Tune in now to the latest Moments Move Us episode with Rhonda Brandon, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Duke University Health System 🎧
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New Podcast Episode:
Rise & Lead with Rhonda Brandon
Traditional leadership is rooted in the belief that power comes from a position of authority. These leaders maintain ownership of information, occasionally listening to suggestions and ideas from their team. However, as retention and burnout challenges continue to ravage the healthcare industry, leadership is changing. Leaders are becoming more understanding, compassionate, and collaborative.
In contrast to traditional bosses, collaborative leaders know that power is greatest in a collective team, and they openly share information and knowledge. Collaborative leaders encourage suggestions and ideas, and act with honesty, transparency, and vulnerability.
What type of leader are you? Download Wambi’s Evolved Leaders Guide to see how traditional and collaborative leaders differ.
New York Times best-selling author and host of popular podcast Dare to Lead, Brené Brown, has dedicated the past two decades to studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Through her research, she has found that “Vulnerability is the core, the heart, the center of meaningful human experiences.”
Through Wambi’s recognition software, meaningful moments of connection (like ones Brené alludes to) are elevated within healthcare systems to foster positive workplace cultures. Great leaders understand the importance of recognizing powerful human experiences and the role that vulnerability plays within them. Healthcare leaders across the country have shared their insight into how to be vulnerable, what the benefits are, and how they’ve embraced it in their own leadership journeys.
As leadership styles continue to evolve and adapt to meet present challenges, you may be wondering how you can be vulnerable with your team. According to healthcare leaders, there are three important things to keep in mind when providing a space for vulnerability:
1. It starts at the top
2. Admit when you don’t know the answer
3. Demonstrate transparency and honesty
“If we’re not doing it as leaders, our team members certainly aren’t going to do it.” That’s what Zane Zumbahlen Chief Human Resources and Talent Officer at Cancer Treatment Centers of America shared during Wambi’s Humans at Work in Healthcare panel discussion. He continues, “I take it upon myself to try to lean into that and [connect] more often because I’ve got to create the space and the aperture for others to really authentically feel.” Zumbahlen understands that his team looks up to him and will follow his lead. Setting an example as a leader and showing vulnerability gives your team the opportunity and platform to be honest and have meaningful conversations.
In addition to leaders showing team members the importance of vulnerability, Dr. Hanna Song, VP and Chief DEI Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, surrounds herself with a “personal board of directors” who guide her to demonstrate vulnerability. To her, these individuals have been the most impactful mentors. In Moments Move Us: Knowing What You Don’t Know, Dr. Song shares, “I had several mentors along the way, and the ones that I feel are the most important in my life are the ones that were willing to say, ‘I don’t have all the answers.’ And when there is this level of vulnerability, it creates what we are honestly really all after currently in terms of psychological safety or wellness.”
Cassandra Crowe-Jackson, Chief Experience Officer at Sharp HealthCare would agree with Dr. Song that inspiring leaders are willing to admit that they do not have all the answers. In fact, during Moments Move Us: Seeing Is Healing, Cassandra shared, “I never want to make you think that because I am a leader, I have all the answers. I consider that one of the worst leadership qualities, because no one has all the answers. No one does. And it’s a big burden on you to pretend you do have all the answers.”
By admitting you don’t have all the answers, you are providing the opportunity for team members to collaborate and identify solutions together. You can build a sense of camaraderie, working through problems together, and helping one another.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy.” This is particularly important as a leader in order to build trusting relationships with your team members. When Cassandra Crowe-Jackson was asked how she makes sure her team feels valued, she shares, “One of the things I’ve done is I do my best to be transparent.” With this transparency comes respect, authenticity, and courage, which helps to strengthen relationships.
By admitting you don’t have all the answers and collaborating with your team to resolve a problem, you’re providing an opportunity for them to take ownership of their work, which can help them feel like a valuable contributor.
According to McKinsey, not feeling valued by their company or their manager were two of the top reasons that employees left a company. By relying on your team and acknowledging their hard work, you are showing that you value their work. That is one of the benefits of being vulnerable with your team, you don’t carry the burden of having all the answers, and you can highlight the impact your team members are making. Something that Cassandra shares with her team is that “I’m really relying on you because you have been the ones doing the work.”
Similar to giving your team opportunities to own their work, being self-aware and honest about your vulnerabilities can also help you identify gaps in your team and where new team members can fill those gaps.
“Being honest with your team about vulnerabilities and gaps is okay when you express confidence and recruit the right team that fills those gaps.” shares Dr. Shereef Elnahal, President and CEO of University Hospital during Moments Move Us: Taking the Time to Connect. He knows as a leader, it is not enough to admit vulnerabilities, you must be empowered to make changes. By being self-aware and understanding vulnerabilities, he can recruit team members who can fill vulnerabilities and help execute in a comprehensive way.
Each team member is a puzzle piece, and when they see where they fit into the overall puzzle, this improves their sense of belonging.
When Dr. Swati Mehta, Director of Quality and Performance and Patient Experience at Vituity was asked what she thinks about vulnerability during Moments Move Us: Curiosity, Compassion, and Celebration, she replied, “I believe it’s a strength.” She believes in leading by example and has found value in showing her own vulnerabilities because “being vulnerable makes that person believe you, that there’s authenticity in you, that you are human.”
In this dynamic and challenging environment, building a workplace that is welcoming, inclusive, inspiring, and empowering is the foundation to foster a strong team. Be a leader who cultivates their team to grow and succeed through the power of vulnerability.
Looking for more leadership resources? Explore Wambi’s library of white papers, case studies, workbooks, toolkits and more.
Brene Brown Ted Talk: The Power of Vulnerability Best of 2021 Retention Tools Workbook On-Demand Panel: Humans at Work in Healthcare Moments Move Us Podcast: Dr. Swati Mehta Moments Move Us Podcast: Hanna Song Moments Move Us Podcast: Cassandra Crowe-Jackson Moments Move Us Podcast: Dr. Shereef Elnahal
Dr. Bonnie Clipper DNP, MA, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, recognized on list of must-follow thought leaders covering the latest trends and ideas shaping the health care industry.
Philadelphia, PA – Jan. 28, 2022 | Wambi congratulates Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Bonnie Clipper DNP, MA, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, for being selected as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Health Care.
While the health care industry continues to battle unprecedented retention challenges and burnout, thought leaders remain committed to sharing developments and ideas transforming the industry. LinkedIn News compiled a list of 15 doctors, nurses, and industry professionals recognized as the Top Voices in Health Care.
“I am honored to be included on this list of LinkedIn Top Voices,” shares Dr. Clipper. “I look forward to another year of stimulating and optimistic dialogue regarding the healthcare workforce issues that we face in today’s environment. The glass is half full and the opportunity to transform nursing and healthcare is within our reach.”
As Chief Clinical Officer at Wambi, Dr. Clipper imparts the voice of the nurse and patient into the recognition platform’s design, development, and workflows to ensure that the solutions meet the needs of clients and solve the right problems. Bonnie’s unique experience as a healthcare executive, innovation leader, and nurse in the technology space has shaped her ability to ask thought-provoking questions that challenge the status quo to transform health for all and build partnerships that find creative solutions to complex problems.
Dr. Clipper has contributed to numerous resources throughout the past year centered on reducing nurse burnout and empowering healthcare leaders, showcased most recently in the Best of 2021 Retention Tools Workbook.
As a thought leader, Dr. Clipper focuses on finding opportunities to redesign nursing roles and elevate the vital contributions that nurses bring to the health care industry. On her podcast Healthcare Soothsayers, she meets with healthcare leaders to discuss the trends and innovations that impact health, well-being, the future of work, and patient outcomes.
Learn more about LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Health Care and be inspired by the full list of honorees at
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-voices-health-care-15-creators-follow-linkedin-news/.
It’s no secret that “The Great Attrition” is hitting the healthcare sector hard.
Turnover rates are skyrocketing nationwide and are projected to only get worse, with 40% of nurses and 20% of physicians planning to resign from their current employer in the next two years. A shortage of 3.2 million healthcare workers expected by 2026 only exacerbates the problem. The “Great Attrition” and “Great Retirement” have made one thing clear — a culture of appreciation and belonging is an absolute requirement for organizational success. A recent report noted that the primary reason employees resigned during the pandemic was that they did not feel valued by their organization. Senior leaders have clear marching orders from their team: build a culture where employees feel valued or risk losing them.
This makes building and keeping your team together more important now than ever. Making sure your team members feel heard, recognized, and appreciated is crucial to fostering engagement and the desire to stay with your organization. In fact, creating a workplace where team members feel connected to their team and company culture has shown to reduce turnover rates by as much as 50%.
How do you create a workplace with an enriching culture that makes team members want to stay?
Strengthen your company culture by using proven practices through the lens of Wambi’s five values: compassion, fearlessness, imagination, gratitude, and joy. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make when thinking about culture is that they believe and say the right things, but miss the critical step of operationalizing stated values. Since culture is “the way we do things here,” organizations run into trouble when the actions of leaders run counter to stated values. If we list gratitude as a core value, but leaders rarely demonstrate it, then it is not part of the culture.
Try the following gratitude exercise at your next team huddle:
Ask each team member to take a moment to think of a time when a coworker did something that they feel thankful for and encourage them to write a message of gratitude to that coworker sharing how grateful they are. Turn this into a regular practice by facilitating this exercise four times per month.
Taking the time to reflect on these meaningful moments reminds team members of the many positive interactions that happen between them every day, but are often too easily forgotten in their fast-paced, high-intensity work environment.
Creating a workplace where team members feel invested and want to stay, as Dr. Swati Mehta, Director of Quality and Performance and Patient Experience at Vituity, said on Wambi’s Moments Move Us podcast, “begins from the top.” When leaders walk the walk and lead with compassion, fearlessness, imagination, gratitude, and joy, it creates a trickle-down effect throughout an organization.
A culture-building program that elevates meaningful recognition and encourages a culture of belonging is a great place to start. For healthcare leaders, this means finding a system that includes the voices of ALL key stakeholders – leaders, team members, and patients.
If you’re in the market for an employee recognition tool that’s right for your organization, A Recognition Buyer’s Guide will help you make an educated decision to inspire lasting change for your healthcare workforce.
For those looking for a more hands-on approach to strengthen one’s leadership, download Wambi’s Best of 2021 Retention Tools for the Busy Leader workbook. This workbook shares recommendations and insights to empower your organization to increase employee satisfaction and reduce turnover using the power of meaningful reflection.
We are thrilled to announce that in 2021 over 520,000 Wambis were shared across all Wambi platforms. What an inspiring year of celebrations, appreciation, and gratitude shared between team members, leaders, and patients. We are humbled to partner with so many great organizations to shine a light on these meaningful moments! Thank you to our clients, partners, and supporters for being a part of the Wambi family!
Wambi is built on creating a culture of gratitude where team members feel valued. As we look towards 2022 with excitement and anticipation, we want to share the importance of integrating gratitude into your New Year’s resolutions.
Research shows that regularly reflecting on and expressing gratitude leads to a stronger immune system, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, better sleep, and even faster recovery from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Living a life of gratitude gives you hope, strength, energy, wisdom, and the serenity to meet life’s many challenges of grief, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear.
Gratitude is considered one of the key strengths for human flourishing. By drawing on this strength and creating an awareness of what is going well in your life, your positive emotions, your positive relationships, and your well-being combine to enable you to truly thrive.
Want to learn more about the importance of gratitude? Download the toolkit today!
Have you noticed how many New Year’s resolutions fizzle out after January? Change can sometimes be difficult, and new practices are often forgotten. Here are a few helpful tips on how you can turn practicing gratitude into a habit.
Setting goals and working towards them is a great way to reinforce purpose in your day. Consider how many notes of appreciation and gratitude (Wambis) you want to share each week and set a goal. As you continue to reach your goal throughout the year, consider increasing the number you send.
Set a calendar appointment for 15 minutes each week to share appreciation with a colleague or coworker. Consider starting your mid-week morning with a Wambi Wednesday to focus on the kind words from patients and team members. It’s important to find a time that works best for you where you can fully absorb and reflect on the positive notes.
Your gratitude practice may need to start with a very small step of reflection. Use a “trigger,” such as washing your hands, as your mental cue to think about something that you are grateful for. Next time you are washing your hands (or whatever your new gratitude trigger is), reflect on something that you are grateful for and name the positive emotions you feel.
Writing a letter of gratitude to someone who has made a difference in your life is one of the most recommended and meaningful activities in practicing gratitude. At Wambi, we understand that it can sometimes feel overwhelming to think of how to put into words how much you appreciate someone.
Try following these steps to write a thoughtful letter:
Remember practice makes perfect! There’s no better time to start making gratitude a habit than today!
During disruptive and difficult times, like the pandemic, it may feel like practicing gratitude is unachievable. However, having a grateful perspective on life can help you cope and build greater personal resilience.
Whether you are sending or receiving gratitude, it is important to understand what practices work best for you. As you are focusing on gratitude as part of your New Year’s resolution, here are a few helpful tips:
One simple reflective practice is called “My Three Good Things.” Capture three good things over the past 24 hours: they can be positive interactions, positive emotions, or positive thoughts. Write them down and explain why you chose them. Do this every day for two weeks to build a routine, perhaps in the morning or at bedtime. If you miss a day, it is okay, try again the next day. You may want to find a friend, colleague, or family member to join you in taking on this new practice.
During a stressful time, it may be difficult to absorb and feel the emotions you experience from positive feedback. We’ve heard from physicians and healthcare workers that they like to keep a running journal of these moments so that they can be reflected on later, when they are in a mindset to receive gratitude. Consider adding a new folder to your email, adding a note on your phone, or writing in a gratitude journal. Make sure to set aside a dedicated time each week when you can read and focus on your Wambis.
Is there someone who has helped you through a difficult time? Let them know what they did that impacted you and how you benefitted from their support.
Wambi’s recognition platform helps healthcare organizations improve team member and patient experience through real-time individual feedback, driving retention, and creating a culture of gratitude. Take the first step in making gratitude a New Year’s resolution by requesting a demo today!