ONS Connect - May 2008 - (Page 19)

NOTiCENUrSiNGNOw Communicate Early and Often When Leading [By Karen Hochberg, MS, ONS Director of Marketing and Public Relations] ou’ve just been promoted to the new leadership role you have dreamed about. It is normal and healthy to be nervous, but you can raise your chances for success through communication. How you communicate during your first days on the job will set the tone of your tenure. You were hired because you are talented, not because you have the Y answer to all of the questions. Don’t be afraid to let your staff know when you don’t know. Tell your staff that they will help expand your knowledge as you gather information in your new position. Get off to a good start by listening. Look people directly in the eye when they are talking, ask questions, and summarize what you have heard. Thank them for their time and ideas, and try not to seem to be in a hurry to move on. “If you are not talking, that means someone else is. In the absence of information, rumors take over,” says Karen Friedman, a public relations professional (2008, p. 20). Keeping your staff informed of new changes and offering timely, accurate information will let you establish your message, not office gossip or rumors. In The First 90 Days, Harvard Professor Michael Watkins (2003) offers some initial questions you can ask: If you were me, what would you focus on? What are your biggest concerns? In your experience, what are the strengths of our team or company? You may not need input on every decision, but creating dialogue develops relationship with your staff—and good relationships are the hallmark of every leader. ✱ Friedman, K. (2008, April). The first 100 days: Projecting your leadership role. PRSA Tactics, 15(4), 20. Watkins, M. (2003). The first 90 days: Critical success stratgies for new leaders at all levels. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. CArEGivErCArE Gracefully Accept Change in Your Life and Work [By vicki G. Beaufort, RN, MSN, OCN ®, ONS Education Team Project Manager] O ften, our reaction to change in our lives ranks somewhere between mild dismay and gut-wrenching fear. Think about the last work-related change you made. Did you embrace the challenge, or did you think about all the ways you could avoid making the transition? Upon reflection, how did you finally incorporate the change into your daily routine? Evidence produced by nursing research demands change in our best practices almost on a daily basis. Having a mindset that is willing to accept change is one step toward making the transition as painless as possible. “Changes of any sort—even though they may be justified in economic or technological terms—finally succeed or fail on the basis of whether the people affected do things differently,” says William Bridges (2003, pp. 4–5). Therefore, it becomes important to learn to manage change expeditiously. Bridges identifies three phases in the process of change. The first involves accepting that the old way of doing some- thing is no longer the best way. Second is realizing that something new is becoming available. Finally, a person observes that the new method works and is able to make the change. Pause and consider these steps the next time you are faced with a new work directive. They may be helpful as you build a mindset that is capable of accepting change gracefully. ✱ Bridges, W. (2003). Managing transitions: Making the most of change. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. MAY 2008 ONS CONNECT 19

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ONS Connect - May 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In ONS Leadership Development Institute A Year in the Life - Month Five Web Content Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Caregiver Care Put Evidence Into Practice to Prevent and Manage Constipation in Patients With Cancer Giant Database Allows Scientists to Share Information Calendar of Events Working for You Staying on Top

ONS Connect - May 2008

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