Be Respectful. Respect (or actually lack of respect) has always been a trigger for me. And not in a healthy way. I sometimes mistake people not paying attention or acknowledging me as disrespect … when really - they might just be focusing on something else. I jump to conclusions and...
We have all encountered that person who asks a million questions at conferences or webinars. For some it can be super annoying as it seems to drag the session out longer, and for some it can be super helpful as they are too afraid to ask the questions but appreciate...
Be Questioning. I was going up to Burlington, Vermont with my friend Tami. It was 1992 in the fall. We were on Interstate 93 in the middle of the state at a rest stop. A gal came in and asked a question. “How far to Portland, Maine? I’m driving up...
Be proactive. We had this speaker last week, Dr. Jay Kaplan, and he showed this “readiness to change” slide. You’re supposed to measure yourself on this scale - from “I love change” to “I hate change”. I’ve always prided myself on being open to change of any sort or color....
Being proactive means anticipating future problems, needs, or changes. If you have been in healthcare for just a little while you know the one thing you can count on is change. The key to being proactive is really about the future and focusing on the things you can control instead...
In the early 90s when I was running hospitals in South Dakota, I got interviewed by the New York Times and was referred to as the "caustic mutterer" when describing what I thought of the state of rural healthcare. (My friend Tami, who lived in New York at the time,...
Be Optimistic. I’m not advocating the use of TikTok, but I was seeing all of these older folks using this picture filter where it makes them look young. I thought, “I want to see what I look like”. It wasn’t that big of a change - I looked like a...
Several of you have asked me how Maleigha did at the Iowa Horse Fair Queen Contest. She did not place, but she did really well with her pattern, and she was very pleased with how her horse performed. Maleigha seems to be my child that always finds something positive to...
March Meltdown was a great success!! A huge Thank You to all those who attended, performed, and helped with the event in any way. It was so good to see everyone enjoying their time away from work. We have such amazing talent with in our organization. Congratulations to all, and...
Be nice. When I think of “be nice” - it’s usually in scolding fashion. When someone is being a jerk - I think/say “be nice!”. But if I think of living my life with “be nice” as my mission statement - what’s that mean?? Iowa nice is a term I’ve...
