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DREAM ON

It is SPRING!! We have new green leaves sprouting from the cypress tree branches in our yard.

Easter lilies are yearning to burst from their buds and the northern hemisphere will soon be awash with flowers to brighten up our world!

For the past two years, most of us have been focused on managing what is right in front of our eyes. It’s time to consider what’s next.

It’s about vision and the intention for how you want to show up in the world. Moving forward, what really matters to you?

When civilizations have no vision they perish. It’s Biblical. It’s true individually as well. If we don't have a vision for next week, next month, or even next year we can lose connection to the dreams of our future, and our happiness begins to evaporate.

Thanks to my many years of working in hospice I think about death on a regular basis. I know, it’s a morbid topic for many of you, but to me, it helps me recognize the...

What's Next?!

The past 2 years living with a global pandemic has turned my business and life upside down. In the “before times” I would travel 2-3 times a month to visit clients, navigate airports, adjusting to all types of rental cars, Uber drivers and Google Maps. That was my normal life. My work commute was through the Hartsfield International airport in Atlanta. I was a Delta Million Mile flyer.

And then it stopped.

For the past 2 years I have not been on a plane, have not attended a conference, and I have not worn stockings or dress shoes until last night when I attended an award ceremony for my beloved Steve. My feet hurt all night!

Most of you have had your own life and work challenges adapting to the new world order. The energy it has taken to adjust to such change has been enormous. Trying to keep up the old ways of working while creating new paths to follow has been exhausting.

But now there are glimmers of hope that Covid19...

Mission, Purpose and Passion. 

The last of these is PASSION.  So if you Mission is your overarching architecture of the building, and the purpose is what you are doing inside that building, then PASSION is the electricity that runs it.

Mission and Purpose without PASSION is like having the logs in the fireplace and not having a match to get it started. 

PASSION is the energy that's needed to move your Mission forward, because when all three are present, and they are all in alignment ... it really is magic. 

Work becomes easy, obstacles melt away, challenges become opportunities, and work is something you do because it is your life, not because it is your job.

When I was working at the Health Services, I thought being a clinical nurse practitioner would be terrific.  My personal Mission of serving those in need was present, my Purpose of improving the health of those in served was being met, but I didn't have any PASSION.  There was no spark to ignite...

Come back with me to November 22, 1995.  I'm standing next to the bedside of one of the most beloved people in my life... my brother Michael, and he's dying. 

 It's painful to watch him wasting away.  The sense of helplessness is profound.  And yet he is surrounded by this wonderful group of people in this hospice facility who are making the experience of death one of dignity and grace instead of fear and despair. 

On that day in 1995, I had been a Hospice Administrator for over 10 years.  I could tell you the rules and regulations, the staffing patterns, and the budget.  Hospice was in my head.  It was my job.

But on that day... that day in 1995, standing next to my brothers bed, hospice came into my heart.  And I have never been the same.

In my three decades of working in hospice, all across the U.S., I've discovered there are certain things that separate good hospices from great hospices.  And it usually doesn't have...

The Predictive Index’s Matt Poepsel recently wrote about the major human capital trends that will shape the coming year in hiring, defining “human capital” as, “…the collective value of the knowledge, skills, creativity, and other factors of any group of people performing work”.

What does today’s workforce look like, as seen through this lens? For one thing, it’s more diverse than ever in age, race, and gender. Even as the Millennials come on board, workers from the boomer generation are staying on the job longer than previously. Minorities and women are gaining ground. Employers are going to be more tuned in to the demands and desires of employees, who are less likely to stay at a single job than previous generations. Organizations themselves are increasingly flatter, more democratized, and more flexible, further reflecting what their employees value, and are offering expanded learning opportunities to employees looking to...

A big part of what I do is executive matchmaking, helping hospices connect with leaders who can pilot them safely through the shifting seas to the future. For those of you who are knee-deep in the search process, or who foresee an executive search in your future, here are some of the things I’ve learned in the 30+ years I’ve spent as a hospice leader, consultant and recruiter.

1. Today’s hospice CEO/ED must understand not only the clinical operations of the organization, but also the business end. That doesn’t mean that candidates must have an MBA, but it does mean they must understand financials, profit and loss statements, and gross returns on investment. Candidates must also understand what it takes to provide enlightened customer service, inspire a culture of caring and accountability, and have an unwavering focus on quality care, while being innovative and realistic.
2. The CEO/ED must be a big picture visionary while understanding the demands of day-to-day...