Tag Archives: networking

Career advice revisited

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It seems that I am getting a lot of requests to provide career advice these days. I did formal career coaching for a few people in recent months and am currently participating as a mentor in the Boston Young Healthcare Professionals (BYHP) mentor program. In all these situations, I point people to my many previous blog posts on career advice to supplement what we discuss.

For general career advice, they find these “classics” useful to review:

Career advice in a competitive market

5 job search challenges in 2020

You need to own your own career

Taking control of your life

Make career choices right for you

New year, new job?

Time for a job change?

Stand out at the interview

So you didn’t get the job

In this new virtual world of recruiting, I tell people not to underestimate the power of LinkedIn. It is an online professional directory that recruiters look to for candidates. Optimize your profile. Ensure the one liner under your name is a good description of your role since that is what people see when you invite them to connect with you and when you are found on searches. Use the about section to describe what you offer and how you can add value – don’t just copy and paste your current job description summary. Be active which shows you are current and engaged – that means sharing content yourself and commenting on other people’s posts. And if you are actively looking for a new job, check the “open to work” box – don’t worry, you can control who sees it.

If you are thinking of using a coach, check out these two posts:

When to use a career coach

Investing in you, the value of a coach

Looking for a new job can be exciting and hard at the same time. Hopefully, the lessons and tips in these posts will make it a little easier.

Say yes to students – they are our future

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There are just so many hours in the day. We can choose what we say yes to and what we say no to. As part of my commitment to developing next generation leaders, I always say yes to individual requests from students and invitations to be a guest speaker at a school. And I never know what other potential connections might come from it.

One of those requests came in October. I got a LinkedIn message asking to be on a panel at the annual Boston Young Healthcare Professionals (BYHP) conference. The young woman who reached out had been an intern in our program at Michigan Medicine when I was CIO. I quickly said yes.

The conference was on “Expanding Our View and Zooming In: What We Can Learn About Healthcare in Our Backyard and Around the World”. My panel was “Healthcare in a Technological Era: Making Boston’s Backyard Even Bigger”. Robert Schultz, managing director at Massnex, was the moderator. On the panelist prep call, I got to know Robert and the other panelists. Robert and I quickly realized that there might be opportunities to work together in the future, so we scheduled a separate call. That call led to another invitation.

Robert teaches the course “Entrepreneurship in Healthcare Organizations” in the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service MPA program at NYU. He asked if I would be a judge for the final class when the students make their business plan pitches – he said think “Shark Tank” but nicer. Of course, I said yes. Continue reading →

Time to reimagine industry conferences

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Large gatherings such as sporting events and concerts seem impossible to return prior to a vaccine and treatment for the coronavirus. Yet alternatives are being considered and reimagined. In the business world, industry conferences and conventions are in that same large gatherings bucket. So, they too should be reimagined.

Scientists and public health officials would say do not plan on these types of events until sometime in 2021. I do not want to minimize the challenges and complexities involved in these decisions and plans. But I do believe that leaders everywhere must trust science to keep people safe.

The American Telehealth Association (ATA) held a virtual conference last week. Of course, if any organization should be able to successfully pull off a virtual conference, it is the people who do telehealth.

But I am fresh off an entirely different virtual conference experience and I could not be more impressed with what they did and what is possible. It was not an organization in the tech industry but rather a faith community. I am a Unitarian Universalist (UU) and our annual church conference (General Assembly or GA) is held each June. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) board made the decision in March to not cancel but rather to go all virtual.

This meant they had to pull off a five-day conference that included large general sessions, discussion/debate on resolutions, delegate voting, workshops, poster sessions, worship services and special collections – all virtual. The result was higher attendance (close to 5000 registered) than many in-person conferences in past years, education and discussion on everything from spiritual practices, to congregational growth, to anti-racism organizing, and to getting out the vote in November. While people missed the hugs and hallway conversations, it was an overall positive experience for thousands of UUs.

That same UUA leadership had the foresight back in April to advise all congregations to plan on virtual Sunday services through May 2021. UU congregations all over the country are adapting to virtual services as the new normal and they are doing so in varying and creative ways. Many congregations report higher “attendance” than in the past.

The lessons are clear – it is time to reimagine and embrace the virtual world we now live in where we can. If planned and executed right, little is lost and much is gained.

So back to our health IT industry. What does the typical lineup of Fall conferences look like? Continue reading →

HIMSS20 – are you ready?

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If you work in health IT, you know that the annual HIMSS conference is the biggest industry event each year whether you are headed to Orlando in three weeks or not. The number of emails, blog posts, social media posts, and articles providing guidance and recommendations on HIMSS20 grows with each passing day.

In the next two weeks I’m wrapping up my current interim CTO engagement at University of Vermont Health Network and handing off to the new CTO. If like me you are super busy at work, making your game plan for HIMSS20 is probably low on your priority list. With so much info out there, I decided to pull together some resources that might help in your preparation.

Whether you are attending in person or following the happenings from a distance, the Official HIMSS20 Hashtag Guide will help you focus in on your areas of interest. My top picks this year are #WomenInHIT, #HealthcareStartup, #HealthcareInnovation, and #PatientEngagement. And of course, you’ll want to follow all the HIMSS digital influencers. You can follow and engage with them using hashtag #BeTheChange. If you’re looking for who the 2020 social media ambassadors are, the digital influencers have replaced them with a new and more expansive program.

Several recent blog posts are worth checking out for more previews and tips:

With my focus on developing women leaders in health IT, I’m looking forward to the Women in Healthcare and Tech: Closing the Gap to Strategic Leadership session on March 10 from 10:30AM-11:30AM. A panel of trailblazers with backgrounds in healthcare and technology will discuss empowering women and closing the gap to strategic leadership. Continue reading →

The power of your network and learning from others

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Healthcare is one of the most collaborative industries I know. Granted, my entire professional career has been in health IT so maybe that’s a bold but uninformed statement. Healthcare organizations are very canstockphoto12450988 (1) networkingopen, transparent and willing to learn from one another. Whether it’s sharing best practices, hosting site visits, or the many collaborative groups that leaders participate in, we are constantly learning from one another.

Our upcoming Epic go live at the University of Vermont Health Network is no exception. Of course, we rely on the experience that our implementation partner and vendors have had at other similar organizations. That’s why organizations utilize their services.

But there’s also the professional networks that we develop and nurture over the years to draw on. When our CIO, Adam Buckley, asked me to look at an area that he was concerned about as we approach the go live, I did what I do. First, learn from the people doing the work and find out their concerns and what they think we need to do to ensure success. Then, turn to colleagues who have gone before us.

While I wasn’t close to this specific area when I was CIO at University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers and we implemented Epic, I knew I could talk to someone who was. I reached out to my CIO successor and one of the executive directors there to get a contact to talk to. Within an afternoon I had gotten a good sense from them of how they handled that function and insights from colleagues at two other large healthcare organizations. And then a follow-up call to drill down further with someone who manages the function. That’s the power of having a strong network and being able to learn from others. I owe them one! Continue reading →

What’s YOUR personal brand?

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We all have a professional network, big or small. It may be people we know well and have worked with at some point. Or people we’ve met briefly at a conference and agreed to keep in touch. Or people who canstockphoto18694235 (1) personal brandhave reached out to us to connect on social media channels after seeing our profiles.

While you may not think you have a “personal brand”, you do have a professional reputation.  The idea of having a personal brand may have invoked thoughts of vanity in the past. But not in this technology enabled social media world we live in.

So, what is your personal brand? Are you consciously creating it? How do people see you publicly online and in person? What are you known for? These are all questions you should be able to answer.

One of the first ways I thought about it was when I re-initiated my Twitter account several years ago and had to write my profile. At the time, my account was private. A colleague who was advising me on social media told me that was my first mistake. Twitter is meant to be public – I shouldn’t have to approve who can follow me. More importantly, he said my profile should capture in just a few phrases who I am and what’s important to me.

I recently saw a blog post by Janet Mesh from one of our partner firms, Healthcare IT Leaders, titled “How To Boost Your Career With An Online, Personal Brand”. I was reading along thinking, yup, yup I do all that. Then I was pleasantly surprised and grateful to see that I was used as an example. Thanks Janet and Healthcare IT Leaders!  And thanks to all those who gave me encouragement and advice to get started in a focused way building my social media presence several years back. Continue reading →

#HIMSS19 – are you ready?

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If you work in health IT, you know that the annual HIMSS conference is the biggest annual industry event whether you are headed to Orlando in two weeks or not. The number of emails, blog posts, social media image001 (003) HIMSS19posts, and articles providing guidance and recommendations on HIMSS19 grows with each passing day. And to this year’s theme – yes, we are all champions transforming healthcare through technology!

With so much info out there and so many scheduling choices to make, here are a few more resources and recommendations that might help in your final preparation.

Whether you are attending in person or following the happenings from a distance, the Official HIMSS19 Hashtag Guide will help you focus in on your areas of interest. And of course, you’ll want to follow all the social media ambassadors.

Check out the StarBridge Advisors blog post from principal, David Muntz – “Prepare to visit HIMSS2019 – Health IT’s Magic Kingdom”. David gives his advice for optimal prep and shares our principals’ top picks for this year – mine are #WomenInHIT, #HITventure and #Engage4Health.

At the Career Development Seminar on February 11, David will be presenting “Opportunities in the Rapidly Changing HIT Environment” at Session #4 from 1:00PM-2:00PM and hosting a mentor roundtable on “Future of the Industry” at 3:15PM.

The career fair on Wednesday from 8:30AM-3:30PM is something to consider checking out if you are early in your HIT career, looking for a change, or just want to get some tips from the experts. There is no fee, but separate registration is required.

I’m looking forward to hearing the panel at the #WomeninHIT Meetup – Changing the Scales to #BalanceforBetter on February 12 from 3:00PM-3:45PM at the HIMSS Spot. StarBridge Advisors will be launching a new initiative focused on developing women leaders prior to HIMSS19 – more on this in an upcoming blog. Continue reading →

Making time to give back

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As I noted in my recent post on tips for business travelers, I’ve been on the road a lot lately. Some of that travel has been for what I call “give back time”. Over the years I’ve participated on various boards andcanstockphoto28010569 (1) giving back committees, volunteering my time to advance our industry.

But it’s not all about giving – I get plenty from it as well.

I’m in my sixth year on the AAMI board. For this second three-year term, I’ve also been a member-at-large on the executive committee which means an extra day of meetings twice a year and more materials to review beyond the core board work.

As part of the AAMI board I have had the opportunity to get to know a diverse set of senior leaders in the medical technology industry. This includes the CEO of Steris, the Chief Quality Officer of BD, the Global Product Security & Services Officer for Royal Philips, and the Director for Health Technology Management for the VA – just to name a few. There are several board members from provider organizations including physician and health technology management (HTM) leaders. Along with a healthcare CIO on the board, Pam Arora from Children’s Health in Dallas, I offer a health IT and CIO perspective. Different than the contributions that other members make.

As a board we learn from one another and help advance the mission of AAMI which is to lead global collaboration in the development, management, and use of safe and effective health technology. Continue reading →

What can we learn from women in leadership?

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It’s been almost four years since I started speaking and writing openly about the challenges facing women at work, the importance of developing women leaders, and encouraging women to pursue STEM careers. canstockphoto7990695 (1) women leadersI have no regrets about being outspoken on women’s issues.

It is encouraging to see organizations like CHIME and HIMSS focus on this in recent years and to see so many younger women share their own stories and provide advice to others.

I was happy to see the recent four-part series that Kate Gamble, Managing Editor of HealthSystemCIO.com, did on Women in HIT leadership.  She interviewed an excellent group of women leaders – Sarah Richardson, California market CIO for HealthCare Partners; Tressa Springmann, SVP and CIO at LifeBridge Health; and Julie Bonello, CIO at Rush Health.

The series covered all the topics you might expect: their early leadership experiences and stories, core leadership competencies needed, the importance and challenge of maintaining work/life balance and supporting your teams, stereotypes of women leaders, the power and importance of mentoring, and learning from male dominated environments.

Their experiences, insight, and advice provide a rich set of lessons to learn from. I highly recommend you read or listen to the series at these links:

Women in HIT Leadership, Part 1: Identifying the Core Leadership Skills

Women in HIT Leadership, Part 2: Challenging Gender Stereotypes

Women in HIT Leadership, Part 3: The Future of the CIO Role

Women in HIT Leadership, Part 4: A Call to Action

In the closing comments of Part 4, Sarah says she is optimistic about the future for women but knows it is up to us as women leaders to make change happen. She quotes Sheryl Sandberg from Lean In, “If not you, then who?” and “If not now, then when?”. And Tressa talks about leading with grace in spite of the obstacles women face. Continue reading →

What does a high value conference look like?

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Last week I had the opportunity to speak on two panels at a different kind of conference. HealthIMPACT East was held in Washington DC. The first day was solely focused on social determinants of health canstockphoto5296053 (1) conference(SDoH). The rest of the conference was on population health, interoperability, patient centered design, innovation, and blockchain.

The conference organizers and facilitators focus on what they call “purposeful events” with “no BS and no PowerPoints”. Instead of speakers talking “at people”, they facilitate lots of conversation in a room of full of smart people. The format was mostly panels with several excellent individual speakers who did use slides. The organizers want the conferences to be an idea exchange among a community of leaders and encourage dynamic debate.

The overall number of attendees was small. But it facilitated thought provoking discussion during each session and deeper networking connections at meals and breaks. I wasn’t tempted to pull out my iPhone to check my email as presenters talked through slide after slide. Instead, I was asking questions of the experts and engaged in the discussions.  The track facilitators did an excellent job getting attendees engaged.

When I walked in, I only knew two people – Megan Antonelli, CEO HealthIMPACT and CEO/founder of Purpose Events Group, who had invited me to speak, and Nick Bonvino, CEO at Greater Houston Healthconnect and a frequent speaker on interoperability. Continue reading →