Leaving your job [in healthcare] on a high-note.
FEBRUARY 2024 - A lot of Doctor’s have quite the colorful tale of woe when it comes to their previous jobs.
Some really good people worked with you despite the atmosphere or toxic work environment. They are the ones you will hopefully remember one day when all of what you've accomplished in healthcare becomes just another story you tell your friends and family. Or will they?
From stressed out to burnt out, it’s rare you meet a Physician without a adventure-filled story about their past, right?
My question for you today is simply this … What version of the story will you tell your family and friends one day about this moment in your career, right now?
Will you be the hero that slayed all the dragon and showed that insurance company or gave that hospital administrator or board a mouthful or will you look back with fond recollection of the people you worked next to under stressful conditions? Or, will it be just the patients you cared for and served that come to mind? Or for some, dare we say many, will you roll out the wheelbarrow of stones, throw a few around and carry that mental and emotional baggage around like it’s your pet?
The latter is where a lot Physician’s we run into at medical conferences and group settings. Whether they worked at the hospital, some clinic, an urgent care, or “that practice” usually the story they tell is filled with ups, downs, twists and turns and ultimately ended with years of anger, bitterness, resentment and regret.
What’s worse is, they carry this mental and emotional anger and bitterness for years, if not decade. It impacts their decisions until this very day. And, if you were to ask them if they’d want their kids to follow in their footsteps, they’d usually say “I sure hope not. Please, don’t be a Doctor.”
That makes me sad.
“Science confirms it mattered. Studies show that employees who feel appreciated are happier, more engaged, more productive, and more likely to contribute in positive ways. And it’s not just the recipient who benefits. Studies show that people who express appreciation are more optimistic, as well as physically and emotionally healthier. In other words, gratitude stays with those who give it.”
What’s sadder than all of that is that some of the Physician’s you and I have encountered in those dark and quiet hallways of the hospital or sometimes closest to the open bar at CME events, will paint a colorful adventure and spin quite the yarn where they were the hero against the insurance company, gave the administrators a earful and showed those bureaucrats who you really were.
That’s all well and good. Honorable perhaps. But not the point I’m trying to make.
The point is that ultimately all of these stories end up as a story one day. The real question they should be asking themselves is, what story do that want to tell? Or, do they prefer to carry these chapters around as baggage and enjoy rolling out the wheelbarrow full of pain and anger, bitterness and resentment.
We know these people. Perhaps they are our friends. Maybe part of our family.
The story was tragic. They were done wrong. And yes, it wasn’t fair what happened.
Even if they “let you go” or “you had to leave” … is that the weight you really want to carry around for the next couple of decades?
I’m sure for most of you, it’s not.
To finish well, don’t burn bridges.
Easier said than done, right?
We’ve all been taught this adage from an early age. We might even agree with it. We’ve all probably informed our kids about it and hope they’ll do the same.
On the other side of that sentiment however is you and I wrestling with a lot of hurt feelings, betrayal, not enough compensation, long-hours, mistakes, should haves, wish I could haves, bitterness and a lot of resentment that took years from you.
It’s easy to think, “I’ll never work with these people ever again.” And, depending on the situation, it may even feel good to burn a bridge or two on your way out. After all, they burned you first, right?!
A recent article published by the Global Leadership Summit written by Jeff Henderson, Author, Coach & Consultant and Founder of The For Company says “But don’t forget, when you burn a bridge the person who is most often burned is you. Take the high road even when others don’t take it with you.
Here’s another great question to consider by Your Move where the speaker said “Along the road of life, we all pick up some baggage. But how do you keep the ghosts of your past from showing up in your future?”
“The truth is leaving well is something that takes time. It doesn’t start when you put in your two-week notice. It’s far deeper and more challenging than that. Finishing well requires planning. Finishing well requires vision. Finishing well requires humility. Finishing well requires character. We honor the organization and the people we’ve served by finishing strong.”
The point I’m trying to make here FOR Doctors who don’t want to spend years or decades of their life telling stories where they’re the hero and everyone else is the villain is you and I can avoid that mental and emotional fatigue by finishing our current season well.
How do you finish this job or this chapter or season of your career on a high-note?
Simple, finishing well requires expressing gratitude.
As Henderson put it (above), “Finishing well requires planning. Finishing well requires humility … and character.”
For some Physician out there right now wrestling with indecision about whether he/she should stay or go, finishing well may just be the most important test they face. Do you leave your co-workers with a “thank you” note or the middle finger?
One last story to help wrap it all up.
Henderson provides us with one last practical real-life example that we hope may inform your next step if you’re a Physician in career transition. He said “Over the course of my last six weeks at Gwinnett Church, I wrote over 120 thank you notes to staff members there, and at North Point Ministries. I mailed them my last day. It was just a small way of saying thank you one final time, and one additional way to honor them individually.”
And finally, if all this just sounds a little too squishy for you … consider this:
Science confirms it mattered. Studies show that employees who feel appreciated are happier, more engaged, more productive, and more likely to contribute in positive ways. And it's not just the recipient who benefits. Studies show that people who express appreciation are more optimistic, as well as physically and emotionally healthier. In other words, gratitude stays with those who give it.[1]
[1] (Source/Credit/Author: INC. LIFE Home Depot's CEO Did This 25,000 Times. Science Says You Should Do It TooHere's a simple and effective leadership tool that is quickly becoming a lost art. EXPERT OPINION BY ELISA BOXER, JOURNALIST AND MINDFULNESS COACH @EBOXER; NOV 10, 2017; https://www.inc.com/elisa-boxer/home-depots-ceo-did-this-25000-times-science-says-you-should-do-it-too.html)