Latest / Hearts of Excellence / Amanda Hutchison on Why Working on Yourself Makes You a Better Leader
Transcript
- [00:00:00] Amanda Hutchison: it's never too late to start or restart your story. You can decide to go a different path at any time, in just seeking a different, dynamic in life. I just hope people know that there are endless resources out there, All it takes is that mindset management, right? focusing on ourselves on what we wanna become. [00:00:24] Chelsey Gheyara: welcome back to the Hearts of Excellence. I'm your host, Chelsea Guiara, Vice President of and Experience at Majestic Care. today's guest on our podcast. Amanda Hutchinson is the director of organizational development at Majestic Care, and she has spent nearly 20 years helping people grow into leaders. A lot of them people who never pictured themselves that way. She lives by one idea. Work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Today, we're talking about what that looks like in senior care, where the job already asks so [00:01:00] much of you. If you've ever wondered whether you have room to grow on top of everything else or whether you can lead without a title, this conversation is for you. Amanda, welcome to Hearts of Excellence. Thank you, Chelsea. I'm so excited to be here. Me too. This conversation is going to be so rich with just great little nuggets for our listeners today, and I'm excited to just dive right in. That sounds great. Shall we? Yes. Okay. I, I love this. Your kind of mission, if you will, actually gave me goosebumps. it's amazing and I can't wait to hear more about it. So you believe, your philosophy is you believe people should work harder on themselves than they do on their job. for someone in our, you know, industry or whoever's listening to this in healthcare in general, or maybe you're not in healthcare, or you know, our care team members in our own organization, these care teams are giving everything they have on that 12-hour [00:02:00] shift. That can sound, you know, like just one more thing on the list to do, right? Working on yourself. What do you want them to hear instead? [00:02:08] Amanda Hutchison: it's actually the little things that build so much capacity in our lives, in our day-to-day. And as much as we like to think about work and life balance, it's really all integrated, into our full life experience. And I will say too, working harder on yourself than you do on your job isn't mine, but it came from a founder and a whole collection of many leaders, um, that lived this and I got to see what those results look like. and really just focusing on ourselves, that continuous improvement mindset is what can make our lives better and we can all take control of that. [00:02:45] Chelsey Gheyara: when you say that, the... One of the things I thought of was, you know, that saying of you can't pour from an empty cup, right? So really kind of that idea of pour- you know, investing back into yourself to give the best version of yourself. That's how I think [00:03:00] about it. that's so cool. Like, we don't think about that a lot, so, that's really interesting. So what does working on yourself look like, um, in the middle of a shift? You know, let's say when a resident is having a hard day or, you know, a coworker [00:03:15] Amanda Hutchison: called off. Yeah, and that could be so different for different people in different stages of life, different places in life. And so I'd say for us, it's as simple as our values and really living those out. are we listening to our care team members, our fellow care team members, our residents? Um, we can just really start with those simple things, that lead our values. and for others, it may be bigger. They may be at a place where they're really looking to advance their career, buy a house, grow a family. And that might inspire us to take a little bit more effort in our day-to-day, to learn a new skill set. Um, maybe we have someone that's in a role today that is aspiring to be a CEO one day. Well, [00:04:00] guess what? Our very own CEO started as a CNA. [00:04:04] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. [00:04:04] Amanda Hutchison: And that's entirely possible. We just have to know what our goals are and then begin to take those small daily steps. [00:04:12] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. What would you say, you know, i- in those hard moments for, any care team, you know, not only ours, but anyone out there that's listening to this, you know, if They're having a rough day, right? And, um, what advice, you know, would you give them you know, whether it's pausing before reacting or, you know, just truly how to get... You know, they see that mountain in their way, right? Dealing with patients and residents is really tough. you know, what would you say how to best deal with that? [00:04:42] Amanda Hutchison: Yeah, I think a big portion of that that's really helped me, um, as I've hit those difficult moments at different points of the career, is really thinking about progress over perfection. We can get really stuck on what perfect looks like or maybe things start to snowball. the drive to work is [00:05:00] a little tough, and then we spill our coffee, and then, you know, someone's upset the moment we walk in the door. We can let that plan the trajectory of our day, right, and let the day, just continue to go a little rough. Um, but if we're o- have that progress mindset, that continuous improvement mindset, we can, um, take that pause and reset. So, in addition to the progress over perfection, I think it's really just being able to, shift our mindset whenever we need to. Step out of that moment, um, if it's a negative one, and really regain that positive mindset. Think about how we can shift this day. And so we can take a few maybe negative events and then shift that, and that can change our whole day. that's what I have to find myself doing. It's not that we don't have bad moments or that we don't make mistakes. I certainly do. but that ability to pivot- Mm-hmm is what I see in the best leaders I've ever [00:05:59] Chelsey Gheyara: [00:06:00] met. Absolutely. I love that. Being nimble. Tell me about a time, Amanda, you realized the thing that needed to change was you, not the situation. Oh, several times. Many. [00:06:13] Amanda Hutchison: one in particular as it relates to leadership is, I think that shift from manager to leader. And so, um, leadership came to me early in my career through retail positions and then through a more, you know, corporate setting. and I found myself challenging myself to really be a strong leader, but I found those moments where maybe my team wasn't responding in the way that I had hoped. they weren't doing the thing that I had asked them to do, or, the results weren't quite as strong as I had hoped. Well, I found that really started with me. Mm-hmm. And, adjusting my communication style. Um, it may even be listening, um, and having empathy in those moments too. and I think that's where I had [00:07:00] to adjust. Am I listening to where my team members are at? Maybe someone's having a really tough time at home. Um, and so acknowledging that, and why they may not be able to give their best right now, right- actually helped us to get there faster. [00:07:16] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. [00:07:16] Amanda Hutchison: And that's- Wow ... it all came back to me and my leadership- [00:07:19] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ... [00:07:19] Amanda Hutchison: that needed to change. [00:07:20] Chelsey Gheyara: That is, it's kind of, you know, kind of l- like in a look in the mirror as well, right? Absolutely. I mean, I, I love that when you said Well, kind of back to your last point too, you know, being able to pivot and, you know, having that nimble mentality as well, making the best leaders. And I mean, you kind of explain that in yourself as well. Like, you stopped and reflected and, you know, pivoted, right? Yeah. So that's really, really, really- Yeah ... really rich. as you went on to, and, you know, in your leadership journey and that, and you had those realizations or even saw those in other leaders, right, and they had those realizations, what, you know, what did you do differently or what, what did you, [00:08:00] what have you seen others do differently in their leadership kind of after they've had those real moments with themselves of like, "Oh gosh, this is probab- this is a me thing. It's not a them thing. Like, it's me, and how can I make myself a better leader to develop more leaders?" [00:08:15] Amanda Hutchison: everything I would say is really reflective of our heart model, right? Mm-hmm. And so it comes down to that self-accountability- Yeah ... and ownership. We have to own our mistakes- [00:08:24] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah [00:08:24] Amanda Hutchison: and say, "Hey, I maybe didn't handle that the best way. I'm sorry. let's, you know, open up that conversation again." We have to have tough conversations sometimes. Um, not everyone is gonna be receptive, to everything we ask. In leadership, we have to make some hard decisions sometimes. Mm-hmm. But we can still have, empathy and accountability. Those can exist simultaneously- Yeah ... in our conversations. [00:08:47] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely. You can't really have one without the other, I feel like. Yeah. And, you know, the vulnerability piece is, I think oftentimes, a lot of times we think vulnerability is when maybe someone's [00:09:00] having a rough day and, you know, sharing that or oversharing or whatnot, and really, you know, what you just said about saying, "Hey, I messed up," you know, "I'm gonna try again." Like, that's also being extremely vulnerable and, we don't talk about that enough, I think, as leaders, which just builds... That's where the magic happens right there. That's the secret sauce. Yeah. Yeah. [00:09:19] Amanda Hutchison: I think about the leaders that have really inspired me or, really I could feel cared about me in a way. They also are the ones to quickly own up and, and say, "Hey, didn't do the, that quite right. How can I resolve this? Yeah. And I think it's just, yeah, about those little moments that we can say, [00:09:36] Chelsey Gheyara: we're not expecting perfection. there's no way we can do that in any relationship. Yeah. [00:09:40] Amanda Hutchison: And at work, we work with each other all day long, right? So those moments are gonna happen. It's about our recovery and how we, come back and protect those, those relationships. [00:09:50] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely. I am thinking back now, and I don't think there's ever been a time that, you know, I know I've cert- certainly had to say that, right, in my professional and my personal [00:10:00] life, and I don't think there's ever been a time someone has said that to me of, "Hey, I'm sorry I messed up," or whatnot, and I walked away from that feeling closer to them. Yes. You know? Yes. [00:10:11] Amanda Hutchison: And I think it's a, as a new leader, I think about early on and what I see in, leaders, sometimes we are afraid to admit that- Yeah ... because we think people will see our flaws- Yeah ... our faults, and then they won't want to follow. And it's the opposite. Mm-hmm. The more we own and can, inspire people to do the same, it actually sets the expectation, and it models the way of how we want everyone to interact with the residents [00:10:36] Chelsey Gheyara: too. Yeah. [00:10:36] Amanda Hutchison: Right? [00:10:37] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely. [00:10:37] Amanda Hutchison: And with each other. [00:10:38] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. Oh, that's good stuff. That is a perfect segue into, um, where we're gonna go next. So a lot of people working in senior care, in our industry, wouldn't necessarily call themselves leaders. Where have you seen someone lead without a title? [00:10:56] Amanda Hutchison: Oh my goodness. Well, I absolutely agree [00:11:00] anyone can be a leader. And when we say leader in that way, it's really influence. And if we think about it through that lens, the people that can influence, well, that's anyone on the floor, can really help to create a culture shift, um, bring positive energy. And that's what energy can do, right? And so, it could be a nurse walking into a late shift, right? And, and maybe, again, going back to that bad day, maybe a few things have happened that aren't going the best. Well, one person can shift the whole morale of a team, and I believe that. and that influence does not come with a title. There are certain roles and responsibilities of a manager title, but it-- when we talk about influence, it only takes one person to, shift, that interaction. Maybe we have a really great best friend or a close family member that can, like, when you're having a bad day, who's that person you call that can just really lift you up? Well, we can do that at work too, and think about who's influencing. It [00:12:00] can go the other way. We can influence negatively. Um, maybe we start, commiserating and complaining and so quickly the energy kind of drops, and then we're looking for all the things that are going wrong. we can, with taking that pause and thinking about, that shift in the day, we can-- one person can shift, the whole rest of the day for the positive. [00:12:20] Chelsey Gheyara: okay, accountability. Let's talk about that. [00:12:23] Amanda Hutchison: Mm-hmm. [00:12:23] Chelsey Gheyara: Accountability can sound like a word that means someone's in trouble. How do you want people on a care team to think about it? [00:12:33] Amanda Hutchison: I actually find accountability really freeing. [00:12:36] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow. [00:12:37] Amanda Hutchison: Okay. When we have- Say more ... clear expectations and holding ourselves accountability, how holding each, each others accountable, it actually creates a lot of clarity on where we're headed as a team. And I think it improves our conversations. [00:12:55] Chelsey Gheyara: Mm-hmm. [00:12:55] Amanda Hutchison: Right? If we just, set a goal and then notice that [00:13:00] it's not happening and then continue to walk by things that aren't living up right to that expectation, we never say it, well, then people can't really get better. one of the best leaders I've worked for too, was Mr. Accountability. And I and so there's a bit of a re-reputation there about holding people accountable, but I, like I said, found it so refreshing because when you know where you stand- [00:13:25] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ... [00:13:25] Amanda Hutchison: and you know what the expectations are, you can actually perform at your highest potential. And so if we look at it that way by sharing feedback in a empathetic but accountable way, it actually helps people operate to their highest potential. And when we practice that, I find people step into it- and just want more feedback. In general, people just wanna know more, not less. [00:13:49] Chelsey Gheyara: I love this. So what, what does it look like when a team holds one another up instead of calling one another out? [00:13:59] Amanda Hutchison: We gotta just speak [00:14:00] with truth and some observations that are more fact-based. we wanna just really manage the emotional part, um, kinda coming back to that shared goal. Mm-hmm. We ultimately all want, residents to feel taken care of. We want our care team members to feel like they're valued when they come to work. And when we see something happening that doesn't line up with that, that's about, again, elevating us all to a higher standard. We wanna work with high performers, If I chose to work here, I wanna work with the best talent, and we need to have each other and the other perspectives in order to do that. So it's just a way to care for each other, right? Yeah. By sharing, feedback. Yeah. It really is one of the higher forms of care to, to be able to have open conversations. [00:14:50] Chelsey Gheyara: Brene Brown always says, "Clear is kind." It is. Clarity is kindness. Was there a moment when you saw the way a team treated each other [00:15:00] or showed up in [00:15:00] Amanda Hutchison: a, in the way a resident or family was cared for? I think we can see that through, when mistakes happen, when, maybe a concern is raised, the faster we can acknowledge that. we can also get a sense of the way the team comes together in that way too, to help each other out. Maybe, something is happening with one of our care team members, a resident starts to get upset. Well, someone else can step in and, um, help to shift that conversation as well. I think it looks like a family can sense that when, We have the active listening, right? We're acknowledging when concerns or even just feedback is raised. And then that ability to pivot and respond is typically what represents a strong team. [00:15:51] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah, absolutely. have you seen that, you know, even within your own team or maybe out in a community? You know, have you, have you been [00:16:00] able to see that, or even in, you know, a prior life, have you been able to see that kind of come to life where a family can really feel that culture or the way that team is, kind of living our mission in action? You know, you can see that. [00:16:15] Amanda Hutchison: there was a period of time I managed a complaint team, and we handled escalated complaints across the company, so I have many examples from that time. But, um, I also think about in those moments, sometimes it was about someone having some extra challenges at home with maybe one of their kids or another family member that they were taking care of, and we're working in a stressful environment, but the team, right, wants to still meet our commitments to those upset customers. And so when they would step in, and help out with, you know, maybe some upset customers that were not their own, right, we ensure that we provide that good experience. And then the next time something [00:17:00] happens with them, this other care team member's happy to step in and help out, in those moments of need too. Yeah. We all can't be 100% every day. We can bring 100% of whatever we have, but Sometimes we can't do that every day, and so we have to lean on each other a little bit- [00:17:14] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ... in order to do that. Absolutely. If a CNA is listening, let's say on their drive home after a long day, and they're tired and wondering if, you know, he or she is growing at all, what do you want them to know? Well, first, we don't tend to notice growth in the moment. [00:17:33] Amanda Hutchison: when we look at those small, little daily things that we're doing, maybe it's reading a new book, maybe it's studying a new skill, maybe we're focused on our overall health and, um, just really focused on some daily habits that are gonna give us capacity in the long run. We may not notice that in the moment. And so one of the best things to do is, I go back to that positive mindset too, of just [00:18:00] really recognizing, those habits we have been doing. Hey, for the last month, I have been, um, reading this book. I've made good progress. I know this is going to... This investment in myself is gonna pay off. And we kind of have to protect our confidence that way- [00:18:16] Chelsey Gheyara: Mm-hmm. Yeah ... [00:18:17] Amanda Hutchison: and manage that self-talk, right? We're not always gonna see these big changes in the moment. Um, so again, it comes back to managing mindset, staying focused on the big goals, and not overwhelming ourselves with where we wanna be eventually. You kind of have to stay, keep that balance of big picture, and then for today, what are just three things I'm gonna get done today that drive my goals? If listeners remember only one thing from this conversation, what do you hope it is? I hope listeners, if, if they only hear one thing, um, hear that it's never too late to start or restart your story. You can ch- decide to go a [00:19:00] different path at any time, and that might be in a personal goal, in a professional goal, in just seeking a different, dynamic in life. I just hope people know that there are endless resources out there, All it takes is that mindset management, right? focusing on ourselves on what we wanna become. [00:19:22] Chelsey Gheyara: Oh, that was good. I'm gonna start crying. What does excellence mean to you? [00:19:27] Amanda Hutchison: Excellence to me means having a continuous improvement mindset. It's progress, not perfection. It's thinking about, how we can bring excellence to relationships but not be perfect, and just continuing to, to stay true to our own personalcore values, um, and living those out every day. [00:19:53] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. I love how you, you kept referencing, you know, the progress over perfection 'cause I, you know, [00:20:00] I feel like as humans we can get so almost paralyzed in focusing on perfection, and then, you know, people may not do anything, right? Like, There's also a quote, I think it was Michael Jordan, I'm-- I never d- I have all these quotes today. This is hilarious. But, um, you miss, what is it, 100% of the shots you never take. Yes. Right? So I love that constant reminder of focusing on progress over perfection. Like, I'm one step further today than I was yesterday. That's progress. So if you're focused so much on that per- I have to be perfect, I have to, you know, be, you know, perfection, perfection, you may even not take that one first step. [00:20:38] Amanda Hutchison: That is so true. And another attribute they find in very successful pe- people and leaders is, that grit in overcoming a no- Mm ... or overcoming an obstacle. And so it's maintaining that perseverance. And I think by staying focused on, well, I'm continuing to make progress even if we're not ultimately to the [00:21:00] standard we wanna be, that attribute is actually- what, helps us become who we wanna be. [00:21:05] Chelsey Gheyara: It's amazing. Is there anything else, Amanda, you would like our listeners to hear today? [00:21:11] Amanda Hutchison: that investment in yourself is so key. we all show up at our workplace every day, but this is also about you and your own journey, your professional goals, your personal goals, and just continuing to be the best version of yourself. Um, so reflecting on that and what it takes, and also, taking the steps to get there. [00:21:33] Chelsey Gheyara: Well, thank you so much, Amanda. It was a pleasure having you with us today on Hearts of Excellence. If you don't know Amanda, you should know Amanda, so reach out to her if you're with us. Um, she is just the best. I enjoy working with you. And for our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Hearts of Excellence. Amanda's journey is a reminder of how the work we do on ourselves shows up in the care we give others. If you're interested in learning more about the [00:22:00] culture at Majestic Care or want to find out more about our career opportunities, visit majesticcare.com/contactus. If you or a loved one needs long-term care, reach out to us. We're here to support your next chapter. Talk to you soon.