One of the things we can do to be better prepared for the future is to understand the role of nurse managers, whether we intend to be one or not. Knowing what they go through as they transition to a leadership role and how others can be supportive helps all of us function in more collegial ways.
When we think about the big transitions in society, such as weddings, funerals, or even presidential elections, a ceremony usually marks the occasion. Even when people change jobs, those left behind often have a party to say goodbye formally. When these changes are less subtle, marking of the transition may not be as evident.
[Discuss with students; they should be able to define that the celebration for the fifth baby is often less than for the first, that some people have divorce celebrations, that most people don’t want to talk about job loss, and that unless you are “moving up” at the next employment setting, many places “welcome” new people with a bunch of rules and regulations.]
At work, we can plan for most transitions, but exceptions occur: The Chief Nursing Officer is suddenly terminated, a nurse manager becomes terminally ill, or a business transition for a spouse causes a staff member to leave. The key point is to be supportive.
Like a piece of rope in which no single strand is found, the roles of leading, following, and managing are intertwined. This is especially true for the manager. The transition from a staff nurse role to a nurse manager (leader) role can occur overnight, so it is important to think about how roles fit together and how managers differ from followers.
If you think about the acronym that was in your book, you can recall the key components of roles that you may assume throughout your career.
In well-designed organizations, differentiation between and among positions is clear. In other words, when position descriptions are compared, it is possible to tell who is responsible for what.
Opportunities exist in every element of work when the organization is nimble and forward thinking. Organizations often offer incentives for creativity that help make a difference in the workplace.
The L in ROLES is a critical one. It represents lines of communication. Although the manager may have many informal lines of communication, some are very structured and formal. These include the “up and down” within the nursing division and the “across” with other disciplines and departments. Being able to listen and to speak clearly and intelligently is critical for success.
Being clear about your own expectations is really important. Additionally, you need to consider the expectations of others: your boss, your peers, and your staff. Each of these persons probably has a different set of expectations. If you are clear about your own, you can help others frame their expectations in reference to yours. Otherwise, you are responding to multiple, and not necessarily compatible, sources of input.
Support may mean the difference between success and failure. Support is derived from family and friends too; however, we can control or influence only what happens in the workplace. Setting up formal expectations for support helps transition activities.
Although common strategies are used in making transitions, some are unique to good transitions, and others to bad ones.
When transitions are good, it is always wise to praise the predecessor. Theoretically, this is a person who was admired and valued. Capitalize on this to let that person know you know, and to let the team know how smart they were to have had this predecessor in place. Celebrate the person’s accomplishments and be public about it.
When transitions are not so positive, it is easy to get pulled into demeaning the previous person. Obviously, this is totally unwise if for no other reason than it creates staff distrust when they think they could be the next ones demeaned. It is equally important not to cover up. Rather than dwell on what didn’t work in the past, the most useful strategy is to focus on the future and what will happen immediately to change the situation. Because the team may feel conflicted about loyalties or trust, one of the first steps should be to create the team! It is also important to think about whether you should be silent about the past, apologize that it happened, create a “finale” to the past, or simply move on. Those decisions flow from the particular situations themselves.
Four key strategies may be used to promote success. The first is personal, and the last three are organizational.
Your personal strengths really come into play when you are making transitions. Knowing your personal strengths, being clear about why you are committed to a particular role, using your personal character, maintaining your self-respect, and being flexible are characteristics you have, no matter what system you are in. Using these strengths during transitions helps to keep you focused on the work to be done.
In some cases, you may want to negotiate the role. For example, based on personal needs, you may choose to vary the hours that you prefer to work from the “traditional” hours in an organization. In so doing, you might discuss how you could modify some role expectation so that this factor provides added value to the organization.
Having a mentor, a sponsor, or a coach can be productive. Someone with those types of skills can help you develop your skills and link you with others who can provide further support.
Finally, through formal, degree-granting opportunities or through informal workshops or conferences, the latest thinking about management development and success strategies can be accessed.
