I am terrified I will make the wrong decision
That is what I hear all the time from managers. They are in the driver’s seat. They feel highly exposed. Every day they must make the decisions, many of which can have devastating consequences if that go bad. One of the participants in a recent Clinician 2 Manager workshop expressed this fear, recalling decisions she […]
Fear setting – a strategy for overcoming paralysis
If you have read my book, “Laying Bare the Power of You” then you will already know that ‘courage’ is, I believe, one of the key ingredients in self-empowerment. And, as has been said by hundreds before me, courage is not the absence of fear but the preparedness to feel the fear and do it […]
She was too busy fighting crocodiles…
She had reached the end of her endurance and felt empty, sad, anxious and defeated – and still didn’t want to give up. It had been another bad month with 10 staff short. Anne (not her real name) was on the floor more times than managing the unit. She was now so far into the […]
How to Manage your calendar
I just finished another day with a bunch of nurse manager focusing on tools, tricks and tips to manage time in an environment that is increasingly chaotic and overwhelming. And then I came across this short article on “5 tips to make your calendar work for you not the other way around”. It was heartening […]
Putting out spot fires – no time to back burn!
Having canvassed hundreds of nurses and midwives who are either aspiring to be manager or are already managing teams, one of the things that worries them the most is managing the workload. These people have characterised it in the following ways: “Putting out spot fires – no time to back burn!” “Chaotic” […]
What are the core competencies I need to manage a unit?
Are you like me? Are you a nurse who has been promoted into management without prior preparation, training or education on what nurse managers do? I remember when I made this first transition many year ago now – how incompetent I felt and how stressful that was. As soon as I became a […]
Take the first step in becoming an empowered leader
We know there is a direct correlation between how leaders think and how empowering they are. Remember the best leader you ever had. Were they anxious, stressed, controlling – or were they self-confident, trusting, and calm? The secret ingredient is how they feel about themselves. So the very first step in becoming an empowered leader […]
Welcome to 2018 – What is your recipe for success?
Welcome to 2018 – How will you be? Hope you had an amazing festive season. I certainly did. I went away for a couple of weeks with my family to far East Victoria – Mallacoota. Love that place. I am still completely in love with this place. It is like an oasis in my […]