Biomedical subjects

B J Linney

Publications and source records attributed to B J Linney.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

What turns you on and off?

When you are exploring your career and where you are headed, it is helpful to consider what aspects of your job turn you on, and of course, those that don't. Energizers are activities that excite and invigorate you or people who lift your heart and inspire you. De-energizers are activities or people who drain you, drag you down, depress you. Make lists of those things that energize and de-energize you either at work or in other situations. Try hard to do something to incorporate or change at least the first five on each list and see if you feel more job and life satisfaction. Responses from 30 participants of a recent Career Choices program are provided to help you get started.

Career Mobility↗

PubMedDate not supplied

How to be viewed as a sage in your elder years.

Journal Writing, meditation, and telling our stories by reviewing our lives and harvesting the wisdom we've gained are productive activities for the present. The practice of journal writing is an integral part of accepting the aging process and making the elder years enjoyable and fulfilling. Meditation provides a way to center yourself and is particularly helpful during stressful times. It increases your chances of not worrying and improves your ability to concentrate. Another task of successful age-ing that is fueled by journal writing and meditation is life review and passing on your knowledge to others. These disciplines are explored as tools for inner growth and instruction is provided to help get you started.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Innovative leadership: generating ideas.

One of the most challenging functions a physician executive performs is being an innovator--coming up with new ideas to keep ahead of the pack and to solve problems that need fresh solutions. Robert Hodge, MD, CPE, FACPE, and Barbara Linney interviewed Roger Schenke, Executive Vice President of the American College of Physician Executives, and gleaned seven pointers that you might consider to help generate a flow of new ideas or when you get "stuck." They are: (1) read voraciously and link unlike things together; (2) talk to people whose circle is bigger than yours; (3) stop thinking about the problem and focus on something else; (4) care enough to keep wrestling with a problem and not give up; (5) stay open to new ideas even if they are uncomfortable; (6) be willing to risk and take chances; and (7) find a place to carry out the ideas.

Creativity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characteristics of good mentors.

Physician executives who have advanced in their careers have had people who helped them. Six successful physician executives were interviewed about how mentors encouraged, taught, and helped them grow. Most agreed the term role model was more comfortable to them than the word mentor and that they only recognized these people as mentors when they looked back on their career paths--not at the time the interactions were happening. Sometimes they were role models and sometimes they were just the right person with the right information at the right time. Most were located in the person's city and organization and seen daily, but some were in another part of the country and seen on occasional visits but regularly talked to each other on the phone. Generally they were friends who created safe environments for learning, were protectors, gave specific feedback, viewed problems from a different angle, and stretched the thinking of those who sought their advice.

Career Mobility↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Medical marriages.

Physicians are usually high-powered, fast-moving people who have a hard time slowing down and listening to others--what has been described in many circles as type A behavior. Wayne and Mary Sotile's The Medical Marriage, A Couple's Survival Guide explores the stresses inherent in the medical profession and life and the negative effects they can have on relationships with family and colleagues. Some of these stresses are described and how to examine them constructively. Just like everyone else, medical couples need to renegotiate the marriage contract to keep the relationship healthy and growing. Couples need to decide what really matters and not worry about the little things. Suggestions are offered on how to improve medical marriages.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The successful physician negotiator.

Whether you realize it or not, you are in the middle of a negotiation every time you are asked to do something. Negotiation skills are important for physician executives, both in their professional and personal lives. The Successful Physician Negotiator: How to Get What You Deserve provides useful examples of how to negotiate and helps you get in the proper mindset to get it done effectively. While the book explores the concept of cooperative negotiation, which is important if you want to have a long-term relationship with a person, it's also important to have other tactics. You need to understand your opponent by gathering information about his or her values and work situation. You can gather information when talking to your opponent, but you also need to do some "behind the scenes" preparation before the encounter begins. Other recommendations include: don't negotiate in your office, use time to your advantage, be able to keep silent when necessary, have options, be able to say no and walk away, keep your cool, and take notes.

Communication↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The grief involved in change.

In this era of rapid change, people need to be helped through the grieving process at work. "By acknowledging and articulating what is involved, you facilitate people's movement through it ... successful people in growing organizations need to learn to move through the process as quickly and efficiently as possible and help others do the same." Morris Shectman, in Working Without a Net says, "Contrary to the old paradigm--which held that others don't have a right to know about your personal life--the new paradigm says that it's a necessity that they know." If people are to move through the grief that is caused by undesired change, they will have to tell some of their personal feelings. "Each stage of the process--shock and denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance--is functional ... when people go through the process in a healthy manner, they'll recycle through it in a diluted fashion." Leaders in the organization can help people start the process or move through it if they get stuck at a particular stage.

Grief↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mentoring: women learning from others.

Informal mentoring allows a relationship to evolve naturally over time much like a friendship, without an official obligation or commitment to coach someone. However, some women prefer a more formal, organizationally driven approach to mentoring. In either case, both represent an opportunity to learn and grow. In Learning from Other Women, Carolyn Duff interviewed many women to understand their expectations, preferences, and experiences. Mentoring, Duff says, "begins with affinity between two people, but the focus remains around work. It's a magical thing that happens when one person sees something in another person and wants to help that person grow." This column explores some of the barriers, as well as how to ask for help and benefit from a mentor. Whether you like the word "mentoring" or not, whether your organization has a formal program or not, always be thinking about how you can learn from others. Keep your eyes and mind open, look around to see who is doing what you want to do.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Can you take your soul to work?

David White in The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of Soul in Corporate America explores ways for professionals to take their souls to work, instead of checking them at the door. "We simply spend too much time and have too much psychic and emotional energy invested in the workplace for us to declare it a spiritual desert bereft of life-giving water." Several ideas are presented to help physician executives preserve their souls in an increasingly corporatized U.S. health care system: (1) Figure out what you are meant to do as your life's calling; (2) know what you think and want; (3) share some of what you think at work, while being careful to not lose your job unless you choose to; (4) be a trustworthy listener and find one; (5) get yourself outside; (6) pay attention to your physical space; and (7) develop some new hobbies or refresh old ones. "One of the disciplines of building a rich soul life seems to be the simple act, on a daily basis, of remembering what is most important to us."

Communication↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Communication tips for the job search and on the job.

Listening, speaking, and nonverbal skills are the most important success factors in getting a job or being effective in your current position. If you don't communicate well, your technical knowledge won't ever be put to good use. Recruiters, hiring organizations, and bosses are looking for people who can play well with others and can sell. Playing well with others involves listening and having self-control about what you say. To sell yourself and your ideas or products, you must speak well. You also must be well-groomed, look energetic, and sound reasonably happy to be at work. Good listeners: Stop talking; ask open-ended questions; para-phrase, restate, or summarize some of what the person had said; and talk about feelings. Effective speakers: Have voice mail etiquette; are courteous and tactful; don't react to a verbal attack; don't engage in verbal attacks; use the right amount of words; don't say too much; prepare ahead of time; and decide whether they should speak or write their message. And remember the power of body language or non-verbal skills--how you look and sound. Experts estimate that 65 to 90 percent of what you communicate is nonverbal.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Navigating the job search superhighway.

The recent Cyberforum on "Navigating the Job Search Superhighway" gave 131 American College of Physician Executive members the opportunity to discuss the job search process, addressing questions and sharing what they've learned through their experiences in the medical management job market. Several comments that convey the essence of the discussion are listed, representing the various viewpoints of the participants. The words are from physician executives who have gone through the job search process and from some who have been involved in hiring decisions. The topics range from the value of experience to the importance of having a management degree to tips on networking to preparing for the interview. The final section on contract negotiation is a composite of comments on the subject during the Cyberforum.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changing what goes on in your head: how to stop "ain't it awful?".

How can you change your negative thinking? This column describes a process that, on the surface, seems too simplistic to be beneficial, but that works: choose a few good words to repeat to yourself constantly, progress to better thoughts, and then improve what you say to others. If you want to be more satisfied with your work life and your personal life, you must change the internal dialogue in your head. If you have some version of negative internal chatter, you need to substitute positive statements. You need to say something different from what you have been saying every spare minute of the day. You must say it even if it is the biggest lie you have ever heard yourself think. You must say it for days or weeks before you notice a difference in your attitude, relationships, and health. Eventually, you will notice you feel better and people are behaving better.

Behavior Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Coach your physicians to care, listen and connect with patients.

Developing strong physician/patient relationships isn't easy when doctors are pressed for time, forced to see more patients and overburdened with paperwork. Yet, successful organizations realize that the physician/patient relationship is the most valuable asset for the hospital or practice. Learn ways to cultivate the relationship and make it grow even stronger.

Communication↗