“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!
Recorded September 9, 2010 with Shawn Achor, author The Happiness Advantage
Interviewed by Max Miller
“Question: What is the biggest misconception about happiness?
Shawn Achor: I think we think that happiness is something that you find or if you reach some level in a company or a school, then you’re happier. And what we’re finding is that happiness is not something that happens to you; happiness is a work ethic. It’s something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train. In order to become happier, we actually have to focus our brains down on things that actually move us forward instead of getting stagnating in the things that… for example, stressing about things that are outside of our control doesn’t move us forward at all.
So what I think that what we need to be able to do is to not only change the formula for success, to help us to be able to focus upon this idea that if we prioritize happiness, it will then raise our success rates, but also a recognition that is something that we actually have to be conscious about on a daily basis because it’s something that actually requires effort, it requires training and requires us to be able to focus our attention on this. And if we do so, I think the thing that we oftentimes think is that if people get happy, they’ll stop working hard or that happy people are unintelligent. And what we’re finding is just the opposite. I think it is the most counter-intuitive thing we’ve found, which is happiness actually raises an individual’s intelligence and their success rates.
We find that the happy people aren’t always the smartest people, we know that there are… I’ve met tons of people that are very successful and not happy, and people that are extremely intelligent and not happy. So we might assume that those two things are divorced, but now what we really realize in the science is that both of those individuals are actually underperforming what their brain is actually capable of. And if we have more role models in our companies and schools of individuals that are positive and infect other people with that positivity rippling out through those mirror neuron networks, not only can we raise the levels of happiness and engagement in our schools and companies again, but we’ll actually raise their levels of successes as well.”
Every year millions of us celebrate a new beginning with family, friends and our favorite party favors. The traditions continue forward as we make resolutions for our lives in the coming year. The “usual” list of resolutions are no surprise, spending time with family and friends, getting fit, losing weight, stop smoking, stop drinking, enjoy life more, and get out of debt. Now, you may (or may not) be surprised to learn that over 88% of us never live out those resolutions.
I have an idea for cancer registrars! Let’s just toss out all the resolutions. Let’s stop making promises that you know you cannot keep or making excuses on why you didn’t get to your goal. Instead, let’s look at a positive alternative to New Year’s Resolutions. Are you ready?
Let’s pledge to each other to make a positive difference in each other’s lives in 2011. No boundaries, no rules, no prerequisites or cash required. When it is all said and done it is how we impact each other’s lives and how we make a difference in this world that matters anyway. So, quit wasting your time with resolutions and instead, choose to focus your time and energy in something much more meaningful.
Making a difference is really not that difficult. Here’s a simple 3-step program: 1) listen to your inner voice and be true to yourself. Some call it being “authentic.” Listen to your spiritual self and know what makes you truly happy to set the foundation for making a difference. Then, 2) be generous and kind with your words. Develop an awareness of others around you and find something positive to say to people each day. Be there to encourage, support and listen. Your words and time spent with others matter more than you know. Finally, 3) take action. Don’t be afraid to take action on your thoughts or to respond quickly to a situation. Never underestimate the impact your support and encouragement will have on others.
As cancer registrars we are linked together around the globe by a common passion for our work and common need to be supported and inspired by one another. All of us have equal responsibility, as a allied health professionals, to make a difference in someone’s life. Here are some suggestions:
Leave a voice message with a cancer registry “buddy” who lives across the country saying you were thinking of them and just wanted to say “hi.”
Write a short, handwritten, thank you note to a fellow cancer registrar, employee, manager, administrator or physician. Just send a simple “shout out.”
Throughout your day take a few minutes of your time to speak directly to somone else. Reach out to them with your voice, a smile, compliment for a job well done, or to inquire about their health or family. Take just a few minutes to engage in a personal conversation.
When you’re standing in the long line at your local coffee shop, turn around and smile and say “hello” to the person behind you. Put the iPod or Blackberry away and engage in greeting someone with a smile and warm “hello.”
I know you’re already excited about getting started! Don’t underestimate the power of one cancer registrar helping another, even with the simplest and most basic courtesy or kind word. Would you like to get some extra “mojo” from making a difference? Come back to this blog post every couple of days and let us know what you did for someone and how it made you feel? You can make a difference in someone else’s life just by sharing what worked well for you. I can guarantee that once you begin practicing making a difference that you will want, maybe even crave, helping someone else. Before you know it, it will be a way of life and an important and positive part of your day.
I look forward to helping you make a difference in 2011. Happy New Year!
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb is committed to cancer registry leadership and to making a difference in the lives of cancer registrars worldwide. She is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR) who cares passionately about her work and serving her community. She is 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 tot he author and link back to this article on this website.
(Part Four of our series titled “Agility Training for Cancer Registrars”)
Changing out mindset or how we automatically respond to our work or life can make us uncomfortable. However, this is necessary if we are to be responsible and achieve success and happiness.
In his book, Excuses Begone, Dr Wayne Dyer gives a description of individual accountability and a process for stepping out of “autopilot” and into conscious thinking. In my own experience, I know that by examining my past experiences, beliefs and value I hold I can challenge their validity and create a new mindset that is focused on positive outcomes, meaningful relationships and being the a good person and cancer registrar.
Albert Einstein said, “The world we have created is a product of our way of thinking.” So, the degree to which we practice mindfulness, or how we allow ourselves to become uncomfortable and the resulting change in our way of thinking, is what determines our success in life.
It is not enough to briefly question a thought and simply dismiss it with a statement of, “that’s the way I was taught,” or “that’s just who I am.” Accountability for our thoughts requires continual examination of past experiences, beliefs and values. As cancer registrars, our mindset is constantly challenged. Our personal value systems are often in competition with others and need to be put into perspective with the clinical and scientific facts as well as the patient and emotional components of cancer care. Often this seems like a “stacked deck” against us. But, by practicing conscious thinking, evaluating the facts and not emotions, and by making a mindful choice in how we will respond to the situation, we will earn our place as valuable members on the healthcare team.
If you find that your first thought about a situation or proposed change is negative, then you can be encouraged by the knowledge that by simply thinking another thought, you can change your mindset and the outcome of a situation. The first step to take is to replace the negative thought with a positive one. Remember, your thoughts and behaviors are under your control. Pessimistic and negative thinking are simply habits that can be changed.
Here are three action steps to take in practicing mindfulness and accommodating change with positive results:
Evaluate the evidence. When you have that negative or pessimistic thought, stop and evaluate the evidence. What are the facts, not the fears?
Think about positive alternatives and outcomes. For example, as you are doing your work on “autopilot” and encounter a new reporting rule, instead of complaining about it, stop and evaluate the facts, acknowledge the changes in medicine and patient care, and visualize how the change will improve the cancer patient’s care and quality of life.
Practice daily affirmations. Each day practice saying to yourself, “when I have a negative thought I will immediately evaluate the facts and think of positive alternatives.” This will be a little awkward at first, but after practice it will become easier and automatic. Each time you use this affirmation you will rewrite the negative thoughts in your mind and create new and positive solutions founded on fact and not emotion.
Practice these three steps until it comes naturally and automatically. You will be amazed at how easy it is to develop positive mindset to whatever happens in your day. Use positive affirmations to reinforce your attitude and to build up core strengths and talents. Cancer registrars who focus on their accountability and development of a positive mindset will be uniquely positioned to serve as leaders in their community and profession.
Tell us, what are you doing to change your thoughts and reactions to your work and life? Do you use positive affirmations? If so, what have you found to have the most profound, positive impact on your life?
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.
One thing we know for sure today is that change and uncertainty happens daily. How we choose to react to uncertainty can either paralyze us with fear or thrust us into a world of new possibilities. In this article cancer registrars are given four ways to explore uncertainty in their life that will help them accept and accommodate change in order to bring about higher levels of growth and success and to develop agility and flexibility in the cancer registry.
We’ve created a video blog that compliments the complete article on this website. You can watch it here!
(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 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.
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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.
In case you haven’t noticed, we live an a less-than-ideal world and most of us fall quite short of being perfect. As cancer registrars we have learned the value of having all the facts and data reviewed before we launch a new study or project. And, while that is still considered the ‘best practice’ it does not necessarily apply to everything that we do in our registry operations.
For example, if you are working on a draft of the Annual Report and you need something in hand to take to Cancer Committee, you may want to have as much information completed and ready for review as possible. But, as the day of the Committee comes closer you realize you didn’t have enough time to work on the report as you would have liked. Some will feel compelled to work overtime hours (usually without pay) or to let another deadline or target date slip to spend hours working on the report. What you may want to consider, instead, is whether or not your vision of the report for Cancer Committee really needs to as complete as your first envisioned, or would something less still be acceptable.
All too often we overtax ourselves and our systems trying to make something perfect or complete. When you find yourself in this situation evaluate what is really needed and what is important at that moment in time. This will help you make the right decisions. Your challenge is to get things done – maybe that’s why they call it managing. Don’t get bogged down by the idea of perfection. It does not exist, so take action instead of standing still.
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’
Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools
