Overcoming self-doubt

After receiving some less than ideal news this week, I found myself a little down about my potential to succeed this summer and after graduation. I was online doing homework not too long after and stumbled across this article from the Huffington post and it seemed very fitting for what I was going through. It's inevitable that at some point, professionally or socially, we are going to face disappointment and rejection. It's a part of life, but it shouldn't disrupt the understanding of your self-worth and qualifications. These were the 5 points that the article focused on to help overcome self-doubt.

1. Embrace a little self-doubt.

Don’t worry about a little self-doubt, because slight insecurity could actually bolster your performance. A 2010 study published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that individuals who experienced a little self-doubt actually performed better compared with people who were completely confident in their skills. Other studies have found similar results.

So rather than waste energy worrying that your self-doubt is really a sign from the universe warning you that you’re about to fail, recognize that self-doubt can be helpful. Perhaps you’ll spend more time rehearsing or maybe you’ll put in more effort when you’re aware that there’s a chance it might not go smoothly.

2. Examine the evidence behind your thoughts.

When you encounter serious self-doubt, examine the truth behind your thoughts. Ask yourself, “What evidence do I have that I can’t do this?” Then ask yourself, “What evidence do I have that I can do this?” Write down your answers on a piece of a paper.

Looking at the facts can help you see things in a more realistic manner. Although this exercise may not eliminate all of your self-doubt, examining the facts can help reduce your insecurities to a more helpful level.

3. Consider the worst-case scenario.

Self-doubt is fueled by catastrophic predictions like, “I’m going to mess everything up.” When you find yourself guessing things will go poorly, ask, “What’s really the worst thing that could happen?” If you do make a mistake, would it really be that bad?

Remind yourself that even if things go terribly, it’s unlikely to be life altering. Losing a game, stumbling over your lines, or failing to get a promotion probably won’t matter that much in a few years. Keeping things in proper perspective can help calm your nerves.

4. Monitor your emotions.

Your emotions play a major role in how you think and behave. Anxious feelings can fuel doubtful thoughts and impair your performance, unless you take steps to regulate your emotions.

Pay attention to how your emotions influence your choices. If your anxiety skyrockets, calm your body and your mind by taking deep breaths, going for a walk, or distracting yourself with mundane tasks. Don’t allow your short-term discomfort to convince you to bail out, give up, or cave in.

5. Focus on your present performance.

Whether you’re stepping on a stage or running out onto an athletic field, telling yourself, “I’m going to embarrass myself” will distract you from your performance. So rather than allow your inner monologue to drag you down, stay focused on the present.

Before you take the giant leap into whatever you’re feeling doubtful about, give yourself a quick pep talk. Saying, “All I can do is my best” will remind you that you don’t need to strive for perfection. With that reminder, you’ll be better equipped to put your energy where it needs to be — on your performance.

Physicians vs. Administration

This week Jason and I presented our second lesson on the topic of the separation between physicians and administration in healthcare. In our research, I came across an article from kevinmd.com that I really enjoyed, and found a lot of merit in. It discussed how physicians and administrators viewed patient satisfaction scores very differently and how that effected the organization as a whole. At one point, the article stated:

"We all knew that a patient might be happier if we order up that MRI his brother-in-law recommended for his backache, if we hand out antibiotics for likely viruses, or write a narcotics prescriptions for malingering addicts, or decline to tell obese problem drinkers that they need to quit the vodka and eat fewer Big Macs. Giving patients exactly what they want will score satisfaction points, but it’s often costly to the system and detrimental to individual and public health...I found that although everyone’s priority is quality care for our patients, ER docs and nurses spoke a different language than the quality geeks. Sometimes they talked right past each other. “A hospital isn’t a hotel; patients shouldn’t expect to be pampered,” said the ER nurse. “We should learn from the hospitality industry, and patients should be treated like guests at a four-star hotel,” said the quality administrators.The disconnect was profound". 

The author eventually concluded that from his own expereiences and observations is that real quality is not a zero sum game. People remember the overall way they were treated during the time spent at a facility and that is what resonates through the patient satisfaction reports. If overall, they patient and their family have a pleasant experience and there's no specific event that stands out to them as poor service, they will most likely be pleased. But it goes without saying that you simply cannot please everyone.

Though I don't have any clinical experience trying to please patients and their families, I have had several customer service based jobs and if it's given me anything, it's thinker skin. People will exert their anger on you when things are not your fault, and sometimes emotions can spike at unnecessary times based on other things that are going on in someones life. I think in order to succeed in any position you have to learn to take criticism or insults constructively and realize that sometimes, there's nothing you can do to change someones mind. If you do the best job you can, and are confident in your work, you should not always change your actions just because someone has something negative to say about it.

Employee Evaluations pre work

I found the Employee Evaluation pre work that Regan, Caroline and Carly provided was pretty interesting, and the following quote was one that stood out to me the most.

"Self-evaluations are often critical to your good performance rating. Managers cannot possibly know everything you do every day. So a well-written self-evaluation with successes and complex projects listed can inform, or remind, your manager about the goals you've accomplished and the contributions you've made during the year.

By writing this up, you can influence your manager's final decision about your performance rating. If you've received praise from clients, either internal or external, include them in your self-evaluation to let your manager know that others appreciate your work."

I don't know if i totally agree with this statement. Yes, in a perfect world this would be true, but i would assume that if most employers cannot see the work that you say you are doing, or don't see the effects of it, they won't take it into consideration. Why would they reward you for something that wasn't making an impact on the organization or they weren't even totally sure you were doing? I'd venture to assume that most employers are focused on productivity and they're looking to reward behavior that produces positive results, not busy work.

Saying "good job" isn't enough

I found an interesting article from the Huffington Post that discusses how employees feel about receiving a "good job" comment after a job well done. It seems that for the most part, that's not  a compliment that really makes employees feel appreciated for the work that they do and their performance professionally. It comes off as a bit insincere, and employers should be sure to make sure that their employees feel good about going above and beyond. The article offered suggestions on how to overcome this challenge as an employer and explains how the SBI method can be used.

"Guidelines for Delivering More Effective Feedback
These four essential guidelines will help you deliver impactful feedback:

1. Make it timely. Provide feedback as soon as possible after the behavior has occurred. When you delay, you run the risk that the feedback you do provide will lose its impact and meaning.

2. Be specific. Provide clear, accurate information. Be direct about the situation, the behavior and the actions, and how the behavior impacted others or the organization. This type of feedback shows the person what behaviors should be repeated. In cases where expectations went unmet, specific feedback will help show the person what should be changed (and why).

3. Focus on the facts.One of the most challenging aspects of providing feedback is to withhold your own personal judgments and interpretations. Feedback should be all about the observable behavior, actions, and interactions - not about the person.

4. Show that you’re sincere. Feedback that sounds insincere will most likely not have any meaning or impact for the recipient. Worse, insincere feedback typically backfires. State feedback with conviction and honesty - say what you mean and mean what you say.

Using the SBI Framework to Provide Effective Feedback
SBI is an acronym for situation, behavior, and impact - it’s a model used to deliver feedback effectively that was originally developed by the Center for Creative Leadership:

1. Describe the situation where the behavior was observed.
2. Describe the behavior- the specific and factual actions or interactions that were observed by you or others.
3. Describe the impact - the effect the behavior had on others such as clients or team members, and/or the results."

Lessons from a CEO

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245725

An interesting article I found from a 7 time CEO-
"When things get complicated, go back to basics.

People have a tendency to overcomplicate management when technology is involved, but sometimes your style and mindset just need to go back to basics. Having a company "elevator pitch" and clearly communicating it to your team, for example, is important because it conveys exactly what you do in a digestible way that your team can use next time it answers that question at a networking event"

Response to Erin and Kyle- Change

So far I'd have to say that Erin and Kyle's presentation on change has been one of my favorites. I'm not sure if it was because at our age our lives are changing constantly on a day to day basis- but something about it really resonated with me. The "Who touched my cheese" video- while it was silly and entertaining, held a lot of merit. What is basically boiled down to was that instead of dwelling on why you failed or why something changed when you didn't expect it to, it's best to bounce back and continue in a new direction instead of dwelling on the past and the way you did things before. Your ability to succeed in any given task, profession or situation is entirely dependent on your ability to adapt when things go wrong and change- because they will. Time and time and time again. Change is the only thing guaranteed in life, and the sooner you accept it, the better off you will be.

BAD managment

Just a short anecdote from an experience I had this weekend--

I was in a store over the past weekend to do some shopping for an upcoming trip. I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around me until I overheard something that was pretty upsetting. I heard one employee behind the register say to another "why don't you get it? I've literally explained it to you 5 times. It's not hard." I thought this was rude, but continued with my shopping. When I went up to the register a little while later to pay for my things, the woman who had yelled at her fellow employee was the one who was checking me out. She had a nasty look on her face, didn't greet me, didn't ask how my shopping experience was and was making it clear that she simply did not want to be at work that day. The real shock came when I saw her name tag said "manager".

I understand that everyone has bad days. Everyone has lives outside of work that may or may not effect us on a daily basis. But (in my opinion) no matter what is going on with you personally, when you accept a leadership position in a store, office, hospital or anything else, you need to learn to leave your problems at the door and handle yourself professionally. There simply cannot be responsible for causing "drama" in the workplace, that speaks terribly of you as a leader. Putting others down and treating people with disrespect will not create a productive environment.

I was pretty disappointed to see a grown adult act this way. When things go wrong and you feel like giving up, I've found that faking a smile can get you through the day so you don't burn any bridges.

Shayna and Logan on Personality

I really enjoyed Shayna and Logans presentation on personality. When it comes to finding success, whether it be professionally, socially, or in any endeavor, your personality is what could make or break opportunities for you. Some aspects of your personality are within your control, while others are traits you're born with that are innate to who you are and you may not even realize you possess. The Ted Talk that they showed about being a giver, taker or matcher was a good one, and it sure made me think about which one I am and how it may have effected the course of my life so far. I would say that, especially in the workplace, I am a giver. This summer at the restaurant I work at I got promoted to manager, and this is where I really noticed it. Though it was part of my duties to oversee everything in the restaurant, I found myself stepping in and helping waiters and waitresses that were flustered and even brought food to tables with my broken hand. It was outside of my job description, but it's part of my nature to take more onto my own plate for the sake of helping others. I don't like watching people struggle, especially when i know I could assist them.