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By Michele, on January 26th, 2011% “The quest for perfection and certainty is one of the greatest stumbling blocks our profession faces. Too many learning leaders are paralyzed because they don’t want to make a decision without perfect information and without diligently addressing all the uncertainties and possible outcomes. My advice: “Just do it.”
OK, let’s back up a minute. Of course, you need some information. You need enough to make a good decision. So yes, gather the required intelligence, do some benchmarking, perhaps even hire a consultant to help. There comes a time, however, where a good leader will say “We now have enough information to make the decision and here is what we are going to do.” Could that decision be wrong? Of course. Will spending the next year gathering more data and hiring another consultant guarantee the decision will be right? No.
There are no guarantees in the learning field or in any field. Leaders always make decisions based on imperfect, incomplete and often contradictory information. Welcome to the real world! So make the decision and see what happens. You will learn from the implementation and the execution. Make adjustments as you go based on what you learn. The important thing is that you are moving ahead.
Although this issue confronts all leaders, it may be that learning leaders in particular struggle because many have not had the experience of running a business, where they were forced to make decisions under uncertainty and with incomplete information. Experience also means you will have been wrong before and yet lived to tell about it. The world did not end. You made adjustments and moved on. It really does get easier with experience.
So, next time you have to make a major decision, decide how much information is really needed to make a good one, and when you have it, make the decision. If you hear yourself saying “We are almost there” or “We need to study it just a little bit more” month after month, then you are probably procrastinating. Stop waiting for perfection and certainty – they do not exist. It is time to “just do it.””
(This post re-posted from Chief Learning Officer and was written by David Vance, published January 24, 2010). Registry Mindset wishes to thank the author and Chief Learning Officer for their great material and insight!
By Michele, on January 24th, 2011% In 2010 sweeping changes were launched that are pushing cancer registrars to their limits and beyond. Undeniably it is the pace in which science and clinical medicine is changing that drives how cancer registrars need to work to keep pace and deliver the data and value to their healthcare teams. In a recent Journal of AHIMA article, Laura Vondenhueval, RHIT, CTR, said it best, “This is a massive change. It is a new way to look at how we are gathering our data.”
It is obvious that cancer registrars need to learn how to work in an environment where change is no longer the exception, but the norm. In the past we used to have long periods of stability with intermittent periods of change. Today, we need to shift our mindset and accept that we will now have almost constant change with intermittent periods of stability. Here are some common challenges cancer registrars face with constant change.
Challenge #1
Before the 2010 changes were introduced we thought that this was just a phase that healthcare was going through, and after a very brief period of adaptation, everything would revert to normal and we could go back to enjoying a long period of stability. Here’s a reality check, it’s not going to be that way any more because it’s not just a phase. Healthcare providers and standard-setters are expecting more from cancer registrars and are telling us that they are willing to make adjustments in their workforce if cancer registrars cannot change their thought processes or do their work differently. It’s not about workforce reductions, it is all about changing how we think about and do our work day to day.
Challenge #2
Today, when we do hit those infrequent moments of stability, we think that we have time to relax and enjoy the moment. In the past we focused on simply enduring the turbulence so that we could return to the comfort of stability. In order to succeed with today’s changes we must take advantage of the quiet, stable moments and use them as a “launching pad” to prepare for managing the next wave of change. During these moments of stability we should be thinking about what our healthcare teams and standard-setters will need from us in the short- and long-term future as well as what the new requirements might be. Look at the industry and investigate how to position yourself more competitively so you are prepared when the changes inevitably come.
Challenge #3
Some cancer registrars may have developed an attachment to stability and focused their energy on creating and sustaining it in the workplace. The hardest challenge of all will be to lose our attachments to stability. The cancer registrar needs to embrace change and harness its power and seek out new opportunities that change brings to us. Before 2010 we worked hard to get over change so we could relax; now we need to work hard at change so we can work hard at more change. Registrars who choose to play the role of the victim can ignore change and how to deal with it, but by the time they are in a position to do something about it they will have lost the opportunity to prepare for it, and likely their “edge” and career success as well.
So, what’s the solution?
First, make it OK to deal with change. Accept where we are and what we as cancer registrars need to deal with. Stop making judgments about change being necessary or unnecessary, good or bad, justified or not justified. Change does not have to control the reality of our situation or our ability to manage it or serve our teams.
Second, create a “safe” environment for yourself and other cancer registrars to deal with the change. Break the changes down into manageable chunks and begin to take action on small pieces of it. Start small and build from each successful step. Encourage and allow your staff and peers to take risks by coming up with new ideas and solutions to changing how we do our work. Provide a lot of encouragement and support to one another by building a solid support network and then by using it by tapping into its resources.
Third, if you, or some of your peers or co-workers tend to identify with the victim, set up some accountability and support for each other. Discuss the expectations and if necessary create workplace agreements and identify ways to interact and help one another so that each cancer registrar, whether they are local, regional, statewide or even nationally, can encourage you and other members of your network.
Fourth, begin a process of constant acknowledgement, support and challenge for cancer registrars. Be careful to not perpetuate the old paradigm of sitting back on your laurels during a stable period. Acknowledge people for managing the current change and encourage all to begin talking about and planning for new, incoming changes. When people get discouraged, provide support, acknowledge their success, and then present them with new challenges for growth.
Change is not new to cancer registrars, nor will it ever cease. Continual learning and enhancing the data that we collect to keep pace with medicine and science is driving the need for cancer registrars to develop new ways of thinking and doing their work. Periods of stability with intermittent change are now the old paradigm. Today, we must work hard to manage change in order to look ahead and be prepared for more change. Cancer Registrars cannot do this alone, they must develop a strong network of their peers for support, accountability and positive acknowledgement of their role in the fight against cancer.
IF YOU HAVE FOUND WAYS TO MANAGE THE 2010 CHANGES AND KEEP YOUR SANITY….POST A COMMENT BELOW. QUESTION: HOW CAN REGISTRARS HELP ONE ANOTHER THINK & DO DIFFERENTLY?
http://www.CancerRegistrar.com. Michele Webb is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR) committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional development. She helps cancer registrars worldwide as a coach, mentor, educator, motivational speaker, and author. 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.
By Michele, on January 10th, 2011% (Part Five of our series titled “Agility Training for Cancer Registrars”)
Every business today is about relationships, including cancer registry. The quality and impact of your work, and the success of your cancer registry, depends on your relationships. As a Cancer Registrar you are facing new challenges in terms of reporting standards and data quality. As professionals it is important that you shake things up to stay fresh and viable in the business by reinventing yourself and your relationships. Cancer Registrars must figure out the next chapter in their lives, despite ever-changing requirements, economic struggles or organizational cutbacks. Standing still is not an option because if you are not growing, you are becoming stagnant or even dying professionally.
So, you’re probably asking yourself why you need to reinvent your relationships. As healthcare business changes, as the cancer registry operations change, so should you as a professional and now is the perfect time to get started. It’s time to re-evaluate your life and work and to objectively assess where you are now and where you are headed. And, since you’re starting over, dream big and bold!
Use these eight questions to evaluate where your situation and to take action to ensure that your career and professional success keep pace with cancer healthcare. In fact, use these questions with your staff or co-workers to align yourselves for even greater success.
- What fundamental activities or aspects about your work is important to you? Why?
- What is your mission in life and as a cancer registrar?
- What is your philosophy in life and as a cancer registrar?
- To find your passion, think back to a time when you were operating “in the zone.” What were you doing to get to that place in your life?
- Look at the people in your circle of influence, are they helping or hindering you? What, or whom, do you need to add to your circle of influence?
- Look ahead three years, where would you like to be in your professional life? What would your ideal cancer registry career look like? Then, frame your responses in the form of professional goals.
- Ask yourself, if you are sitting here in this same spot three years from now, what would have to happen for you to feel fulfilled and content with your work?
- Look at the cancer registry masters who have accomplished what you are trying to achieve, what strategies did they use? How can those strategies work for you?
If you honestly answer these questions you will have a good framework and idea of what your professional life should look like. Take each response and form it into a step, activity or goal that you need to accomplish. Always keep the end goal or picture in your mind and then work backwards to create an action list to get to your goal.
Reinventing yourself is hard work and reinventing relationships will require patience, thought and planning. However, if you choose not to do this you will likely be left behind or miss out on the success and professional recognition you deserve. Always keep your eye on the end goal and “prize.” Take responsibility for how your interactions at work impact others and the healthcare business. Make a commitment to take your work to a higher level and one that is dedicated to serving the needs of your organization, your professional community, and the customers they serve. Capitalize on the value that cancer registrars and the healthcare team brings to their work and find new or different ways to collaborate and serve the needs of others. This kind of focus will ensure that your business relationships remain fresh and productive and that you, as a cancer registrar, achieve success.
What are you doing to reinvent your business relationships? Post a comment below to tell us what ONE thing you have done that has made a positive difference in your work and life.
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR) who is committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional growth. She helps cancer registrars around the world 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.
By Michele, on January 9th, 2011% 
“You can learn new things at any time in your life
if you are willing to be a beginner. If you actually
learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens
up to you.” ~ Barbara Sher
(image from http://www.endemicworld.com/can-of-inspiration.html)
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