It’s a jungle out there.
I’ve heard this, but it’s a completely different experience living it.
So how does the jungle transform into walkable paths free from crowding and hanging vegetation slowing progress? The leader, of course, exerting all that energy to wield the proverbial machete and forge the path for everyone else. No wonder many leaders are exhausted; they’re covering new ground and pushing back the nonsense!
Don’t forget your machete, Leader; it’s a jungle out there.
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Sincere praise is always good.
It spurs us on. It edifies our work. It strengthens our resolve. It can be expected, or it can be a surprise. It can be public, and it can be private.
Many people think of managers as giving praise, but managers need praise, too. I know; I am one. I’ve relished praise from many, and I say that because there’s one form of praise that supersedes all others, in my opinion.
The most sacred praise, for a manager, comes directly from the manager’s team members. When it’s sincere, it’s melting and humbling and propelling and energizing. There is absolutely nothing like it.
Melt your manager this week – not with laser eyes but with honest words of thanks and praise.
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The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, written by Sean Covey, is an excellent children’s book. It follows the same seven habits presented by Stephen Covey in his 1989 published The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I read the original book in graduate school, but I had no idea the kids’ book existed until my children’s elementary school started working through the Leader in Me school-transformation model, in which every aspect of the school – from kindergarten to fifth grade, the library to the nurse’s office – follow and are guided by the seven habits.
I really love that my kiddos are learning these vital skills early. Seriously, this stuff is MBA reading illustrated into cuddly animals and practical stories any child (or adult) can relate to. In my kids’ school, each classroom has one copy of the book, and it’s an honor to get to take the book home over the weekend. My six-year-old daughter received the privilege this weekend, and we read through the entire book – all seven habits and corresponding stories and “practice point” questions and tips – in about 45 minutes.
It was lovely. My daughter clearly grasped the meaning of each of the seven habits; she has no problem applying them to everyday situations, which is awesome. And, I even put down the book once we finished it, thinking about the seven habits in my own life.
Are there any other parents working through this book and school model with their children? Or, are there any school nurses actually applying the seven habits into nursing practice? What do you think about the book and the concepts?
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So a smidgen of my reading for the week included:
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The Article: Timian, A., Rupcic, S., Kachnowski, S., & Luisi, P. (2013). Do patients “like” good care?: Measuring hospital quality via Facebook. American Journal of Medical Quality. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/1062860612474839
Big Idea: This first-of-its-kind exploratory study uses multivariate regressions, adjusting for numerous factors, to research the correlations between a cluster sample of 82 New York hospitals’ Facebook page “Likes,” patient satisfaction, patient recommendations, and 30-day mortality rates.
Survey Says!: 40 of the 82 hospitals had a Facebook page to qualify for the research. Study authors found there was, indeed, a significant negative relationship between hospital Facebook “Likes” and 30-day mortality rates. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between “Likes” and patients’ recommendations of the hospital via the HHS Hospital Compare website.
Quotable: “In a recent study, 94% of respondents who gather health care information from social media use Facebook specifically [reference]” (p. 1).
“This research speaks to Facebook’s potential as a monitoring and evaluation tool that provides continuous data collection and allows researchers to gauge attitudes without costly and time-consuming surveys” (p. 2).
“Contrary to the hypothesis, teaching hospitals were found to be negatively associated with Facebook ‘Likes’” (p. 4).
“If one takes the existence of a Facebook page as a sign of hospitals’ public relations savvy, this suggests that patient recommendation is not simply a reflection of hospital quality but also is responsive to hospital public relations management. This finding supports the idea that patient recommendation is affected by variables outside of the model used and is an interesting topic for further research” (p. 6-7).
So What?: The researchers admit these findings may be “intuitive,” but are important to verify Facebook’s potential value to monitor patient satisfaction and quality care. This article is fascinating, and the authors do a good job of pointing out study limitations and opportunities for future research. Perhaps you should share it with your hospital’s communications/marketing department?
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Managers are responsible to their teams – to be present, to advocate for them, to listen to them, to help them.
It’s difficult to be present – both literally and figuratively – while pulled in every direction by meetings, cell phones, and emails. Still, when it comes down to it, the manager is the leader of the team, and if she’s too busy for the team members, she’s just plain too busy.
Pay attention to the people who put their trust in you.
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Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation will being quarterly publishing in June 2013. The journal, touted as the first of its kind to offer research on direct clinical care innovation, or the “how” of healthcare, will be free online for the first year. Hooray! My only qualm with the new journal – as many may guess – is the pantheon of healthcare leadership and innovation editorial board lacks nurse involvement other than the amazing Maureen Bisognano.
Really? “Delivery science and innovation” scream nursing to me. What do you think? Will you add this new journal to your reading?
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