News

My office is in Culver’s home town. This place does an amazing business, and it’s not just about the sweet, creamy custard. I heard Lea Culver speak recently at the Sauk County Institute for Leadership, and the pearls of wisdom she shared about their family business journey line up pretty well with leading rural healthcare.

If you avoid delegation for any reason, (you can do it quicker and better yourself, last time they didn’t come through for you, it takes too much effort, you don’t want to burden them because they are busy, etc.), it could be time to make a change. Let the word DELEGATOR itself help keep you on track.

Keep an eye out for an article I'm writing for ACHE's (American College of Healthcare Executives) Frontiers of Health Service Management (Consider joining if you haven’t!). The summer issue features actions organizations are taking to address workforce challenges. In it I will highlight six RWHC Member hospitals who are doing everything they can to attract and keep great people. These organizational efforts matter, and the crisis is real.

First things first: To those who do not have the option to work remotely because your work is hands on – you who are giving, caring, providing, healing, and feeding – thank you seems inadequate for how you continue to quite literally put your lives on the line for all of us. How we re-recruit and retain you in the future deserves its own space, but read on…

I recently asked our class of newly promoted leaders to submit their questions about performance reviews. Here’s the Q & A for some of them.

“I don’t know anything.” This may not be the best first sentence to get you to read on, but then again, maybe you feel the same way sometimes. No? Am I the only one who is a little lost in sorting out what diversity, equity and inclusion-DEI-all means?

This claim is one of a tiny number of things I am fairly certain about: most people underestimate their impact on others, you and me included. For a variety of reasons, most of us go around assuming that what we do on a day-to-day basis is not that noticed by others. It can be especially disconcerting to adapt to the increased visibility that comes with a higher level leadership title.

(Issue 129) “I’m so proud of you.” This is easy to say to someone else when they have reached a goal, accomplished something they set out to do, or overcome a difficult challenge. That is why I’m going to be proud of you at the end of this article if you can say to yourself, “I’m proud of myself.” How do you lead with a sense of pride, and why does it matter that you do?

(Issue 128) Wisconsin rural hospital CEO and CFO rock stars inspired possibility thinking with a group of emerging leaders recently, demonstrating that striving for the C-suite might not be an unreachable-or undesirable-goal after all. We may sense “distance” between ourselves and those at higher levels of position or success, but we’re all just people under our name tags. These senior leaders shared their extraordinarily human leadership journeys and the habits that keep their head above turbulent waters, openly offering actionable advice to encourage new leaders to keep growing. Which one do you need to hear?

The crisis is here and now: there are not enough lab techs, pharmacy techs, or certified nursing/medical assistants. These, and many other entry-level positions in healthcare are remaining open for months without any applicants in some cases. But even if you currently have all positions filled and your employees adore you, leading a team with these positions offers unique challenges.

(Issue 126) Promotions and job changes often come when we are at the top of our game. We feel confident and ready to show what we can do. The honeymoon phase of being selected though, whether it’s an internal promotion or a move to a new organization or position, can be quickly followed by a crash when we run into the learning curve. Here are some suggestions for navigating the steep road when it feels like you are back at square one.

Issue 125 - "Zoom In"

Issue 124 - "Mediating Conflict"

Issue 123 - "Intent to Deliver"