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hat makes people want to stay in healthcare jobs? Why does 1 employee look forward to his or her workday while another only looks forward to his or her day off? How is it that some employees can effectively help others and their organization while also achieving personal success and happiness for themselves?
       I have studied this particular set of questions for over 30 years during my own healthcare career. In my early days as a healthcare employee, I tried to find the right balance that would allow me to achieve success for others and myself. Occasionally, I accomplished this balance, but I was unable to explain how I had achieved it. At other times, I was totally off-kilter. I was either taking care of too many “people problems” or only looking out for myself (and not overly concerned about my customers, coworkers, or the organization).
       It was never easy for me. Quite simply, I do not think it comes easily for anyone. I am sure you have felt the strain of maintaining this balancing act yourself. After all, we have to juggle many different things in our healthcare jobs, some of which include, but are certainly not limited to:
• Achieving a sense of personal pride and accomplishment
• Working well with our colleagues
• Contributing to the organization
• Achieving patient satisfaction
• Meeting compliance regulations
• Receiving what we are worth—financially and emotionally.
       As I moved into a healthcare speaking and consulting career, these issues were still foremost in my mind. So, I began a special project to find answers. I wanted to discover the specific factors that allow certain healthcare professionals to thrive in this field. I also wanted to learn how some people are able to achieve great things for themselves while at the same time enabling opportunities for others. To get this information, I interviewed thousands of individuals and visited hundreds of facilities throughout the country.
       What I discovered may surprise you.
       Through my interviews and research, I discovered that success is not random. In fact, my research has indicated that successful individuals all use a specific set of skills, techniques, and tools on a daily basis. I have now categorized these traits and tools into 7 critical “keys.” While these keys take some initiative and hard work, any healthcare employee can practice them, and you will find that by doing so, the door to personal success and happiness will swing wide open.

The 7 Keys

       Healthcare employees who are able to achieve personal success and happiness in their jobs utilize a skill set I have identified as “The 7 Keys.” Essentially, these professionals:
       1. Stay motivated on a daily basis. Successful healthcare professionals take control of their motivation. They clearly understand job expectations, and they measure their own success against these expectations. These individuals do not wait for others to tell them if they are performing well or not. They have the means and know-how to motivate themselves. This type of self control is a major factor for individuals seeking balance in a healthcare job.
       2. Handle negative people effectively. There is no way to escape nasty people, personalities, and attitudes in a healthcare job. But there is a way to effectively deal with them—and some healthcare professionals have become masters at this art. I found that successful people employ very specific techniques, effectively turning a difficult situation into a solution-oriented conversation. Indeed, these healthcare professionals confront negative people head-on. They do not avoid them or agree with them just to get them off their backs. Successful individuals turn harmful situations and people into opportunities for improvement.
       3. “Toot” their own horns. In healthcare, it is easy to wait for the organization to give you your performance review. Perhaps waiting 6 months or an entire year just to hear your “atta boy” or “atta girl” is enough to satisfy you—but most likely not. It is certainly not for hungry, successful healthcare employees. To get the recognition and rewards they deserve, these individuals go out of their way to inform the boss of the positive results they have achieved. However, they do this in a way that does not offend others or cause them to be looked at as braggers. They are just comfortable letting others know that they are solution-oriented people who accomplish real results on a continual basis.
       4. Enable success for themselves, their bosses, and their organizations. Successful individuals are always looking out for themselves, but at the same time, they do all they can to enable success for their bosses as well as their organizations. They know that by doing so it is a win-win-win situation. After all, if the boss and organization are not happy, chances are you are going to feel that trickle down effect as well. These people have realized that when friction occurs between these 3 entities (themselves, the boss, and the organization), it is usually because the end results they desire all greatly vary. So, these individuals take the time to discover what is important. They figure out the company’s as well as their bosses’ goals. They then work toward achieving these goals, which helps to create a harmonious and happy work environment.
       5. Are team players. Healthcare systems must use teams to achieve results. There is no time for turf or territory wars. Indeed, team participation is critical in the 21st century of healthcare, because organizations rely on group collaboration to form improvement efforts. Smart and successful individuals know that participating in meetings, committees, action groups, and daily huddles sets the tone for recognition. Team play also allows one to achieve success for himself or herself, the boss, and the organization, as mentioned in the fourth key.
       6. Deal with difficult situations. Through my interviews and research, I found that successful healthcare employees do not shy away from difficult people and situations. They recognize there is always going to be upset or concerned individuals. They use particular conflict management techniques to keep problems from escalating; they do not just pass the problem on to someone else.
       7. Add value. The seventh critical key deals with adding value. As previously mentioned, successful healthcare professionals tie themselves to the goals of the organization and constantly work to ensure that these goals are met. As they do this, they “go public,” telling management that they want to be seen as a contributor and would like to receive the appropriate rewards and recognition for contributing to the organization’s success. This particular method allows them to be viewed as truly valuable players.
       Healthcare professionals who work on the aforementioned 7 areas are able to stay connected to their jobs and careers. They realize that happiness is possible, and they take the initiative to obtain it. They acknowledge the inevitable obstacles but ultimately find ways to overcome them. It may not always be easy, but it works—thousands of happy and successful healthcare professionals are out there to prove it.

For More Information

       Now that you have an idea of what sets successful individuals apart from the rest of the pack, discover exactly how they do it. The 7 Keys to Unlocking Personal Success and Happiness in a Healthcare Job is a series of 7 dynamic tapes that detail how to achieve the items discussed in this article. Visit http://www.clintmaun.com/7keys to learn more, or call Kathy Cain at 800-356-2233.