The rise of FOMO in the workplace has a direct effect on transparent communication.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
In times of transition, the loss of autonomy can feel unsettling. However, there are some things that you can control that will help your entire team to come out stronger on the other side of the changes.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
In our society, “living in a bubble” has long been frowned upon as an out-of-touch, undesirable way of living life. Yet four years ago, the entire world received a crash course in “bubble living” as we quarantined and socially distanced to protect our health and the health of others. It seems that today, though the threat of COVID has dramatically lessened, some are in many ways still stuck in this isolating way of living and thinking.
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The lines between modern convenience and invasion of privacy are increasingly blurry. Individuals and organizations alike must question the sharing and use of personal data in order to act wisely and ethically in the marketplace.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
In the face of all we cannot know about AI in these early stages of development and adoption, I see two particular areas that deserve our focus to develop helpful guardrails that will allow us to move forward wisely.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is the topic on every healthcare leader’s mind. In many ways, though, AI is old news to those of us in healthcare finance. I can say from experience that once an AI technology comes onto the scene, there is no stopping it. AI is here to stay. The question leaders must grapple with is how to embrace it wisely and with purpose.
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Companies seem to still be determining what respective value remote versus in-person work offer to their organization. Where any given organization lands on this issue depends on a number of factors, and though strong opinions abound, it isn’t an easy question to navigate.
From my vantage point as a financial executive in the healthcare industry, I believe virtual financial services offer tremendous value to organizations—to a point.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
The modern healthcare industry is dependent on data. The steady improvement of how data is collected and analyzed has allowed us to make great strides in providing quality care and improving the health of our patients. At the same time, the pandemic has highlighted how this dependence on data can lead to “analysis paralysis” that can harm communities' health and well-being.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
After the tumultuous events of the past several years, I’ve noticed in my conversations with others that there no longer seems to be much middle ground on the issues of our day. Every issue and event seems to be polarizing and comes with a set of assumptions about the character and values of the people on the “other side.” By now, we have seen that this is an exhausting way to live.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
I have been very fortunate with the bosses I’ve had over the years. On the whole, they have been people I respect and have been able to learn from. Who you work with—and for—can make or break a job. I have even seen colleagues whose entire careers have been upended by a terrible boss. Whether it’s a personality clash, a lack of management or leadership skills, or consistent issues with no improvement, how do you deal with a less-than-ideal boss, especially when you enjoy your work?
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
Once, I was headed to a meeting where my team was in charge of providing dessert. On the way, I passed a bakery with a large chocolate cake in the window that was on sale. When I arrived at the office, I asked one of my colleagues to go get a cake from this bakery and gave him the money he’d need to buy the discounted cake in the window. When he arrived back from the bakery, he set down the carrot cake he had bought and told me I owed him $10. I questioned him about the chocolate cake I had seen on sale in the window display. It was only then I realized that I hadn’t told him which specific cake I wanted, only that I wanted him to get a cake from this particular bakery.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
During a recent conversation with a colleague who used to serve in the military, we discussed the instability of the past several years and how best to find a way forward. I shared that I saw the need for more collaboration as we try to effectively cope with all the changes we’ve experienced. He looked completely shocked by my suggestion! “Why on earth would you want to collaborate?” he asked.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
When you are hired into a position after someone has left the organization, my advice is this: Don’t speak ill of the departed! You may not find things in good order, or the way you would like to have left them. However, don’t take the low-hanging fruit of blaming your predecessor for every issue that arises, and don’t accept finger-pointing from your new team either. In my decades of experience, there is always more to a situation than meets the eye.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
In the midst of the Great Resignation, staffing is complete chaos. Across industries, organizations are rushing to fill vacancies so that customer service (and profits) don’t skip a beat. In the urgency of the moment, everyone is looking to hire permanent employees to replace the ones that resigned, but I think businesses would benefit from taking a pause to evaluate their true needs and rethink how they approach hiring.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
In my decades of leadership in healthcare, I have learned the hard way that not every person with a “C” in their title or who has been appointed to a board of directors understands what it means to lead. These deficient “leaders” are always looking for a magical solution to their organization’s issues, without considering that their insufficient leadership might be their common source.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
Everywhere I see headlines about “The Great Resignation.” Many are pontificating about why people are leaving jobs or about unemployed individuals’ motivations for choosing to delay looking for a new position. However, I am particularly concerned with the employees who are left behind to pick up the slack as open positions remain unfilled.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
It’s been 18 months since COVID-19 changed everything, and I am exhausted. We have endured tremendous loss as a society: loss of life, finances, jobs, routines, community…and the list goes on. Coping with uncertainty has become “normal.”
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
Healthcare organizations spend tens of millions on sophisticated data collection and storage, yet it is hard to define what data is worth to an organization. What is its true value? This depends entirely on how the organization uses it. If an organization does not understand how to interpret and make use of their current and historical data, they will not optimize the return on this significant investment.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
For organizations and their leaders, the past year has been one of upheaval, intense challenges, and new opportunities. The word resilience has been on the tip of every leader’s tongue and the subject of many articles. The leadership of organizations that have been able to rapidly and repeatedly adapt or pivot as the world changed demonstrated that resiliency is the key to success.
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By Pamela J. Gallagher
The need for strong leadership in the healthcare industry has come into stark relief during the pandemic. Good leaders shined, while organizations whose executives were only equipped to deal with the status quo struggled. COVID-19 has tested the abilities and skills of healthcare leaders. The ones who embraced uncertainty, had built strong teams, and lived by their personal and organizational values before the pandemic have led most effectively during this past year.
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