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Many of you have shared kind
comments about the first article in our new Relationships@WorkTM
column in Home Health Care Today. Thank you!
From the start of our work together some 20 years ago, we’ve always
said that Stephen is the Business Strategist and I’m the Relationship
Strategist. So, we thought, why not share some of those relationship
strategies and insights with our friends in Home Health and Hospice?
And that’s our intent. While
this monthly column will focus on real life stories and learning about
leadership and work relationships, it’s pretty hard to separate the
messages from our personal lives too. So you’ll see messages that can
apply to your team, yourself and even your family. Take them as
you will!
I may call some of you periodically
to hear what’s going on in your world so I can address your needs. Of
course, if you have questions or issues about relationships with others
or growth strategies for yourself, I’m happy to address them. You can
reach me directly at elizabeth@tweedjeffries.com
or 502-339-1600.
The Wisdom of
Kung Fu Panda
The night
couldn’t have been more perfect for an outdoor tennis match: about 80
degrees, slight breeze, manageable crowd and great seats. It was
a major tennis tournament in Cincinnati with top players from around
the world and a prelude to the famed U.S. Open in New York in a few
weeks.
Stephen and I
were very excited about seeing Andy Roddick, the #10 ranked player in
the world from right here in the great U.S.A. The crowd would
definitely be cheering for him over his opponent, #42 ranked player
from Germany, Philip Kohlschreiber.
Andy had a tough
time in the first set, but he managed to win it, but not by much.
The second set seemed even harder for him. You could see his
frustration mount and his anger at himself started to slip through his
movements. His opponent, on the other hand seemed cool and
confident. Andy lost the second set.
By this time Andy
Roddick was starting to lose it. He hit a losing shot early in
the third set and in retaliation of that nasty tennis ball, and out of
his building anger, he smashed the ball high into the stands. A
real no-no in tennis. The referee penalized him the game and that
started the real downward trend for Andy. He argued with the
referee for several minutes and finally walked back on court, shaking
his head and mumbling to himself. For the next 40 minutes, you
could see what the anger and negative self talk was doing to him.
So yes, #10 ranked player lost to #42 ranked player in round one of a
major tennis tournament.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you haven’t
been to a good animated children’s movie lately, check out Kung Fu
Panda 2. Since our 9 year old twin grandchildren were with us for
several days this month, (that’s another story) we all went on this
family adventure. Po, the chubby, loveable panda, has two
jobs. He serves up noodles by day in the family restaurant and
becomes a true master of the martial arts by night. He is an
unlikely kung fu hero with a destiny to save his people in their
darkest hour!
And the darkest hour
has arrived! The war is on!
Po starts out
getting beat up badly in the battle with Lord Shen (the villain) and
his warriors. He strikes back and uses all his skills, and even
his friends, but he’s having a hard time. His intensity and anger
rise. Can’t seem to win the battle! More strikes. More
anger. Grrrr! It’s now down to the wire and he’s in a
face-to-face encounter with the creepy, devilish Lord Shen!
And then……when
all is about to fall apart, (drum roll please), Po remembers the words
of his teacher, Master Shifu. Inner Peace. Inner Peace.
Po pulls himself
together, focuses on the power within and repeats the mantra he was
taught…Inner Peace, Inner Peace. He shifts his posture to
one of courage and strength. He stands tall, using his breath and his
mind to capture his own wisdom and Inner Peace. He’s relaxed, in
control of his feelings and emotions, reclaiming his power, trusting
his inner knowing and exuding confidence! He pauses. He looks at
Lord Shen. He strikes!
TA DA!
Anger is gone. Inner Peace reigns. Po wins the battle (inside) and
saves his people from the villain and his army!
Oh Andy, you lost
your Inner Peace on that tennis court! You let a few missed shots
and a referee call hook you. You carried the negative movie in your
mind and ruminated over it for nearly an hour. You replayed ‘they done
me wrong’ over and over, so the negative vibrations hung on and the
negative thoughts and emotions built. Eventually, the
circumstances crumbled you internally.
I whispered to
you all through the second and third match. Let it go,
Andy. You are letting someone else rule your mind and take over
your skill and talent and win this match! Live in the present.
Don’t’ give away your power to anyone. Live in the joy of every
moment. See the miracle of your talent and use it! Holding onto
anger doesn’t serve you. Breathe. Reframe your thinking. Find
Inner Peace. Inner Peace.
It wasn’t to
be. He didn’t hear me. I wanted to weep for him. Not
because the other player won the match. But because Andy lost the
match… to himself. He gave in to his anger and gave his power to
someone else. If only Po could have shared his wisdom with Andy.
The
wisdom of Po, the Kung Fu Panda
- Anger is
primarily aimed at ourselves. It is a symptom of and a
subconscious response to guilt. Ask yourself ‘what am I angry at?’
‘What might I be feeling guilty about?’
- Keep your
power. Don’t give it away by showing uncontrolled anger at a team
member or to a client!
- Have a high level of self
awareness to know what or who presses your button and triggers your
irritation, frustration or anger. Awareness precedes change.
Knowing yourself, how you tend to respond to others and situations is a
foundation of healthy Relationships@WorkTM
- Remember what you’ve been taught
by the Master. ‘A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man
keeps himself under control.’ Proverbs 29:11
Step Up!
* At work, my
button gets pressed and I get angry when ______________
* On a scale of
1-10, my Inner Peace generally
is ____________________
* To better manager my frustration
and anger, and build healthier Relationships@WorkTM
I will __________________
Uncontrolled
anger can ruin relationships, destroy a team, undermine care of
patients and diminish productivity and profit. Po is a pretty
wise Panda! He looks in the mirror, adjusts his thinking, stays in the
moment and solves the problem.
It’s what leaders
do.
ACHC Accredits
Behavioral Health Home Care Organizations
by Stephen Tweed
Raleigh, NC -
The Accreditation Commission for
Health Care, Inc. is excited to announce that it is now providing
accreditation for Behavioral Health Home Care (BHHC). BHHC is the
integration of behavioral health interventions into traditional home
care services. As the health care industry increases its focus on
integration of services as a means of better managing costs and
improving patient outcomes, BHHC accreditation offers organizations the
opportunity to demonstrate a higher standard of care to a unique and
growing patient demographic.
With its current Home Health standards serving as the
foundation, ACHC developed the BHHC standards with a behavioral
health focus on training, patient education, assessment, planning, and
quality improvement. Organizations considering adding the BHHC
Specialty Service to its existing Home Health accreditation should
refer to the updated Home Health accreditation Policies and Procedures
that detail the BHHC pre-requisites. The standards for this new
Specialty Service are under the Home Health program
ACHC is a not-for-profit organization that has stood as a symbol of
quality and excellence since 1986. ACHC is also ISO 9001:2008 certified
and has CMS Deeming Authority for Home Health, Hospice and DMEPOS. ACHC
offers personal Account Managers, relevant and realistic standards,
competitive pricing and a friendly, consultative approach to
accreditation.
Home Health organizations interested in applying for ACHC's Behavioral
Health Home Care accreditation can visit http://store.achc.org
to download free standards. For more information on this Specialty
Service, contact Britt Welch, Behavioral Health Clinical Manager, at
919-785-1214, ext. 233 or at bwelch@achc.org
for more information.
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Stephen Tweed, CSP, is
Chairman and CEO of Leading Home Care ... a Tweed Jeffries company.
For over 25 years he has been a recognized leader in strategy and
leadership development for home health care & hospice companies
and associations. He is the author or co-author of seven books, five
of which were written specifically for the home care industry. He has
served on the boards of directors of three not-for-profit home care
agencies, and has served as interim President & CEO of a $25
million home care company.