(Part Four of our series on “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar”)
Much is said today in business, healthcare and Cancer Registry about change. In fact, one thing I know for sure is that we, as cancer registry professionals, are undergoing an unprecedented degree of change right now which will continue well into our future. Thinking about change today or projecting how it will impact our future can settle in on us like a dense fog and cause us to lose our bearings and sense of where we are. We may not be sure of which way to go when we reach a fork in the road because we can’t see the choices in front of us because of the fog. Uncertainty can paralyze us with fear or it can thrust us into a world of new possibilities.
Change brings chaos into our normally well-ordered lives and introduces levels of unpredictability and uncertainty that make us uncomfortable. Dealing with change is challenging, tiring and even threatening, but the flip side is that it provides the cancer registrar with tremendous opportunities for growth. Let’s look at how we can focus on accommodating the change instead of railing against it.
In the first article of our on developing agility in the cancer registry, we introduced embracing uncertainty as one way of becoming agile, or flexible in business. Agile cancer registrars will drive out uncertainty by developing working solutions and adjusting the registry’s operations in order to accommodate change. Dealing with uncertainty in a positive manner and being willing to accept things that are unknown or unpredictable are big parts of learning to be agile.
To help you face the challenges in a positive manner and to increase your agility in the cancer registry and healthcare business, here are four ways you can explore change:
Accept reality without fussing about the outcome. Face reality with no judgment. Think of the unknown as neutral rather than good or bad. Let go and detach from any outcome you cannot control. Keep your options open.
Explore the unknown. Ask yourself these questions:
What are all the things that are great about being a cancer registrar?
What is the worst that can happen?
What is the likelihood that the worse will happen?
If the worst were to happen, what do I need to do prepare?
Interrupt worry. The unknown can cause us to worry to the point of doing physical harm, but only if you let it. When worry starts to creep into your thoughts, interrupt it! Simply do not allow it to take hold of you. Here is how you can interrupt worry:
Get busy: occupy your body and your mind will follow.
Put it off: decide to enjoy today and maybe you’ll worry tomorrow – if it feels right.
Turn it over: write down your worry, put it in a box, and turn it over to a higher power.
Hum a tune: it is impossible to worry when you’re singing or humming, even if it is not out loud. Find a song that gives you strength. “A Beautiful Day” by India.Arie is a great one.
Trust yourself. You’ve probably faced change and challenges in the past. Reflect on those times and remind yourself how well you handled them, even though you may have been uncomfortable at the time. Trust in your abilities, thoughts and experience to take you through the transition.
None of us can be certain about tomorrow or the future of cancer registry. We can fret and fume about it, but no matter how much noise we make, we cannot control it. What we CAN do, each of us as cancer registry professionals, is make the most of each moment…each NOW….because that is really all we have. Only you can bring peace and acceptance of the unknown to you.
Accepting change and allowing uncertainty into our lives can lead us to a higher state of functioning as cancer registrars. Embracing uncertainty, then, is really just an engaging process in which we let go of control. Think of this as a spiraling UP in complexity, moving up the ladder of intellectual, emotional and professional growth. Engage your co-workers, peers and leaders in the process of embracing uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to network and ask for help and guidance where needed. By welcoming uncertainty and unpredictability into your life you will be expanding your horizons and developing agility in your cancer registry that will lead to great success and self-fulfillment!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? How are you accomodating change and uncertainty in your cancer registry and life? Send us your feedback or thoughts on this article and critic topic today.
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
(Part Three of Our Series on “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar)
Assumptions make our lives easier. As creatures of habit we frequently rely on our assumptions and past experiences to drive our actions. Most of our day, with few exceptions, is driven by our unconscious assumptions and habits developed over time versus creative thinking and new conscious thought.
For example, when cooking over an open flame you automatically draw your hand back when you feel heat from the flame. This “stimulus-thought-response” chain of events relates to pain you previously felt from burning your hand. This automatic assumption serves you well and avoids a painful experience.
In business, however, this is often not the case. Cancer Registrars, for example, may use any number of assumptions, or statements of belief about their work, such as:
“That won’t work here.”
“I’ve tried that before.”
“We don’t get support for that here.”
“They just don’t listen to me.”
Brilliant, and successful, Cancer Registrars know that these assumptions can be challenged and take great pleasure in defying them. They welcome the opportunity to look within themselves, to create a new energy and develop new directions to solving problems or leading their Cancer Registry in a different direction.
Each of us has an inner reservoir of talent, ability, and intelligence. It is endless and readily available if we are willing to step out of our comfort zone to tap into these resources. Whatever you face, taking one step closer to success means you must trust your inner self, ignore criticism and judgment, and let go of your own resistance to doing something differently or believing that you can make a difference. Developing a new habit or behavior, based on what you know in your heart to be the right thing to do, is all the evidence you need to make your passion become reality. This mindset is what creates harmony and balance in life and business and determines your path between success and failure.
Here are six tips to help you challenge your assumptions:
Recognize that you, and everyone else, have assumptions about every situation.
Ask basic questions in order to discover and challenge those assumptions.
Compare the ground rules and assumptions to your situation or problem and then ask yourself, “What if we do the opposite of the norm?”
Pretend you are not a Cancer Registrar and ask yourself, “Why do we do it this way at all?”
Reduce the problem or situation to its most basic elements for understanding and creative problem solving.
Restate the problem in completely different terms.
It is up to you to decide what you would like to do to drive growth and success in your Cancer Registry. You must be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to challenge your assumptions and develop new behaviors to help you grow personally and professionally. By tapping into your inner resources you will develop a new mindset that is creative and in harmony with everyone you encounter.
What assumptions are you challenging today? How do you respond to “But we’ve always done it this way.”
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
(Part Two of Series “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar)
Visualizing success, or turning dreams into reality, is a creative process that puts your focus and energies into looking ahead. Creative visualization is a technique that you can use to help you with this process. In the first part of our series on “Agility Training for Cancer Registrars,” we talked about visualizing success as part of meeting the challenges in life and business. In this session we will learn how to visualize success and turns dreams into reality!
To turn your dreams into reality and to be truly successful depends on several factors:
Having a specific goal,
Making sure that you really want to achieve that goal,
Having a clear mental picture of your goal,
Being motivated or having a strong desire or need to achieve the goal,
Developing the ability to disregard, or even walk away from negative thoughts or talk that take you away from that goal,
Showing confidence, faith and persevering until you achieve success.
Imaging having your own personal genie in a bottle to fulfill your every dream or desire. When you develop the techniques and begin to practice creative visualization you are tapping into your personal genie. Focusing on the end result, thinking and acting in a positive manner and not letting negativity (yours or anyone else’s) get in the way will empower you to continue on your journey.
Each morning I write out my “to do” list for the day on a 4×6 index card. On the right-hand side of the card I write my vision statement for my business. On the left-hand side I write down the most important things I need to do that day that will take me closer to my vision and goal. Then, I focus on the action steps and on completing the tasks that will help me reach my goal. By taking it one day at a time I know I will be successful. No one can deter me from this because I see my dream getting closer each and every day.
Discover what you need to do to visualize your dream and then, one day at a time, do something that takes you one step closer. Practice visualizing that success in your mind, focus on the positive, take action, even if only in small steps, and you will see your dreams come true!
Cancer registrars need to be quick and agile to stay on top of the fast-paced changes and complexity in healthcare. The markets we serve, physicians, hospitals, reporting agencies and patients are radically changing and becoming less predictable. Each are more interrelated and interconnected than ever before. As a result, the thinking patterns and decision-making processes we once used to manage our registries are becoming less applicable.
The cancer registrar’s success is not about working harder, or even smarter, because we’re already doing that. And, it’s not about being change agents, we’re doing that too. Instead, dealing with this complexity involves making ourselves adaptable, flexible and quick to respond. We need less strategic planning and more operational agility. Here’s how:
Visualize success. What will success look like? Having a clear picture of what success willl look like will ensure the ability to focus, maintain control and move in the right direction no matter what change or complexity comes your way.
Challenge assumptions. Quite often our biggest enemies are our own attitudes, beliefs and assumptions about our customers and markets we serve. Constantly challenge your thoughts and look for others opinions to put your thoughts in perspective. Ask a lot of “what if?” questions.
Embrace uncertainty. For decades we’ve talked about managing change. Now that we’re getting good at it we need to stop managing it and start creating it! By embracing uncertainty you accept that you will not always have the answers you need and will open your mind to new possibilities and solutions. You will need courage to make tough decisions without all the data in hand. Uncertainty is the new “norm.”
Get uncomfortable. Practice thinking differently and evaluating your decision-making processes before implementing them. Seek ways to deliver value that will change your business relationships and position you as the cancer data expert.
Reinvent relationships. Collaborate with physicians, administrators and staff in new and different ways. Invite them to participate in your cancer registry’s activities by integrating them into the process from the beginning. Ask your customers what they need and develop processes that serve their needs.
Develop dexterity. Structure your registry so you can quickly adjust to unexpected events. Create laser focus and prioritize the work. Keep your vision for success visible at all times by talking about it and physically putting it in front of you, your team and your customers on a regular basis. Develop the ability to move fast with focus and flexibility.
Oh, did I forget to mention that you have to do all this while being informing, inspiring and engaging your team and organization in the process? Cancer registry leadership is not easy and, in fact, it is going to be more challenging than ever. But, when you do it right you will be more fulfilled and achieve more success than ever before!
What do you know for sure? Seriously, have you ever sat down and thought this through. If you haven’t, I highly recommend taking some to think about where you stand on life and where you stand as a contributing member. Once you know where you stand as an individual, then take some time to describe where you stand as a cancer registrar. What is important to you, where do you see yourself in this profession, career or service? What is it that you want to accomplish and why? This is serious stuff now, so don’t cheat yourself by repeating someone else’s thoughts or coming up with materialistic goals. Really think it through and decide what it is that you know for sure!
Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Everyone has the power for greatness – not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.” What is your plan? How do you want to take who you are, what you want to become and what you do well and use it for something greater than yourself?
Now, here’s what I know for sure. Real success comes when I surrender myself to a higher power and to those principles and values that I have chosen to guide my life and actions. If I choose to become highly successful then my focus needs to be on how I can serve the needs of others and help others to be successful first. You see, one of the keys to being successful is to not focus on success or worry about whether you are successful or not, instead it is to work on doing something of significance or of value for someone else. For cancer registrars this means our co-workers, staff, physicians, administrators, hospitals and the patients we serve. Every registry task, big or small, is about serving others.
If you compromise ANY aspect of your work you have chosen failure over service or success. It is as cut-and-dried as this. You either serve others or you serve yourself and self-gratification never leads to success. When we work on becoming a value-added member of the healthcare team we shift our focus from success to service. By focusing on service we instantly add meaning and significance to our life work. It is at this moment we truly become successful! And, when you practice this mindset and behavior each day your level of success will grow into something that is beautiful and remarkable.
A cancer registrar can experience setbacks for many different reasons. As the information experts in healthcare they must balance dwindling resources with increasing complexity in data collection along with increasing demands for their resources and expertise. As with any profession, it is not uncommon for a setback or challenge to get out of control and develop into a full blown crisis. However, while crisis is uncomfortable it can bring you face-to-face with what really matters and force you to clarify and take notice of something you might have otherwise missed. It is in these moments that the cancer registrars develop their resiliency and strength of character.
Here are five steps the cancer registrar can use as they deal with setbacks:
Know that everything you feel, when faced with a challenge, is valid. It’s OK to validate your feelings as long as you do not become consumed by them.
Share your feelings with someone who can be objective and help you to see around the obvious obstacles towards a positive solution.
Focus on the moments in your life, or types of situations you have experienced, that created a positive emotion. Hold on to these moments as you face the challenge – they are a platform for you to use as you move forward.
Surround yourself with peers or individuals that will actively help you focus on your goals and making the right decisions. Eliminate negativity in your network.
Never let a crisis go to waste. Analyze the lessons and insights and channel these into your strengths. These experiences will continue to serve you the rest of your life. Never forget that growth follows setbacks. Here are a couple of questions to ask: (1) What can I learn from this? (2) What is working, or what is right about this? (3) Where can I use my strengths to help me get through this?
Use these questions to generate meaning and productive thoughts. Don’t be afraid if the questions bring about an emotional outcome, use these to your advantage by creating something positive and turning them into a strength of character.
Lastly, decide to look at challenges and setbacks from a positive viewpoint rather than one of failure. Your attitude and mindset will determine which direction you go. Focus on what is working and the steps you are taking to reinforce positive actions. Let your emotions and behaviors amplify the positive intentions and outcomes you wish to receive.
Winston Churchill said, “When you’re going through hell, just keep going.” Cancer Registrars may identify with Churchill but more importantly they should adopt a positive mindset and determine to face challenges and setbacks with the intent of developing strength of character and resilience.
———————-
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about her work and enjoys helping others to become cancer registrars and grow professionally. She is a motivational speaker, published author, trainer and netpreneur in the exciting field of cancer registry and oncology healthcare.
We all have a mission for our lives. It is our job to find and live our this mission by using our talents and skills to do important work that serves others. Fulfilling this mission is hard to do when you become complacent, apathetic or uninvolved with your life. Cancer registrars are not immune to these feelings.
So, here you are…what are your options? First, you can change what you are doing by quitting your job or getting a new job, finding new work, going back to school or maybe even taking a risk and trying something new … whatever. But, whatever you do you need to move yourself into a new phase of your life and one that is passionate about your work and committed to using your talents to serve others.
It’s not uncommon to jump into something new because we want to find fulfillment and end up missing the best opportunities that are closest to us. So, before you leap, your second option is to discover or rediscover how to serve others and how to bring meaning to what you currently do.
This second option is almost always a better solution. There are many different ways that we can bring service and meaning to our lives, right in our immediate reach. For example, if you manage or lead people, ask yourself how you can better serve their needs? Cancer registrar’s can ask themselves how they can better serve the members of their organization’s cancer program? Really focus on finding that one thing you can do to add value to their work and the communities they serve? How can you add meaning and value to people around you? How can you make life better for your friends or family?
Finding your passion will probably not require that you to sign up for foreign service. But, it does require you to re-examine your current situation and to reach for new opportunities available to you. Keep in mind that this is not an easy pursuit and those closest to you may question your motives, not to mention you might end up scaring the daylights out of yourself! But, this is your best path to lifelong success and true passion. Persevere through the challenges and setbacks, don’t give up or settle for less. As you emerge through the challenges you will be able to receive joy, passion, fulfillment and success!
Cancer Registrars have a secret weapon called emulation. This is a powerful tool, not to be confused with blatant copying, but rather an emulation and adoption of processes and methodologies used successfully by others. It is a bridge between the basic foundation and structure of a cancer registry department that can add value and meaning to the cancer program as a whole and, even beyond that, into cancer surveillance nationwide.
Here is how it works. Registrars should routinely take time to evaluate cancer registry best practices and the operations of other cancer registries and programs in your area or across the nation. Initially, gather as much information as you can to get a broad spectrum of ideas. Then, begin to study the processes and methodologies you like and envision as adding value and excellence to your registry and organization. Then, develop an implementation plan for putting the material into action. Tailor the plan to fit your needs and align it with the mission and vision of your organization. As you gather information look for elements that will inspire and motivate the team as you begin putting the plan into motion. Never underestimate the power of a seemingly small idea, or spart of creativity, that can turn the team’s interest and motivation into a fireball of creativity.
If you’re worried about copying, you don’t need to be. Although you did start with another person’s ideas, you have uniquely tailored your plan, built upon the original ideas and turned them into something that you can call your own by drawing upon your professional instincts and experience.
After practicing your new emulation skills you will be able to fine-tune your selection of ideas and methodologies and more efficiently develop your own unique action plans. You will get excited about your program and others will see your efforts as having a significant contribution that adds value and meaning to the cancer program. Instead of limitations or roadblocks you will begin to see creative options and multiple pathways to creating a successful cancer registry program.
——————————
http://www.RegistryMindset.com/. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about her work and enjoys helping others to become cancer registrars and grow professionally. She is a motivational speaker, published author, trainer and netpreneur in the exciting field of cancer registry and oncology healthcare.
