Diving In Head First

Currently I am sitting in the library working on what is currently 67 pages of my data analysis portfolio. In need of a study break, I thought blogging could be a good way to get away from numbers and back to words. I never really thought of myself as much of a writer, but I feel as though this portfolio has been a great outlet for me the past semester. In both Management II and Research I, I will have tangible, concrete pieces of my own work to show to the world. I am not sure if this is why Professor Bonica gave us SHOW YOUR WORK! by Austin Kleon but if its not it is quite the coincidence. I started reading the first few pages during another study break earlier today (ok yes I take a lot of study breaks) and Kleon opens by discussing how getting your work out there for others to see is effective than networking. I find this to be great timing as we have discussed how we now can show potential employers a blog (portfolio) and a primer (and a data analysis portfolio for those of us in the HMP major). This is the first semester I have ever had tangible products like these and its great to come out with not just one but three great pieces of work. Kleon made a funny point when he mentioned how cool it would be if the person who was interviewing you already followed your blog. I certainly don't expect this to happen to me any time soon but it certainly got me thinking about what I am putting out into the world.
Yesterday I had a really profound day. Yesterday was our last day of class and my end of the year performance review with my boss. I had a self review that I had to prepare before I got to the meeting. The categories are customer service, job knowledge, professionalism, communication/interpersonal skills, and risk management. The rankings are either does not meet expectations, meets expectations, or exceeds expectations. I got into my meeting and my boss asked me to tell him what I thought of the year and what I gave myself on my self assessment. He then started to tell me what he thought. The funny thing was I was actually harder on myself than he was. He gave me exceeds expectations for 4/5 categories and meets expectations for one. He explained I likely would have gone 5/5 had I not made a pretty key mistake a week before (which is absolutely fair). He went on to tell me how impressed he was with how quickly I emerged as a leader. He said that people often take time to adjust to being in our leadership position but that I jumped right in. Because of this, he knew he described me as his go-to employee for any shift. This got me thinking about Management II. I feel like this is exactly how I approached the class. Not in a formal leadership position, but by immediately diving into what we were trying to accomplish. With everything that I do, I try to put all of my energy into it. After an extremely reassuring performance review and a formal adjourning of our class, I felt both energized and at peace at the same time. I have never felt more purpose in my life. I feel both reassured in my ability to succeed in this career and extensive pride in what we have accomplished in Management II. I really am extremely passionate about everything we do in HMP and am ready to jump head first into being an administrative intern. While I do not fully believe in the idea of fate, I know right now I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

Time to Find a New Weakness

After completing my third and finally full class presentation, I think it might be time for me to pick a new weakness. Before this class, I absolutely hated public speaking. If you had told me that I was going to have to teach 3 full hour and twenty minute long classes, I probably would have looked at you, laughed, and immediately dropped the class. To be fair to myself I did know that I was going to have to do this before the drop deadline, but I saw how much this class could offer me and I swallowed my pride and stuck with it.
Even my first presentation I was extremely nervous. After yesterday, I feel so much more confident speaking in front of a group of people. I wondered if this was just because of how well I have gotten to know everyone. But yesterday I also had a presentation right after our class. Even in front of a class probably five times larger than ours, I felt astronomically more confident speaking. I can compare how I felt last semester in front of my whole major in a mock debate and how I felt yesterday. I feel like a completely new person. I certainly could improve my public speaking skills from here but this class has given me the foundation to finally feel confident.
I googled statistics on fear of public speaking. On statisticbrain.com, they cited a study done by the National Institute of Mental Health which found that 74% of people suffer from speech anxiety. I then read an article from Forbes called "Why We Fear Public Speaking and How to Overcome It". Nick Morgan says that 10 percent of people really love public speaking, 10 percent physically cannot even think about it, and the other 80 lie in the middle of experiencing some anxiety but knowing it won't kill them. Whichever of these two statistics you believe is more accurate, clearly a lot of people really do not enjoy it.
For the standard "what is your weakness?" interview question, I might have to find a new answer.

Toxic Leaders

As I spoke about today in class, I was involved in an extremely toxic team environment. When I was a senior in high school, I was recruited by a university to join their inaugural women's lacrosse team. I went to the school, and to be absolutely honest, if I had the knowledge that I do now I would have known it was not the place for me. I had been recruited by a lot of other universities but no where really clicked for me. This was a really unique opportunity and I knew if I didn't give it a shot I would always wonder what it could have offered me. They also had the perfect program for the profession I thought I wanted at the time so professionally it made a lot of sense for me. I decided to commit to the school. As many bad experiences as I did have, I do not regret taking this chance. The amount of growth I went through from this time until the beginning of my junior year was astronomical.
In the summer we went for a week long camp at the university. Almost immediately, those of us who had been recruited first and vaguely knew each other as the top prospects through social media and such formed a clique. As we moved in, we were all roommates with other team members and almost all of us lived on the exact same floor of the same dorm. I cannot stress how absolutely toxic this environment was. I became very close with a guy I met at orientation and as the year progressed spent more and more time hiding out away from my room as I could. I felt like I really had no safe space. The original clique was okay at first and then went down in flames, hard and fast. I will not admit that everything I did was perfect my freshman year as a naive 18 year old, but some of the behavior of my teammates was frankly appalling. One of our biggest issues was that our key leaders were actually some of the biggest contributors to our issues. My coach knew of the issues that were going on, and would admit this individually to other girls, but failed to address it even once. I performed much worse than I would have had I been put in an environment that I was able to succeed in. I was constantly worried about what my teammates were saying about me and had a hard time fighting the voices inside my head telling me that I was failing. This spiraled until the winter, when I decided to make a change. I ended up turning my performance around and becoming a key piece of our defense. For me, it was too little too late though. I knew that my coach likely would not change her ways. I also knew that a lot of my relationships with my teammates were already beyond full repair. I knew that this toxic environment was not going to improve any time soon. I loved the commitment of being on a Division 1 team. And I finally was performing at a high level and was in a great spot for coming back next season.
In my end of the year meeting, I literally cried in front of my coach because of the environment that I had been in the entire year. What really bothered me in that meeting was she acknowledged she knew what was going on. I knew she genuinely felt bad that some of us went through the conflicts that we did, but she took very little accountability for her role in the situation. Deciding to leave was the hardest decision I had made so far. Through all of the bad relationships, I also made a lot of really great ones. But I knew at that time that I was never going to be a professional lacrosse player, and I was likely never going to be happy on this team. I decided that what was best for my career long term and my overall happiness was transferring. The amount of girls who apparently agreed with me, and also left, spoke for itself. Fortunately for the current team, it seems like their culture has changed a lot since I left (I'm not sure it could have gotten worse though). But like they say, when one door closes, another one opens. I have found an amazing environment around me and countless people who support me. I have never felt more competent in my academics or more sure that I am in the exact place that I am supposed to be. UNH has brought me so many amazing opportunities and is the best decision I have ever made.
I learned so much about being a leader from this time. It is important to understand when there are issues among your organization. It is also important to address those issues and solve conflicts. As a leader, it is unacceptable to leave the people who look to you feeling like they are being left out to dry. Leaders can make or break a team. I know I have learned from her mistakes.

Making the Most Out of Your Internship

As the semester comes to an end, my classmates and I will each embark on our summer internships. This is something I am extremely excited to do because it really will be the first big step into my professional career. I had a lot of ideas about where I wanted to go and ended up picking an organization that I really didn't expect to choose. I connected instantly with my preceptor and an alumni who also works at the organization and am excited for all of the opportunities they have to offer. I came across an article in the Harvard Business Review called "6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship". Right off the bat, author John Coleman states,

"These experiences can be tremendously valuable, providing young workers the opportunity to build skills for their resumes and meet people who are working in their preferred industry. Increasingly, they are the likeliest route to full-time employment and are even offered year-round rather than only during summer months. But they can also be difficult adjustments for young people who have little to no experience in professional offices. It can be hard for someone to stand out and make the right impression during a three-month stint spent adapting to such a new environment."

 While I have had a lot of work experience, as I was employed as soon as I turned 16, I do not have a lot of experience in a professional office. My experiences mostly revolve around retail and restaurants where the environment is much more informal. I am hoping that I will be able to acclimate myself into the professional environment very quickly.

His first tip is "start with relentless punctuality". As someone who absolutely dreads being late, I do not see this being an issue for me. I am somewhat concerned getting my body/sleep schedule in sync with a typical work schedule on top of the time my commute will take me. Coleman also quotes an exective that mentions that "summer internships are for a short, defined period of time, so give it 100%." Our internships are only around 10 weeks which is just a little more than two months. I think that showing up on time shows both respect and dedication.
Second is "complete each task with excellence". This seems pretty obvious. You want your work to speak for itself.
Third is "take on more work without being asked". Luckily, this is something that has been drilled into me in each of my jobs. As a hostess, I often do things that really are not in my job description, but make the jobs of those around me easier. All year at my on campus job I am constantly the person picking up extra shifts or working in departments or areas that I am not familiar with. This has both helped my time management and has allowed me to not be afraid to try new opportunities just because they are not my responsibility or I am not familiar with them.
Fourth is "be resourceful". One thing a lot of the seniors stressed was keeping a notebook with questions or topics you were not familiar with. Coleman quotes an executive who discusses how asking too many questions can make it seem like you have not even attempted to find an answer by yourself. I think there is a balance between knowing when you need to ask for help and constantly asking for it instead of doing your own research first.
Fifth is "ask questions -- good ones". For me, asking questions shows you're engaged, whether that be in an interview, in class, in a meeting, or during a conversation. In the context of an internship, I feel that this is especially important when meeting with your preceptor. My goal for the summer is to "be a sponge" and soak up as much knowledge as I possibly can. Asking questions from a real professional is one of the best ways to do that. Coleman also suggests that when you hear a colleague ask a great question, write it down and consider what made it a great question. This tip can definitely help strengthen the quality of the questions you ask.
The sixth and final tip is "build professional relationships". Again, this seems pretty obvious. Networking is essential in a lot of professional careers, health administration is absolutely one of those careers. Relationships make experiences more memorable and strengthen professional development. Coleman also suggests learning from the great relationship-builders in your organization. It is often easy to spot the person in a company that has great relationships and I think there is a lot to learn from these people.

John Coleman makes a lot of valid points in this article. My key takeaways were giving it 100% all of the time, making sure you are asking the right questions, and trying to find answers yourself first instead of always asking for help. He states "doing only what's expected of you isn't enough to be noticed." This is a good rule in any position. Being a versatile employee and the person that often looks to go above and beyond is a good position to be in.

Hot Water

Today I really screwed up at my job. I apparently did not look meticulously enough at the schedule as I should have and had no idea that I was scheduled to work tonight. Because I didn't know this I switched shifts with another co-worker and ended up unknowingly double booking myself for the night. I went in early and put in some extra work to do some repairs that would benefit us for the night even though we will be done in 24 hours. I had another co-worker covering for me while I played in my hockey game, and when I finished I opened my phone up to a missed call and a text from my boss. I had no idea why he would be calling me. I then opened up his text and found out that I was supposed to be at a different facility than where I was.
To give you a little background knowledge, we often run (as we are right now 3 sports). People who come into my position are promoted from being a referee of any of our 3 sport tracks. Often supervisors work the majority of their shifts in the sport that they were promoted from. As this week is the final week and most crucial part of playoffs, I thought there was no possibility I was even scheduled for another sport. This mistake has been made by other co-workers of mine and I actually totally covered and solved myself this same situation in the fall for someone else, which fortunately for him and unfortunately for me my boss doesn't know about. He was able to find someone to go out to the field
I take a lot of pride in the work I do, that is why I blog about it so often. I really feel that what we do at Intramurals and organizationally at Campus Rec really does have an impact on a lot of students' college experience. So I was extremely upset at myself for making this big of a mistake especially at a crucial time for both sports that were involved. My boss asked if we could meet tomorrow to talk and I have thought over multiple times what I'm going to have to say. While this isn't a crisis situation, I actually learned some tools through our crisis leadership presentation that I can relate to this. A lot of our in class scenarios began with us fully taking ownership for the crisis. Fortunately, I don't even have to lie that this is entirely my fault, because it is. But at this point all I can really do is take ownership for it and make sure it doesn't happen again. But I am worried I will have to walk a very fine line, depending on my repercussions, between defending myself and the extensive number of great things I have done this year and just laying down and taking whatever my boss decides to throw at me. I have done a lot of things for my group this year and stepped up often when others wouldn't. I feel that my work speaks for itself. I just hope that my boss knows how hard I work in my position, so that I don't have to do a lot of defending, and that one mistake doesn't discredit how much work I have put in for the last 12 months.
Admittedly I am also pretty curious to see how my boss handles this. I made a truly genuine mistake, but I am both up for a promotion and in the running for Supervisor of the Year which will be awarded Friday. He does have a reputation for being lenient and a very small record of punishing people. But I still did make a stupid mistake. I am, lets not say excited, but eager to examine his leadership techniques. So will he know that I genuinely slipped up and recognize how much hard work I have put in for 12 months? Or will one night taint everything that I've done up to this point? Stay tuned I guess.

Beginnings and Endings

After reading Jess's reflective post about the end of the semester nearing us I found myself getting really nostalgic about what we have accomplished this semester. The first few weeks I think a lot of us were extremely apprehensive about being in a class with a structure that is unlike anything we have ever been exposed to. Being a thoroughly unstructured person, I had no real reservations about these changes. Reading what Professor Bonica had planned for us motivated me to want to jump in head first into everything that this class could offer me intellectually. I started off very early on this portfolio and have tried to maintain my pace since. The environment we created has facilitated the best learning environment I have ever truly experienced. The climate has changed exponentially since our first day in the epicenter of every Health Management & Policy major's world, Pettee 114. We have been vocal about what has worked and what hasn't. Every section our presentations have gotten better and better and I have seen everyone open up a little more each time. I have learned just as much from the presentations that we have prepared as I have from each one of my classmates. I have had the pleasure of getting to know each of my classmates, and Professor Bonica, to a point that I did not anticipate. Our discussions are extremely open and I have never worried about saying the wrong thing or being judged. They have kept me engaged in every single class and often made me reflect about our material outside of class. They have made me reflect on my strengths and weaknesses, my tendencies, my character, and my core values. This class has not only benefited me intellectually but it has pushed me to grow as a person. I really value the connections that I have made with each and every one of you and how much we have accomplished and grown. In the business world I have heard the saying many times: "its not what you know, its who you know." While I do think what you know and who you are are still important, I know that I have connected to some pretty great people who will be great professionals in a few years. I know that our futures hold bright things for each of us.
As this class nears its end, we will also have some important beginnings. This summer we will have the opportunity to examine the material we have discussed in a real professional setting. I only wish that I had an opportunity to take a class like this after having real professional experience. Lastly, I would like to thank Professor Bonica for his radical ideas and for allowing me to have this experience. This class would truly not be possible without you and I have learned so much from you this semester. I know I will use the knowledge this class has given me far beyond May of 2018. I look forward to giving my third and final presentation and the feeling of accomplishment that I will have when we turn in our finished primer.

Building Relationships

Today I attended a professional panel focused on health care finance where we had 4 professionals talk to us about their careers and current policies. One of the biggest things that stuck out to me was when Dr. Bonica asked the Assistant VP of Finance about the stigma that so many people who work in finance are stuck behind their computers crunching numbers all day. I really didn't anticipate that her response would be that this is not the case, and the biggest part of her job is building relationships. Another woman who worked in insurance and the CEO of a small critical access hospital both agreed that this skill is essential to their job. The CEO came from a background of law enforcement and said that the reason he was an effective hospital CEO was because of emotional intelligence and his ability to connect with people.
This made me think back to my job and the skills that it has instilled in me. When asked in my job interview why I thought I would be good for the promotion my answer was that I had built extremely strong relationships both with my peers, my supervisor, and with those who I oversee. What drew me to my current position was how tight knit of a group we are. There are smaller subgroups in my position, grouped by what sports track you are on. And when I was answering why I would be successful at being a program coordinator I was able to speak to how good of relationships I have within my organization. I speak openly with my supervisor most days that I work. He has been there for me to rely on for any support and I have been there for him to keep day to day operations running smoothly. We often have bounced ideas off of each other for ways to improve our program or how to better train our officials. My sports have had the fewest amount of issues the entire year and I am certain that is because of how well my colleagues and I work together. I think that knowing how to build relationships is a hard skill to teach but I am very fortunate enough to be in an environment that has fostered such good connections in my life. The connections I have make my work more efficient and enjoyable.
The idea that your character and EQ may be more important than your IQ is an idea that we have been discussing all semester. Hearing that from professionals in the health care industry really reinforced that idea for me.