Tag: workplace champions

When it’s up to you



By Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA

Follow @procrnatom on Twitter

There are many paths to leadership; some people want to be leaders and plan a career progression that positions them for the nod when it is time for a change.  Others become leaders out of necessity when effective leadership is lacking and a team is suffering.  For example, some years ago a group of 47 CRNAs serving a large hospital had a leader who was just putting in time until his scheduled retirement.  Because he didn’t want to make waves, he kept a low profile and simply put the team on autopilot. The boss was disinterested with no goals, the team lacked direction and felt abandoned, morale was low, and recruiting was difficult.  One team member stepped forward. Using a two-pronged approach, he simultaneously assumed responsibility as the lead recruiter for the group while working with colleagues to find ways to make the job more attractive for applicants.   As a result, morale improved, open positions were filled, and the responsive team member was subsequently promoted to the position of Chief CRNA. 

Leadership is important at all levels.  The CEO of an organization takes charge of public relations, interacting with other leaders, and reassuring both the workers and the public that resources are being obtained and the staff is fully prepared to meet the challenge.  The middle manager organizes logistics and brings together unit managers to ensure that staffing is adequate, training is completed, and sufficient supplies are in place.  The frontline leader establishes the mood for the group, sets goals, provides reassurance, facilitates collaboration, communicates the latest updates and protects team members from harm.  A crisis enables an effectual leader to stand out among peers but, unfortunately, while some leaders flourish, others falter. The ones who flourish will appreciate help that is offered by the team. But those who falter will need to be rescued for the sake of both the team members and the patients.  Across the leadership spectrum there is ample opportunity for motivated workers to step up and share a slice of the leadership pie.  

If leadership is lacking, it’s time for you to stand up and be a champion for your team

A workplace champion voluntarily takes an extraordinary interest in a cause, policy or project that will promote the success of the team.  Often, the champion is considered by colleagues to be a go to person on the team; a person with knowledge, expertise and a willingness to help others in need of guidance.  Champions are opinion leaders who are uniquely positioned to influence groupthink and steer the team in one direction or another.  When there is a crisis and the designated boss is unable to provide effective leadership, it is often the team champion who fills the void.  If all eyes turn to you when the chips are down, draw on these behaviors to help you to be a successful non-titled leader.

  • Maintain ties with the boss.  Your goal is to step up, help where needed, and ensure that your team safely weathers the challenge at hand.  It should not be your intention to incite mutiny and create a mini crisis embedded in the larger crisis.  As you see and do what needs to be done, keep your boss in the loop and do not challenge his/her authority.  Rather, focus on what needs to be accomplished, engage your fellow team members to help, and know that others notice and appreciate your efforts.
  • Connect with the chain of command.  If your boss is in total absentia and you are picking up the pieces, make sure that your activity is known and was approved by the next person in the chain of command.  Work often crosses department lines and supervisors must be in the loop as you initiate activities with your team.
  • Be decisive.   As the saying goes, a good plan today is better than the perfect plan tomorrow, so assess the situation and quickly come up with a viable solution. Openly communicate with your colleagues and bring them on board with the plan.
  • Be resilient.  Not everything that is tried will work out as thought out.  Rather than throwing your hands in the air in frustration, take setbacks in stride, re-focus on what you are trying to accomplish and develop a new plan.  If you are filling a leadership void, your team does not need yet a second person to go absent.
  • Be consistent and available.  A crisis, such as the one we are experiencing with COVID,upends workflow and interpersonal relationships leaving workers feeling hopeless.  You may not be able to make the virus go away, but you can bring stability to the group through consistency.  Maintain a visible presence and, where possible, establish and stick to a schedule.  Have a positive attitude and do not allow yourself to make emotional responses when glitches arise.
  • Use emotional intelligence.   People are emotional creatures and often respond and make decisions, good or bad, based on emotions.  Emotional intelligence involves becoming aware of your emotions as well as sensing the emotions of others, and then interacting in a manner that affirms the feelings of the other person.  Saying, “I sense that you are uncomfortable with this plan,” affirms the person’s emotions and opens the door for discussion.  Feeling understood has a calming effect whether you are interacting with a colleague, patient, or family member.     

There’s no end to stories of team members stepping up to the leadership plate during a time of crisis:  When the platoon leader is killed on the battlefield, a sergeant takes command; when the all-star quarterback injures a leg, the backup runs on the field and wins the game; when communication is lost with headquarters during 911, the paramedic takes charge and moves a group of patients to safety; when the ICU nurse steps up and takes charge because her boss is overwhelmed by the COVID crisis and is paralyzed with anxiety, lives are saved.  The workplace is full of heroes who have stepped in to fill the void left by a leader gone AWOL, and you can join their ranks.  Whether absence of leadership is caused by a crisis, a lack of skill, or loss of the leader’s personal motivation or any other reason, you can be the one to carry the flag if the leader flags.

Tom is a skilled anesthetist, published author and frequently requested speaker



Workplace champions

champion post

By Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA

Follow @procrnatom on twitter

On the sports field, the champion walks away with the trophy; in the workplace, the champion scores high points for being the catalyst that converts an idea into the modus operandi.   When introducing a new protocol or implementing a policy change, having a champion who is all in for the change and works with personal passion can make the difference between success and failure.   The person who champions a cause is not always the designated leader, rather, he/she is a person who has a deep belief that the change is both necessary and possible to achieve.  In contrast, a change agent is a person hired to implement a new policy and often lacks the internal drive and commitment that is found in a champion.

Workplace Champion; a person who voluntarily takes extraordinary interest in the adoption, implementation and success of a cause, policy, project or product.  The person will force the idea through entrenched internal resistance and will evangelize it throughout the organization.

~businessdictionary.com

Speaking on the topic of implementing an opioid sparing anesthetic technique, Dr. Gary Brydges, former president of the AANA was asked what to do when resistance to change came from within the workgroup.  First among his recommendations was assuming the role of champion and then locating and teaming with a surgeon champion and a nurse champion.  Then, move forward as a team of champions to educate all stakeholders about the necessity for and the benefits of the change.

During my tenure as Chief CRNA at The Johns Hopkins, I witnessed first-hand the wisdom of Dr. Brydges’ recommendation to engage champions who are committed to implementing change.   The institution was entrusted to develop and implement an early recovery protocol for patients receiving bowel surgery; a plan that required a radical change to the usual perioperative flow, including the anesthetic technique.   To move the strategy forward, champions, including an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist, joined surgery and nursing champions and formed a united front to overcome resistance and implement the new plan for bowel surgery patients.  Meetings were held, a protocol was developed, and champions from each area aggressively marketed the new plan to their respective groups.  The champions were essential and, with their dedication to the project, the protocol was successfully implemented.

In 1996 John Kotter introduced an eight-step model for implementing change and although he did not specifically use the word champion, several of the steps in his model describe actions that are commonly taken by those who are the driving force for change.   The Kotter model calls for the leader to create a sense of urgency, build a coalition of supporters, create and communicate a vision, and push for buy in from stakeholders…all actions commonly taken by a champion.

Building on the John Kotter’s recommendations, the University of Georgia published a white paper outlining the role of a change champion to include:

  • Streamline implementation/reduce complexity
  • Take ownership and build accountability
  • Enhance speed of project completion
  • Maximize productivity
  • Promote understanding
  • Advocate position change
  • Explain “what’s in it for me?”

So, you want to be a champion…

A key to job security and promotion is becoming the person that the workgroup can’t live without and being a driving force for change places you in the coveted position of being indispensable.  First and foremost, you must believe in the new protocol that you are striving to achieve and then actively work to develop the skills required to create momentum and achieve the goal.  Writing in People Development Magazine, author Julie Gordon lists the essential personal traits of a successful change champion:

  • Willingness to listen
  • Skilled at networking
  • Understanding of the workplace culture
  • Not afraid to take risks
  • Openly markets the positives
  • Solicits help from colleagues and other champions
  • Emotionally intelligent/sensitive to people needs
  • Openly supports the goal, quickly correct misinformation
  • Driven by the value of the change

Recognizing a need for change and having a desire for it to occur is not enough; follow these steps and become the workplace champion who elevates your team and organization.

Be knowledgeable.  Keep up with current best practice guidelines, attend meetings and communicate via social media with colleagues who have a professional practice like yours.  Recognize techniques that produce the best results and then review your current method looking for alterations that could be made in order to improve results.  In addition, keep a keen eye on the culture of your workplace and the receptiveness to change.  Finally, tie your proposed practice upgrade to the stated vision of the organization to increase the likelihood of buy-in from upper level management.

We can do better.  Always work with the mindset that there is room for improvement.   As a change champion, your belief in the new method must be apparent and contagious to those around you.   Be vocal in convincing others that there is a different method that will produce better results.

Team with another champion.   The ultimate outcome is often dependent upon the work done by many parallel workgroups with a common interest.   In the previous example from The Johns Hopkins, implementing an enhanced recovery program affected the workflow of the surgeon, pre and post-operative nursing and anesthesia.  Having champions from each area who were equally committed to achieving a positive result increased the likelihood for success.

Develop a plan.   Work collaboratively and develop a comprehensive plan that works best for all and explain the plan to your workgroup.  Remember, the best plan for your individual workgroup may not be the best for other stakeholders.

Market the change.   Here is where you must have superuser knowledge and exude passion to persuade colleagues that the change is essential.   The first pitch to the team will let them know about the project; however, the ongoing push over the next days, weeks and months will take the plan across the finish line.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle”

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, nor does it happen by default.   There must be an apparent need, a belief that it can/must occur, and an individual with the stamina to push the project forward.  The next time you think, “we ought to,” take the next step and commit to making the desired change happen.   Become the champion who looks back and says, “this is what we have done.”

Tom is a noted author, speaker, educator, and dedicated clinical anesthetist specializing in leadership development and team building.  Contact tom@prosynex.com to book a speaking engagement.