Here lately at work I have been under a lot of stress, particularly as it pertains to the “herding of cats”, as I like to call it. You know these colleagues…the Complainers, the Lazy, the Alphas, the Divas, and the Brats…they all want to go off in a different direction, none of which is the way you envision the path to success.
I am a healthcare administrator (by choice, I might add). I know that I could never care for patients directly…don’t have the stomach for it. But I can work the business side of the house with the very same vision of optimizing patient care as clinical staff. I view it as my contribution to the care and well-being of patients seen within our walls.
Lately, there have been many decisions made or discussed without my involvement (of course, I am speaking of times where I really should have been involved, not just every decision). I have been tempted, when at my wit’s end, to finally just give in to the stress, anger, and frustration and just freak out. I have a very beloved coworker who told me today that I shouldn’t “Chicken Little it”. This phrase instantly spoke to me. When I am dealing with issues, no matter how sketchy things get, the sky is not falling. If something catastrophic were to happen to a patient, that would be different. But in the day-to-day operations of the clinic, the sky is never falling.
This past week has taught me something else. Get organized. There are lots of moving parts and the only hope of keeping sanity is to keep track of everything. I got myself a Franklin Planner and I’m so much better prepared now. It may take some time to do the initial “inventory”, but the investment is worth all the time you will free up later. I’m not in constant panic mode and I get so much done!
It’s my new mantra: Don’t Chicken Little It.
