Raquel Bales’ Post

Does it seem like every day, you walk into work and there's at least one person in a funk? That person's giving attitude to everyone, grumbling a lot, and overall bringing down the vibe of the whole department. You'd like to just put your head down, do your work, and go home. But you can't. You're the boss. How do you deal with difficult people in difficult times? Listen in to this #ThrowbackThursday CE-approved video that will give you tips and encouragement as you walk that #leadership path https://ow.ly/AW4A50QGcPr #SterileProcessing #Healthcare #CensisTechnologies

Hello LinkedIn Friends, It's with immense gratitude that I reflect on the past years since my return to the Netherlands. The journey has been marked by growth, learning and the privilege of training hundreds of professionals in Trauma Informed Care. This experience goes beyond numbers; it's about the profound impact we've collectively made on individuals and organisations.   Whether conducting onsite sessions, virtual training, or collaborating within corporate environments through our In-Company programs, it's been a humbling experience contributing to the creation of trauma-informed spaces.   👉 Realising that trauma is intricately woven into the fabric of every organisation is a pivotal insight.   🧠 In organisations dominated by our thinking brain where the application of the body may not seem immediately apparent, Beside emerged.   Beside Consulting stands for more than just fostering workplace safety and inclusivity; it's about nurturing secure relationships.   💭 How does one cultivate safety within an organisation? or how do we establish a safe relationship at work?   These are questions many people and leaders grapples with daily, often without a clear understanding of what safety means to them.   To those reading, especially if you're part of an organisation or a leader, manager or HR professional, reach out! Send a DM or email me at esther@beside.consulting and let's schedule an informative chat to explore what Beside can offer your organisation.   #like this post 👍   #share ♻ this #message with your #colleagues or an organisation that could benefit from this. www.beside.consulting    #linkedincommunity #consulting #organizationalleadership #leader #traumainformedcare

Are you a toxin handler? According to this HBR article a toxin handler is a "manager who voluntarily bears the pain and complex emotions that are naturally present in all organizations. They notice and care about the well-being of others and understand that when people are distressed, their ability to deliver their best work and collaborate is diminished. They recognize the benefits of a healthy workplace and step in to alleviate and buffer the pain and burdens of organizational members so the show can go on." Playing this role can take a toll. The article goes on to provide five strategies for taking care of yourself so you can do the vital work of also caring for others. #wellness #toxinhandler #selfcare #careforothers #othersbeforeself

Many times when people come to us with their concerns or complaints it carries the risk of activating our threat detection centers. When that happens, we don't always respond in the most effective and productive ways. Sometimes we get defensive, and other times we may inadvertently invalidate or even dismiss the concern and sometimes even gaslight. All of these responses can be harmful. So what do we do when we get a complaint? First, we notice our reaction, name the emotion present, and regulate ourselves so we can be in the best possible place to respond. Practicing a pause helps us to do that. Second, we lean into curiosity about the concern...get more information. From here we can better understand, open the dialogue, and move toward resolution. This take practice and skill building in listening, communicating, and developing the capacity to regulate and modulate our reactions so that people can hear us when we respond. If you are an ERG leader, senior executive, physician or nurse leader, or hospital executive, and are interested in learning how I skill leaders, teams, and organizations up in this way, I'd love to connect with you to brainstorm ways we could work together. Connect with me directly. Link in the comment section. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ #EffectiveCommunication #CuriosityOverDefensiveness #PsychologicalSafety #MindReMapping #ComplaintorConcern #SelfAwarenessJourney

Having been a long time supporter of Gavin Larkins - R U OK Day since its inception, (which he created it after his father ended his own life), I've become quite disillusioned the past few years at the tokenistic morning teas, once a year posts etc. portraying a commitment to care, In fact, I notice myself getting quite prickly on this day as I see all the activity (yes I can see those of you with an all-year round commitment, on the court, action taking in ensuring workspaces of wellbeing and I acknowledge your efforts, thank you) 👏👏👏 Unfortunately in my work, I too often witness people with management responsibilities who are not present, not grounded, too entangled in 'busy', too stretched to notice what's actually happening around them Yet they pop up on this day, doing the right thing and in some ways internally, there is care, it just doesn't translate out authentically and consistently across the other 364 days BEing to distracted, unavailable and/or lacking the confidence and skills to step fully onto the court, such that people never feel safe or valued enough to say . . . "Well actually, No, I'm not okay" And when people feel unsafe and/or not valued in the workplace, they do one of two things 💥 Leave, and go where they are appreciated, feel safe, seen and heard; or 💥 They become less engaged, less productive and more upset, frustrated and resentful - which has a flow-on effect and impacts in many ways So in todays 'R U OK' noise, my encouragement is to stop, take a deep breath and choose to interrupt the status quo Choose to stop, and choose to have a close, unfiltered look at what's going on around you, then choose to start some BOLD, Wholehearted Conversations You may actually BE the difference in someone life #LeadershipwithSoul #RUOK #Management #BOLDConversations #Genuine #Leaders

10 Things I Would Do Differently As A Senior Colleague At Work. 1️⃣ I would apologize when I'm wrong and save my justifications for later. In the attached video, I talked about how my Registrar apologized to me for making me work till late hour on my birthday and for not giving me any information as to his whereabouts when we had a previous arrangement. Although, one can argue that the better thing to do when you can't meet up with a prior engagement is to call or send a text to that effect, it's not something I have seen commonly in the senior-junior relationship in our hospitals. You would infact be penalised for not waiting for your senior colleague and sometimes even receiving threats of query or not being signed. Hence, people have developed an attitude of eye service and not necessarily a genuine heart to serve. Listening to my registrar apologize sincerely on this fateful day was just a very beautiful experience for me. Thus, I recommend a trait that I would love that we intentionally develop and exude. . . . Leave a comment and tag any of your senior colleagues at work who have this exemplary leadership style. This is Episode 1 of 10 Things I Would Do Differently As A Senior Colleague at Work using the hospital as my reference point. #workplacementalhealth #leadership #healthsector #mentalhealth

Another confessions moment: 12 days ago I had the biggest medical procedure I’ve gone through. Just 46 days after my wedding. They also found a tumor that luckily, was fully removed. I read Anthony Kennada post on trauma a few days ago and oh boy did it hit home. I think the hardest part of having a job is having to pick up the pieces of ourselves through tough moments and be ready to ‘produce’. All this got me to think on something: MY TEAM and how lucky I am🤔 Over the past few days, as I've been forced to step back and focus on recovery, I've gained some profound insights into the importance of trust within my team. I wanted to share these realizations, which I believe are crucial not only for managers but for any leader 👁️: 1. 🙂↕️Delegation and Trust: I've always prided myself on handling tight deadlines and critical projects. However, it's crucial to build a team that can function confidently in your absence. Establishing trust and empowering your direct reports to take initiative isn't just a fallback plan; it's a fundamental aspect of leadership. 2. 🫡 Building Redundancy: My time away brought to light the significance of redundancy within team roles. It's essential to cultivate a team that shares skills and knowledge so that operations continue smoothly, even when one key person is away. 3. ❤️🩹Prioritizing Health and Well-being: We often preach about work-life balance but living it is a different story altogether. My health episode was a stark reminder that our well-being directly impacts our effectiveness as leaders and the health of our organization. 4. 🫥Creating a Transparent Culture: Transparency in communication builds trust. Keeping your team in the loop about your health and expected return helps manage expectations and demonstrates respect for their capability to handle responsibilities. 5. 🤛🏻Empowering Through Confidence: A confident team is an independent team. Confidence should not be confined to the top tiers of management but should permeate through all levels of an organization. This multi-line confidence ensures that the organization remains resilient in any unforeseen situation. My absence has been a test of my team's readiness and their ability to manage without my constant oversight. It is also a testament to the trust and confidence we've built together. Feeling grateful ❤️❤️❤️ Wishing you health and leadership success, #leadership #teamtrust #management

I once had the privilege of working alongside two incredible leaders, Caleb Yu and Charles Cochran, who had a powerful impact on how I felt at work. What did they do exactly? 👉 They truly #cared. In every conversation, they listened intently and conveyed that my thoughts, emotions, and our work, mattered to them 👉 They were #present: always available to dialogue, brainstorm, and help me think things through 👉 They were non-judgmental: open and humble, which invited collaboration Their presence was literally therapeutic.    Originally coined to describe therapists who make patients feel safe, heard, and seen, Therapeutic Presence has been shown to significantly influence a patient’s well-being and health outcomes. In other words: the mere display of #compassion and #understanding has tangible impact on the outcomes of a treatment.    This is formidable #inspiration for leaders.    👉 What if our presence was therapeutic?  👉 What if our presence felt soothing and supportive to our teams, calming their anxieties and boosting their morale? 👉 How much could a strong therapeutic presence impact our team’s #motivation and #performance?    Since, I have not stopped aiming to develop my therapeutic presence.    to me its like psychological safety....on steroids! I'm curious: do you believe displaying therapeutic presence could impact workplace dynamics? #dreamteam #futureofwork #employeeexperience #leadership #leadershipskills #compassion  Steve Greenaway Rob van den Pol

Leadership Lessons from the Emergency Room I managed to send an email this weekend to a bunch of folks with the wrong attachment. About 4.2 seconds after sending the email, I was told what happened. Simple task - attaching a file regarding EMS rounds, and I managed to double-click on the wrong file. I felt dumb, embarrassed and maybe even anxious. Assigning blame was simple: it was MY mistake. Then I stepped back and thought from a leadership perspective: How would I approach this if it was someone I worked with instead of me? I started thinking about why it happened - between nights shifts, tired, rushing to get the email out. Not double checking the attachment. And importantly thought: how do I prevent this from happening again? When you're a leader, it's not about assigning blame; if that's your focus, people will not come to you with concerns or questions or mistakes over concerns they will be blamed. It's about finding out the WHY and HOW things happened so to prevent a next time. When your team realizes you are looking to improve and not to assign blame, they will be more open and honest and bring up stumbles and hurdles instead of trying to hide them or shift blame to others. And you can bet I've put a new process in place for emails to prevent a next time! #leadership #leadershiplessons #ems #emergencymedicalservices #emergencymedicine

Compassion is the cornerstone of a supportive, healthy workplace. Your employees rely on and deserve it. Choosing to make compassion a daily practice allows you to foster trust, strengthen relationships, and reduce stress. It's crucial to remember that beyond the office walls, everyone is facing their own challenges and obstacles; whatever those may be. The seemingly "small" act of pausing, acknowledging your employees' feelings and offering support can leave a lasting impact. Embrace kindness and make it a priority—it's what truly makes a difference. #CultureOfCare #CompassionateWorkplaces #Leadership #EmployeeExperience