From the Bottom Up

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing folks, and I’m not just talking about my direct reports or folks on my immediate team. Every day I work with compassionate and dedicated professionals from hospital dieticians, to transport staff, to operating room nurses to occupational therapists to world-renowned oncologists. They all give 110 percent to the patients in their care and the organizations in which they work. 

In my current role at Tampa General, as was the case in previous positions, I spend several hours a month shadowing team members throughout the hospital. I get to witness their hard work and dedication first hand. I get to “live” the work of the hospital in a profound and very specific way. I am able to talk in-depth with team members, hear their ideas for improving efficiency, see their problem solving skills in action and witness the challenges they face up close.  

These hours each month are some of the most productive - and certainly the most meaningful - I have had the chance to experience. They also directly inform the work that we are trying to accomplish, particularly in the area of innovation. 

Regardless of the industry in which you work, when you are trying to on-board a new initiative or program, you must harness the experience and knowledge of those who are in the trenches every day. You must ensure that your approach supports and enhances the work that is already being done as you work towards achieving buy-in across the organization. If you take the opposite approach and issue a directive to implement a plan or program that was developed by only a small isolated team, you are sure to experience failure. 

For example, at Tampa General we are currently working with GE Healthcare to implement a command center that will serve as mission control for the hospital. The center will use artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to help improve efficiency and shorten the time patients are in the hospital by better managing their care. However, the center will not achieve success on technology alone. It will rely on the expertise and knowledge of team members who are on the ground doing the work. In order to make this center as effective as possible, we must involve team members from across the hospital in the process as we get the center off the ground. 

By involving folks at all levels of your organization as you build a new program, you will not only gain their knowledge and experience, you will empower them to give everything they have to achieve success. They will be able to spot potential problems and work through them as well as see areas for improvement and make recommendations. They will take pride of ownership, feeling heard and engaged.  

The bottom line is that if you’re going to make real change and do it successfully, it has to be built from the bottom up. 

To the Point

No matter what position we hold within an organization, or what place we are in our career, we all need mentors. At the very least, we need colleagues with whom we can seek professional advice in order to get open and honest feedback as well as spitball ideas.

I am often asked what traits I look for in a mentor or colleague. I find myself drawn to folks that are open, honest and direct. Over the course of my career, I have learned the most from people that practice the art of being direct. I say “practice,” because I think there is a skill to being thoughtfully direct without intentionally hurting a team member’s feelings or belittling them. 

I realize that being completely open and direct can cause a bit of anxiety. You don’t want to make a colleague feel bad and or engage in conflict. There are also times when one’s instinct is to believe that telling folks what they want to hear is more comfortable than being honest and upfront.

However, the reality is that beating around the bush doesn’t ultimately work and it takes away from what is important—getting the job done. Being direct, straightforward and honest with colleagues is the only way to go in my experience. 

Direct communication has a lot of benefits, and there are ways to speak openly and honestly without being punitive or demeaning. By being direct you:

• Build trust with your team. 

• Demonstrate that you are honest and authentic.

• Show that you respect colleagues by telling them the truth.

Being direct is also much more efficient than avoiding the problem. Direct communication cuts through the drama, saving energy, time and money.

They are ways to be direct while being mindful of others and their feelings. Here are a few tips:

• Provide feedback that is about the quality of the work and not the person doing it. 

• Be clear and concise.

• Be constructive rather than aggressive.

• Don’t put others in the middle. Speak directly to the source and focus on their work and not that of others.

• Ask follow-up questions to make sure you are being heard and that you are both on the same page. 

• Work to come to an understanding and get “buy-in” from the team member before ending the discussion.

The reality is that there are times when discussions with team members are not going to be fun, and you have to give feedback that is hard to hear. But if you approach the conversation with honesty and thoughtfulness, the news is much more likely to be received in the spirit in which it was intended, and you and your team can move forward with the great work you are looking to accomplish.

True Colors

I have spent the last several blog posts focusing on the lessons I learned from past mistakes. For me, taking on this exercise was not only about the lessons learned and the chance to be self-reflective, but also the opportunity to practice vulnerability.

When everyone spends so much time curating the perfect highlight reel for their Instagram story or Facebook feed, it’s now harder than ever to be open about what is really going on in our lives. While nothing is perfect, it seems that these days we feel the need to paint that picture. And so, I think, it’s important now more than ever to show vulnerability and be willing to admit to one’s flaws and foibles.

Traditionally and especially in business, I believe vulnerability has been viewed as weakness. This negative connotation has often prevented folks in leadership roles from revealing their true selves. And so, when I talk to other leaders and members of my team about this trait, I position it as “practicing vulnerability,” as I think we have to make a conscious effort to show others who we really are.

And while practicing vulnerability can be a scary proposition to some, I would argue that when it comes to leading a team, it has tremendous payoffs. By practicing vulnerability, you:

• Demonstrate that you need others and signal a willingness to collaborate.
• Create a sense of relatability and accessibility among your team and colleagues.
• Inspire others to be vulnerable and follow your lead.
• Build bonds of trust and loyalty.

At the end of the day, being perfect does not equate to being successful. Leaders who admit mistakes, are open and honest about the missteps and flaws garner much more than those who don’t.