play and age appropriate explanations to help prepare the child for there procedures, or simply just life in the hospital. They often attend medical procedures as support for both the child and parent. Hospitalizations can be traumatic for a child, and their lack of understanding of what is happening to their bodies can take a toll on them. It has been found that Pediatric procedures are more successful with the child life specialist present due to their training on how to handle the specific worries of a child. Many hospitals are choosing to hire child life specialist in order to increase HCAHPS scores.

This made me realize the necessity for an employee such as a child life specialist. Doctors and nurses cannot constantly be focused on the feelings of each individual patient, especially the specific emotional needs of a child. Hiring people such as child life specialists could help heal the concern a lot of administrators have about patient quality, at least in terms of pediatrics.

Difficult Conversations-Listening

One of the biggest points I took away from the pre work for difficult conversations was listening:

" Forget the words, focus on authenticity. Authenticity means that you are listening because you are
curious and because you care, not just because you are supposed to.

 Listen to your own internal voice. Negotiate your way to curiosity (quieting your internal voice), to truly understanding the other person, or express what’s going on for you. “I have to admit that as much as I want to hear what you have to say, I’m feeling a little defensive right now.”

 Ask open-ended questions. “Tell me more…” “Help me understand…”

 Paraphrase for clarity. Express to the other person, in your own words, your understanding of what they are saying.

 Acknowledge the other person’s feelings. Unless they get the acknowledgement they need, feelings will cause trouble in a conversation."

I feel like the steps to being a good listener tie well into the competencies of emotional intelligence, especially the acknowledgement of the other persons feelings. I feel like a lot of difficult conversations in the workplace can feel like reprimands, and I've experienced discussions in the past where I felt that my feelings were not being accounted for, and it makes a huge difference in the outcome. If the person feels as if they are being attacked, this may cause them to shut down and respond with possible aggression or disinterest.

(Not all of us are as resilient as Dwight Schrute)