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By Michele, on October 13th, 2010% 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.
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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.
By Michele, on October 11th, 2010% 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!
By Michele, on September 16th, 2010% Take a few moments to look at back on your career. During the past ten years what do you wish you had not given up on or quit? We don’t like to look at our failures, but this is an important step in your success as a cancer registrar. You may be thinking of a moment that now makes you shake your head and ask, “What was I thinking?”
Here is the answer. It is easier to quit than it is to see challenges through. It’s easier to walk away from conflict than to stick it out. It’s easier to blame someone else than it is to take accountability for your own actions. And, it is definitely easier to not participate in an activity than it is to face people that you think are not supportive of you or your work. But, when we choose to quit, we pay a very high price for our actions and many of us have already paid that price.
So, now is the time for cancer registrars to stop quitting, stop walking away and stop avoiding challenges. It is time to be accountable, self-assured, knowledgeable and comfortable with who you are, what you do and what you know. Ultimately, challenges are good for us and help us build endurance which is a powerful tool in the cancer registrar’s arsenal.
How do you build endurance? You do this by learning how to crash through those quitting points. Here’s what I mean. You’ve spent the last three days and 40+ hours working on your annual report. You’re tired, frustrated and just worn out. You grab your report and head over to Cancer Committee where you present your results. One member of the team sighs, throws his pen down on the table and says something like, “Why is it that every year, year after year, we have to listen to you make excuses for why the data is not right? Are you the cancer registrar or not? What is wrong with you? I’m done with this program and I’m fed up with not getting paid to sit here and listen to this nonsense!” Sound familiar?
At that moment you are definitely at a quitting point. You want to throw in the towel, walk away, or quit your job. But, quitting is not glamorous and does not build character or your professional reputation. So, what do you do?
You take a breath, straighten yourself up and determine that you are going to take the situation one step further and to crash through the wall and quitting point. You resolve to step through the problem with your head held high. You decide, at that moment, that you are not going to let another person’s tirade determine who you are or what your capabilities are, and that you are stronger and worthy of everyone’s trust and support.
When you adopt this mindset of crashing through the quitting points you will be amazed at how you will grow, develop your professional reputation and earn the trust of others. You will be more creative in your problem-solving and be more successful for having gone through it. That’s what crashing through a quitting point is all about.
http://www.cancerregistrytraining.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.
By Michele, on September 14th, 2010% As adults mature, their curiosity and sense of awe or wonder tend to decline. Yet, it is these very characteristics that drive innovation, change and long-term success. Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents, I am merely very curious.”
Cancer Registrars cannot afford to lose their curiosity or sense of wonder. In today’s rapidly changing environment lack of curiosity or sense of wonder of all the technology and innovation in healthcare will render a Registrar’s skills and expertise useless or outdated. Don’t let this happen to you!
Develop the habits to stimulate your curiosity and growth. Do not tolerate complacency and, instead, opt for encouragement, exploration and even pushing, yourself and others, to do things better and differently.
With the economic downturns, hospital administrators and the leadership team are now focusing their attention on restarting growth, developing better relationships with patients, families and employees and changing up programs and services to meet the needs of the customer. Cancer Registrars who want to remain in the field will adopt the organization’s mindset and develop new attributes that will secure their role in the organization of the future.
By Michele, on August 31st, 2010% One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is God. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather. “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
By Michele, on August 26th, 2010% Recently I watched a talk show interview with Carol Burnett. Many of us remember the entire family sitting together to watch her weekly comedy show. Her co-hosts, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence provided an excellent cast that kept you laughing the entire time!
Carol Burnett has always been, and still remains, a gracious comedienne. She speaks from the heart when she talks about her daughter Carrie and how she lost her battle to cancer a number of years ago. But what really stands out is how she shows respect and honors Carrie for her lifework.
As Carol described her years on her comedy show with her co-hosts she was complimented by the talk show host on her admiration and respect for her co-hosts and their contribution to the show. Her response is what struck me as being so profound! She said, “…you know, there are no second bananas. All I had to do was give them as much leeway as they needed to do what they do best. Our show was better because of them…”
We as cancer registrars can learn so much from Carol Burnett. While we may be the “star” of the show in our registry departments, our work is nothing without help from our co-hosts, meaning physicians, nurses, and administrators. In fact, our customer base is so broad that we can, literally, include anyone we come into contact with, or anyone who works or serves our facility, as co-hosts or members of our cast.
When we support and honor our cast and team, our show will thrive and be successful. So, the reverse is also true. Sad, but true. If we insist on being the “star” and do not provide good leadership or support to our cast, then we will be labelled as the ego-driven, self-centered person that we portray in our behaviors and actions. Of course, that is not what we as cancer registrars want others to see or think about us!
So, how do we honor and respect our team? That’s really the easy part! Here are some suggestions:
- Show genuine interest in getting to know others. Keep it professional and don’t snoop, but show genuine interest and caring.
- State your goals and objectives. You can’t lead others if you don’t tell them where you are headed.
- Communicate clearly and regularly. Best way is to do this face-to-face. Do not bomabard your team with endless and lengthy emails.
- Encourage a learning culture. By the same token, be open to learning from your team. As the leader your success is only as good as the weakest link on your team. Encourage learning as a team sport.
- Maintain a careful balance between work and socializing. Be fair and objective and never seen as playing favorites or excluding members of your team from work or outside events.
- Make generous use of humor. Never make fun of others and do not tolerate others doing the same.
- Share leadership. Avoid micromanaging and delegate responsibility and leadership opportunities. I read somewhere that leaders should “park their egos.”
- Admit your mistakes. You’re human, you will make them. Make a point of showing how you learned from your mistakes.
- Stand behind your team during difficult times. Never throw them under the bus or abandon them to serve your own interests, regardless of your personal viewpoint
If you make a habit of practicing these simple concepts you will find that your repoire and leadership with your team will exceed your expectations. Take on and assume the attitude and behaviors of successful people and those, like Carol Burnett, that exhibit the highest levels of respect and compassion.
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