With graduation season behind us, the end of June is a great time to talk about developing the next generation of health IT leaders.
I’ve been a volunteer mentor to 7 students and early careerists over the past several months through two different programs – the New England HIMSS Chapter and RIBBA. I’m happy to say that five of them have gotten jobs in a very tough job market. Part of our work together included refining resumes, preparing for interviews, answering their questions on salary negotiation, and helping them get in front of the right people at the companies where they applied. Some of my mentees were international students who faced unique concerns given the new administration.
I currently have several coaching engagements in process and have coached many more health IT leaders over the past 10 years. Progress and growth come in many different forms depending on one’s leadership development and career goals. Two of my coachees have recently been named to the Becker’s list of “100 Women to Know in Health IT 2025.” And in recent years, another coachee was recognized with the “HIMSS Most Influential Women in Health IT Award” along with five other women. As we worked together, some of their goals were to increase their networks and broaden their involvement in our industry. These recognitions affirmed their progress towards these goals.
Most weeks my schedule also includes at least 1-2 calls with colleagues who are in transition between jobs or considering make a change – they are looking for some perspective and advice as well as insight on open positions.
And then there’s my commitment to writing this blog even though it has become far less frequent than the weekly cadence I started 11 years ago. As my About says:
One of my passions is the development of the next generation of IT leaders, especially young people who are beginning their careers or who are beginning to take on leadership roles. I’ve been there: a young mother of two with a full-time management job while a part-time graduate student. I remember the years when I was the only woman at the leadership table.
With this weekly blog, I share perspectives on the critical issues facing Health Care IT, the organizational transformations that IT organizations face, the challenges of leadership, and the work we need to do together to keep the paths of opportunity open for all. What we do matters.
I know blogs may be a bit “old school” at this point, but I’ll keep at it for a while yet. At the recent NEHIMSS Annual Conference, a woman at my table leaned over and said, “I read your blog, thanks!” Later another woman stopped me and said, “Did I hear someone say they read your blog?” She wanted to know about it, so I gave her the link and encouraged her to subscribe.
Why do I make time for others? Because people did it for me throughout my career. The impact is tangible. Careers are built through relationships and continual learning, including learning from the experience of those who have come before of us.
Are you giving back to others in all the ways that you can?
Related Posts:
The art of mentoring: insights for leaders
Developing tomorrow’s leaders through mentorship and coaching
7 ways to develop next generation leaders