When I was working at the hospital as an ICU nurse, “Dilbert” would have been my best friend. I was young, in my 20s and too smart for my own good. With the exception of one supervisor who would stand with us at the bedside when we were understaffed, I thought all hospital supervisors and administrators were stupid or misinformed (or both). What did they know about the real world and the frontlines of patient care? I’m not sure where I thought they worked for their first nursing job, but I was convinced none of them had ever started an IV or coded any patients other than a rubber training dummy. Maybe they dropped out of the sky into their desk chairs – or came prepackaged like an action figure.
Today I’m the executive “pointy-haired boss” the twenty somethings could be ranting and raving about while they text their BFF from the depths of their windowless cubicles. And if they’re thinking the same as I did back then, they may be justifying why they are giving less than 110% to their job.
While I might prefer to just zap them with an Epi-Kit, defibrillate them back to life or just holler “Off with Their Heads!” from the throne in my office, instead I work at staying relevant and being the model for an honest and respectable work ethic. You can’t lead from the back, but you can lead by example. I’ve tried to create a collaborative office and it’s paid off. I seek their advice, brainstorm issues with them, occasionally confess when I’m wrong and even listen to Coldplay. By ensuring that all the voices are heard and appreciated, I’ve made sure that everyone feels safe to voice their opinions and ideas. Some of the best ideas I’ve implemented have come, not from management, but from the frontlines.
If you sometimes feel like you’re not relating to your staff, your CLNC®subcontractors or to your attorney-client’s assistants, ask yourself when’s the last time you included one of them in a discussion about a case, acknowledged a job well done or shared the latest Coldplay CD? Take a minute to give a minute – it’ll be worth it later and if it’s not, you can always shout, “Off with her head!” from the safety of your car afterwards.
Success Is Inside!
P.S.Comment and share creative ways to lead by example in your legal nurse consulting business or send a funny “Off with Their Heads” story.
What happened to the “old fashioned” work ethic I grew up with? How did it become the “me first” generation? Throughout my 39-year career I have developed my personal work ethic. I have always believed that it is my responsibility to continually strive to meet my employer’s expectations – and exceed them whenever possible. It is satisfying to me at the end of each work day if I can say I have given my best effort.
I have learned over the years how to balance my work and family life. But my work life takes a good part of every day. Just like I give my all to my family, when I am at work I give my all to my employer and cultivate the relationship. When I accept a job, I accept the responsibility and accountability that goes with it. This means accepting the good with the bad, the easy with the difficult. I am not a “work horse” or “workaholic.” I resent being labeled as such. I have learned how to balance work and set priorities to meet deadlines. Sometimes it does mean rolling up your sleeves and putting in long hours – but that is not an everyday occurrence. I believe that when my employer invests in me it is my responsibility to perform at or above the expected level.
One of the challenges of today is to instill the pride of doing a good job and the desire to stretch your limits to the younger generation. If they don’t get the immediate gratification they seek, they will move on to something else. Why can’t they see that self-confidence and pride are some of the most treasured rewards of doing a job well? How can I mentor and motivate someone to that level? I’m not sure how to do this but I know I must find a way so that I can close my professional life and pass on the work ethic that every employer deserves.
I believe the erosion of the work ethic is directly proportionate to the erosion of the work environment. The employer expects more, pays less, and fails to recognize the significant achievements and accomplishments of their employees. The days of retiring with a pension and receiving a gold watch are gone.
I believe employees want and will do a good job if they sense they are respected and appreciated. There is your occasional slacker, for which there is “no cure,” but by and large if employees are asked their opinion and the employer demonstrates a genuine interest in their remarks, and acknowledges a willing towards change, perhaps the workforce would be a better place for everyone. We spend a significant amount of time at our “jobs,” it should be a dynamic, interactive exchange of ideas, not the current state of deterioration that exists.
I learned this very early on in my management career, and continue to teach and apply these concepts within my practice daily. Balance in the workplace is earned and achieved through hard work and honest interaction by both the employee and employer.
Carol, you make a great point about the challenge of good work ethics being passed to the younger generation. This is so apparent in long-term care. There are relatively few experiences in long-term care that produce immediate gratification; so, as you mention, people move on causing the turn-over rate to be very high.
This year I have started putting together in-services that address this issue and other issues. I started presenting these in the facility where I work casual. The response was very positive. I now have another long-term care facility interested in having me present this information. This has been very rewarding for me and I feel like I am giving back to the nursing profession.
I work with my daughters in my office. One is in her early 20’s. They are fun and well humored. On college breaks, they know where they will be working. With mom. Now, some might think that impossible. But actually, we have a great time. Most of the day, I have to be “professional” with them. But every now and then, when I have a complicated case, I will say “Do you want to come on break with me?” and they jump at the opportunity because they know that it’s a trip to a coffee shop and I need to talk out loud to gather my thoughts. We get the coffee, and then we go back to my car. We “cruise” around while I talk to them and think. When we return, I generally know what I am going to write and I have my thoughts better organized. Of course from time to time, in between, there are talks about “please pull the ear plugs out and turn off the iPod for a moment.”
Dawn, I agree with you re: the work environment vs work ethic. I’m not sure our supervisor/nurse manager could really do anything as far as staffing was concerned, because a few nights she would leave her home, in the middle of the night, to come help us at the hospital. People wouldn’t argue today that, most are overworked, underpaid & not appreciated. But, my husband saw first-hand mundane, almost robotic faces of the healthcare team at shift change, and he said he’d never seen anything like it! When the rule of the atmosphere is; follow policy & procedure, quickly adhere to doctors orders & satisfy patient and family, then there’s no energy to rock the boat with creativity! You embrace the attitude of “do your job & get the heck out of there!” We came to accept, “it’s all about the money” for the CEO’s, Directors, & upper management’s bonuses and stock opts!
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
What happened to the “old fashioned” work ethic I grew up with? How did it become the “me first” generation? Throughout my 39-year career I have developed my personal work ethic. I have always believed that it is my responsibility to continually strive to meet my employer’s expectations – and exceed them whenever possible. It is satisfying to me at the end of each work day if I can say I have given my best effort.
I have learned over the years how to balance my work and family life. But my work life takes a good part of every day. Just like I give my all to my family, when I am at work I give my all to my employer and cultivate the relationship. When I accept a job, I accept the responsibility and accountability that goes with it. This means accepting the good with the bad, the easy with the difficult. I am not a “work horse” or “workaholic.” I resent being labeled as such. I have learned how to balance work and set priorities to meet deadlines. Sometimes it does mean rolling up your sleeves and putting in long hours – but that is not an everyday occurrence. I believe that when my employer invests in me it is my responsibility to perform at or above the expected level.
One of the challenges of today is to instill the pride of doing a good job and the desire to stretch your limits to the younger generation. If they don’t get the immediate gratification they seek, they will move on to something else. Why can’t they see that self-confidence and pride are some of the most treasured rewards of doing a job well? How can I mentor and motivate someone to that level? I’m not sure how to do this but I know I must find a way so that I can close my professional life and pass on the work ethic that every employer deserves.
I believe the erosion of the work ethic is directly proportionate to the erosion of the work environment. The employer expects more, pays less, and fails to recognize the significant achievements and accomplishments of their employees. The days of retiring with a pension and receiving a gold watch are gone.
I believe employees want and will do a good job if they sense they are respected and appreciated. There is your occasional slacker, for which there is “no cure,” but by and large if employees are asked their opinion and the employer demonstrates a genuine interest in their remarks, and acknowledges a willing towards change, perhaps the workforce would be a better place for everyone. We spend a significant amount of time at our “jobs,” it should be a dynamic, interactive exchange of ideas, not the current state of deterioration that exists.
I learned this very early on in my management career, and continue to teach and apply these concepts within my practice daily. Balance in the workplace is earned and achieved through hard work and honest interaction by both the employee and employer.
Carol, you make a great point about the challenge of good work ethics being passed to the younger generation. This is so apparent in long-term care. There are relatively few experiences in long-term care that produce immediate gratification; so, as you mention, people move on causing the turn-over rate to be very high.
This year I have started putting together in-services that address this issue and other issues. I started presenting these in the facility where I work casual. The response was very positive. I now have another long-term care facility interested in having me present this information. This has been very rewarding for me and I feel like I am giving back to the nursing profession.
I work with my daughters in my office. One is in her early 20’s. They are fun and well humored. On college breaks, they know where they will be working. With mom. Now, some might think that impossible. But actually, we have a great time. Most of the day, I have to be “professional” with them. But every now and then, when I have a complicated case, I will say “Do you want to come on break with me?” and they jump at the opportunity because they know that it’s a trip to a coffee shop and I need to talk out loud to gather my thoughts. We get the coffee, and then we go back to my car. We “cruise” around while I talk to them and think. When we return, I generally know what I am going to write and I have my thoughts better organized. Of course from time to time, in between, there are talks about “please pull the ear plugs out and turn off the iPod for a moment.”
I usually get a grin and a giggle.
Dawn, I agree with you re: the work environment vs work ethic. I’m not sure our supervisor/nurse manager could really do anything as far as staffing was concerned, because a few nights she would leave her home, in the middle of the night, to come help us at the hospital. People wouldn’t argue today that, most are overworked, underpaid & not appreciated. But, my husband saw first-hand mundane, almost robotic faces of the healthcare team at shift change, and he said he’d never seen anything like it! When the rule of the atmosphere is; follow policy & procedure, quickly adhere to doctors orders & satisfy patient and family, then there’s no energy to rock the boat with creativity! You embrace the attitude of “do your job & get the heck out of there!” We came to accept, “it’s all about the money” for the CEO’s, Directors, & upper management’s bonuses and stock opts!