December 14, 2013

I sometimes try and think about what it is that I'm doing with my life. I get caught up in these big screen thoughts of purpose and meaning. I see visions of people I feel have/had purpose- Oprah- Gandhi- Martin Luther King, Jr- animal savers- Soldiers- and I can't get my mind around what the hell I'm doing. It's taken me some time to realize that the "what" isn't  actually some big bulk of future calendar pages that will mark my selfless mission to do something "meaningful". There won't be a tournament in my future that I will participate in to some how prove my worth to the world. I'm not sure if others think about this stuff. I would imagine they do, but to what extent is unknown to me. 

I'm a self described geek. I like the ideas of big thinkers. Learning the why of how some people think. How Zappos is the best customer service company in the world, how Disney is the happiest place on Earth. I read the books- ate them up. To be so effective on such a large scale is phenomenal.

So you can imagine my thrill that IU Health contracted the Disney Institute to help build a better company, a more satisfied staff, and I'll venture to guess a lower bottom line. My chance to see "it" in action. So exciting! Well- you can imagine my surprise to hear lots of grumbling and negativity around the staff having to attend the very thing I am so excited to be a part of- and after they attended it being more negative and crotchety for having to waste 2 hours of their time. WHAT?!!?? I feel so defensive about it like it is a personal attack on me. Of course it isn't but what gives?

I haven't been to "Strength Training" (as it's called). So I don't know what that 2 hours would look like to me. 2 more hours of pay. That's the only thing I can guarantee. So maybe it isn't fair of me to get on a soap box about it...but seeing that I actually read the Disney Leadership book..I think it gives me some credibility.

It's not about the paycheck people. It's not. This community of ours..you know as co-workers, is going to go through ups and downs, cut backs and growth, and at the end of the day what you are making a living at can actually be more meaningful and fulfilling to you if you want it to be. Our "Purpose in Life" isn't some distant event, it is in the very essence of who we are and what we do in our everyday life. It's holding the elevator. It's saying Thank You and what can I do for you. Our hospital is our home away from home. Pick up trash you might see on the floor because you have pride in YOURSELF, not the hospital. Do you want to be someone who has a mentality of "it's not MY job" or do you want to be someone who understands the value of small selfless acts. To hide in a corner during your shift and browse online because your JOB is done? Or maybe you want to be the person who sees that doing a few simple things can make a big difference for your co-workers and your patients? To be held in high esteem for your ....shall I call it kindness..of being someone that people WANT to work with..who WANT to be on your team. It's not a ME society anymore. It's an US. Those hospital beds have plenty of our own in them. When it's my turn to be a patient instead of a nurse I want caring nurses and you're fooling yourself if you think that caring only happens at the bedside. 

Thanks Tony Hseih and Walt Disney for inspiring me to want to be better.

Sincerely,

Brooke Albertson