Inspiration

The Power of Perception

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

Perception can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. The classic leadership book, The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, shaped my leadership approach. They teach the power of Perception. Consider the story of The Monk and the Travellers:

THE MONK AND THE TRAVELLERS

One day a traveller was walking along a road on his journey from one village to another. As he walked he noticed a monk tending the ground in the fields beside the road. The monk said “Good day” to the traveller, and the traveller nodded to the monk. The traveller then turned to the monk and said “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a question?”. 

“Not at all,” replied the monk. 

“I am travelling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley and I was wondering if you knew what it is like in the village in the valley?” 

“Tell me,” said the monk, “What was your experience of the village in the mountains?” 

“Dreadful,” replied the traveller, “to be honest I am glad to be away from there. I found the people most unwelcoming. When I first arrived I was greeted coldly. I was never made to feel part of the village no matter how hard I tried. The villagers keep very much to themselves, they don’t take kindly to strangers. So tell me, what can I expect in the village in the valley?” 

“I am sorry to tell you,” said the monk, “but I think your experience will be much the same there”. 

The traveller hung his head despondently and walked on. 

A while later another traveller was journeying down the same road and he also came upon the monk. 

“I’m going to the village in the valley,” said the second traveller, “Do you know what it is like?” 

“I do,” replied the monk “But first tell me – where have you come from?” 

“I’ve come from the village in the mountains.” 

“And how was that?” 

“It was a wonderful experience. I would have stayed if I could but I am committed to travelling on. I felt as though I was a member of the family in the village. The elders gave me much advice, the children laughed and joked with me and people were generally kind and generous. I am sad to have left there. It will always hold special memories for me. And what of the village in the valley?” he asked again. 

“I think you will find it much the same” replied the monk, “Good day to you”. 

“Good day and thank you,” the traveller replied, smiled, and journeyed on.

___________________

THE POWER OF PERCEPTION

Tell me how this story impacts you? Does your own perception of situations evolve based on the attitude you bring? Sure makes a difference for me. Choose wisely.

Optimism: A Force Multiplier

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” — General Colin Powell

At the end of each workday when I walk out of the office building, I hear the same words while heading toward the door, “All right, Susan, you have a great night!”

Christie, our company’s steward of the campus front entrance, is always ready with a smile and a kind wish to cap off the day.

Christie Melchiore, April 2023

I treasure this tiny ritual. And I know I’m not alone. Christie freely shares her genuine joy with all who pass her way.

Her daily message reminds me that everything is, indeed, “All right.”

For me, Christie has come to represent the hope and possibility of renewal. No matter how the day went upstairs, you can count on a kind smile when you walk out the door. She’s a bright light. And her light helps me cascade a light forward onto the path of those I encounter.

Are all of Christie’s days easy? I’m sure they aren’t. Are all of her moments bright? Can’t possibly be. But still she chooses to shine that light. As a wise colleague once said, “Choice is a superpower.” I am lucky to be in the path of this every-day superhero.

I’m sharing this moment with you, because I wonder if there is someone in your life whose simple acts of kindness makes a difference? Let’s call it out.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts, or even an example of someone whose optimism is a force multiplier for you.

Praise Publicly, Correct Privately

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“Praise Publicly, Correct Privately” is an inclusive leadership approach that helps leaders establish a culture of trust and effectively communicate with their team members. I first learned the concept decades ago when I read, The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. Praise Publicly, Correct Privately changed the way I lead others. In fact, it changed the way I interact with the world. Praise Publicly, Correct Privately isn’t just good leadership advice; it’s also just common sense. But sometimes common sense isn’t all that commonly practiced…

I witnessed a situation today that runs counter to Praise Publicly, Correct Privately. Calling out someone in front of a group, especially when you are in a position of power, does not reflect on the person being shamed as much as it reflects on the person doing the shaming. It is astonishing how quickly positive energy and enthusiasm can dissolve into awkward silence and injured retreat. Repair can certainly happen, but it’s hard to “unhear” public shaming. A high-performing team has plenty of room for light-hearted jokes. But how do you know when the line is crossed from light-hearted to heavy-handed? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the difference. Thoughts to begin the conversation:

When people are praised for their work in front of others, it can have a powerful effect on their motivation and productivity. On the other hand, when people are criticized for their work in front of others, it can be demotivating and damaging to their self-esteem.

The key to effectively using this technique is to understand when and how to use it. When praising a team member, it is important to be specific and to highlight their specific contributions to the team. For example, instead of simply saying “good job,” it is more effective to say “I really appreciate how you took the lead on that project and made sure it was completed on time.” This type of specific feedback helps the team member understand what they did well and how they can continue to improve.

When correcting or giving feedback/feedforward to a team member, it is important to do so privately and in a constructive manner. This means that the criticism should be focused on specific areas of improvement and should be delivered in a way that is designed to help the team member learn and grow. For example, instead of saying “you did a bad job,” it is more effective to say “I noticed that you struggled with X and I think it would be helpful if we worked together to improve this area.”

Praise Publicly, Correct Privately helps to create a positive and supportive work environment. When people feel that their work is appreciated and that they are being given constructive feedforward, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Additionally, this technique can help to improve communication and trust between team members and leaders.

I would love to hear your ideas on Praise Publicly, Correct Privately.

The Problem with Patient Centricity

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Join me in a conversation with Mark Doyle from The Method, where we discuss the the challenges and opportunities of patent centricity in healthcare.

Is it OK to be patient obsessed? – Supporting pharma to ignite and drive their patient centricity strategies

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IS IT OK TO BE PATIENT OBSESSED? – SUPPORTING PHARMA TO IGNITE AND DRIVE THEIR PATIENT CENTRICITY STRATEGIES

See the article from The Method website DECEMBER 16, 2021 BY CLAIRE

“WE ALL KNOW THAT PUTTING PATIENTS AT THE HEART OF CARE WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO BETTER OUTCOMES. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT BECOMING TRULY PATIENT-CENTRIC IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.

THE PROBLEM WITH PATIENT CENTRICITY

Mark Doyle, creator of A Life in a Day, hosted a lively and interactive Zoom webinar with Susan Hendrich, Learning Director for Respiratory, Immunology and Infectious Disease at AstraZeneca, about the problem of patient centricity.

Mark and Susan spoke about the barriers to achieving patient-centric working within the pharma industry. From the danger of sacrificing the patient voice for commercial goals and making it meaningful for each and every person within the sector to the difficulty of measuring patient-centric impact.

As one of our clients, Susan is understandably passionate about putting patients at the centre of everything she does, and shares real insight into what patient centricity means to her and how she approaches it in her work.

A major highlight of the session was Mark’s provocation that the term ‘patient centricity’ may in itself be a barrier to achieving it. He posed the radical question of whether, to achieve real patient centricity, we need to find a new term that inspires and motivates change. Acknowledging that the term is contentious and provocative by design, Mark suggested that perhaps we could achieve the goal of patient centricity if we replace it with ‘patient obsessed’. It certainly led to some interesting and thought-provoking conversation!

WHY WE SHOULD BECOME ‘PATIENT OBSESSED’ INSTEAD OF PATIENT-CENTRIC

During the webinar, Mark presented his concerns about the term ‘patient centricity’. With no universal definition, it can be difficult to associate patient centricity with your own work and risks becoming nothing more than a tick box exercise.

“If everybody was truly obsessed with the patient and helping [the] patient, it has the potential to do what patient centricity says it will do, which is to radically alter the treatments, the clinical trials, the way research is conducted, the way it’s communicated to patients, the way hcps interact with patients. I believe it could radically alter and ultimately improve the lives of patients, which is what patient centricity is supposed to do….I just feel like maybe we need to push it a bit further and reignite the benefit and enthusiasm of it.”Mark Doyle

Susan agreed with the idea of being much more focused on the patient and challenged the audience to look at ways they can push this within their own companies. If a business makes the patient its focus and all activities stems from that, the corporate gains will come.

To unlock the potential of patient centricity the industry must go further. The most successful companies will be those who are able to equally balance patients’ needs with commercial goals and operations, making both a priority.

FALL: Freedom for All to Live and Learn

/ Susan Hendrich / 1 Comment

Simon Sinek talks about the importance of being able to fall.

Thank goodness. Because I fall. I fall a lot.

I fell last week. It was a mistake, but I am responsible for it happening and for the upset that it caused. 

Even though I try my best to be a great leader by lifting others and shining a light on their path so they can succeed, sometimes I end up being an obstacle in their path. It doesn’t feel good to make a mistake or miss a mark or disappoint someone. That’s the first arrow.

But the second arrow is dwelling on that mistake instead of taking accountability, learning from it, dusting yourself off, and moving forward.  Like my mentor once said, “Take the hit, then, bounce.”

Check out this video of Simon sharing his view on “falling.” Simon Sinek on Falling

Did you know that Babe Ruth struck out more than 1300 times? History doesn’t dwell on that fact. History remembers his home runs. And Babe Ruth didn’t dwell on those strikeouts. In fact, his philosophy was that every strikeout brought him closer to his next home run.

The concept of being willing to fall reminds me of the universal celebration that erupts when a staff member drops a glass in a restaurant.

Crash…Hurray!

What happens at a restaurant when a server drops a glass and it shatters on the floor? 

Fellow restaurant staff cheer and clap! Why?  here’s my theory:

  1. Most people are just trying their to do their job to the best of their ability
  2. Everybody makes mistakes
  3. A team is a village that takes care of its own
  4. Take the hit, then bounceWhen we feel safe to FALL—to have the Freedom to Live and Learn without the fear of humiliation or loss of status, the world is a better place.

What would be different if next time you were to celebrate when you FALL?  The moment when something goes awry is a chance for the culture to be tested. Use it as an opportunity to demonstrate grace, invite experimentation, and celebrate the effort it takes to clean up and start again. And remember the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where we can become stronger in the broken places.