Farewell To A Great Boss

Today we bid a fond farewell to my manager: Janell Madonna. She has been promoted to Director of Contracting at UUMG.

She joined our team not long after I became a trainer (over 4 years ago). I had reported to my mentor Rob Kistler and I approached the new situation with some trepidation (much like I do now with a new incoming manager).

Looking back on my time working with Janell, I find that she has been more than my manager. She has become my friend. I have learned a lot about dimplamatic relationships with managers and coworkers. I've learned a thing or two or three about writing skills. But as my friend she has supported me and helped me through some rough emotional times and I am forever grateful for that.

So it is with a bit of personal sorrow that we see her off to bigger and better things: Her new office happens to be one floor up from where we are, so we'll still see her in the elevator and when we barge into her office.

Here we have the training team: Derek, Me, Deb, Janell, Bonnie and Tim

Our analyst team and Tasha (Tasha, could you please explain your role?):
Janell, Adrienne, Tasha and Paul

Janell's direct reports:
Back: Tim, Jaynann, Adrienne, Derek, me, Tasha and Paul
Front: Deb, Janell, Amy and Bonnie

Bomb Scare

So today there was a bomb threat at the University Hospital. I was training, but we were on break when my manager came out and told us she'd received a "code yellow" page - a bomb threat at the hospital (by the way: it should have been a code purple). We've had so many drills that our first reaction was, "is it a drill?" Within seconds we knew it was real due to various phone calls.
I work in the billing office building downtown, so I was away from any of the lock down, but I called Eric - he works in the school of medicine and the last thing I want is to lose my husband to some fanatic on a rampage over who knows what. AND it's my employer. AND there are patients!
Here's the info as sent to us in an email from administration (it came around 12:30):
"At 9:21 a.m., University of Utah Hospital experienced a bomb threat. We have activated the Command Center, and all precautions are in place.
A second sweep of the internal patient care areas and all other areas of the hospitals and or clinics has been completed. Law enforcement is working to complete a sweep of the external facilities using K-9 assistance. Facilities continue to remain on lock down. There is no vehicle access to the Health Sciences Campus."
Around 2:00 we were told that everything had been cleared. It will be interesting to hear how Eric's perspective was from the hospital.

It seemed an odd coincidence that it's also the day of the press conference announcing that the billing records that had been stolen (about a month ago) had been recovered by police this morning. This morning Shadd Hartman was arrested for stealing billing records from some loser's car. This loser was supposed to have delivered them straight away to some secure vault, but instead took a detour to his house and took a nap. Loser boy left the records, which were on some kind of tape, in what looked like a cash-box on the front seat of his car. Shadd broke into the that loser's car and stole the records off the front seat.

I'm happy to know there was an arrest.


I'm most happy that all is well and safe again at the hospital and that I will be able to pick Eric up from work and that he his safe.

Establish a Winning Culture

Thursday was the University of Utah Hospital's LDI2 - Leadership Development Institute. It's a wonderful program that trains the leaders of the institution on ways to be better leaders. It's held quarterly for all supervisors. It was decided some time ago to include the trainers due to our interaction with various departments. I usually feel trepidation all the way into the building (it's held at the Rice Eccles Stadium), but once we get started, I enjoy the experience.

One of the speakers, I was thrilled to discover, was Coach Boylen - coach of the University of Utah men's basketball team. I know little about him but was immediately impressed by his demeanor. We're told that his speach will be posted on YouTube. I vigorously took notes of his speach.

I should preface this by saying that there is a lot of change happening at the University Hospital - more than just construction. As with all business (and life in general) there's always talk of budgets - and we are making a lot of big changes at the University (due to changes in how Medicaid reimburses - which is not worth the explanation right now). So - here's what I noted from his speach:

Changes in culture happens when people or things have failed. When changes are made to any team or business, we need to take ownership of the changes.

His personal philosophy on successful leadership is Six-fold:
1. State of Mind Change
-accountability - we say, "don't coach me, coach that guy" - we resist seeing where WE need improvment. Take personal responsibility.
2. Passion
-have passion for your job. Make it yours, own it. If you're bitching all the time, MOVE ON. Be proud of what you do - no matter what it is.
3. Relationships
-make sure you have a relationship with those you work with. Confront them when things are wrong AND RIGHT
-Texting and e-mails are NOT relationship builders. Talk face to face - have the guts to have the tough conversations.
Do what's right for the team, take your ego out.

*We all want to be in our own comfort zones - it's a losing situation - without exception. We learn on the edge of our comfort zone*

4. Toughness
-mental
-physical
-Be tough enough to handle it when you are wrong - and when you're told you are wrong
-Stay late - come in early. Be tough enough to complete your tasks.
-Be on time to work, meetings, etc.
5. Teamwork
-Team is 1st
-Every one thinks they have entitlement. Entitlement is a dead end. Pride can't make changes and won't help the betterment of anything.
6. Gratitude
Be Grateful & appreciative
Be proud of what is built and be grateful for the chance to do it, be a part of it.
Build it, then take yourself out of it.

*Push people where they can't push themselves*

"Leading by example" is a cop out - SAY IT, DO IT, help people, BUILD IT. Leading by example is passive and a 30's mentality. If you believe in it, say it. Communicate.

Change is not easy - but put petty stuff aside and move forward. Tough days happen and refine who your are. They mean you are going the right way. Tough days are a sign of growth.

The moonlanding: 90% of the time they were off course. Nasa was making constant adjustment in the course - Life is that way. It's okay to lose - there's no shame in losing. Shame is in the lack of willingness to make changes.