My Role Model at Work

A role mode is someone that focuses on the overall picture of an organizations strategic plan, by being an example, provides encouragement, provides timely feedback, provides ways to train employees and improving one’s success within an organization (Lewis, n.d). A role model is positive and have several characteristics to support their positivity, which are being ethical, confident, hardworking, respectful, optimistic, and creative. My role model at work would be my supervisor, which is also the Vice President of our organization. She has all these characteristics; she is very supportive on one’s ideas and can help an individual see things from a different perspective than what they had originally seen things as. I know there have been several times that I have brought a situation to her, because I was unsure how to handle it myself. She was very patient about the situation and told me to go back to the individual and ask question and do not assume anything. She stated there might be a reason behind what they did, and it could be a training issue oppose to the individual just doing things how they want to do them. Which is very good advice when approaching someone about what they are doing wrong. My supervisor is approachable and her way of correcting me is asking me questions and guiding me through different ways of handling things. I never feel like I am doing something wrong, I just see it as needing to adjust my approach in a way for my team to get the job done.

The way she inspires me is how she handles herself and her example of what a leader should be is at the upmost respect. Her appearance, her tone, positive perspective, and stern expectations. She inspires me to do my best and be like her from her own example. I feel that my team respects me like I respect her. It takes a good leader for a manager to positively lead a team to success. Her tenure of being a leader in different parts of our organization and her knowledge is something I want as I grow more within our organization. It also makes me want to continue to work everyday as if I were going to get a promotion. My supervisor does not feel that she is above doing the same work at my team or myself, which is admirable.

There are several scenarios I can think of that shows her leadership skills and where she provides clear expectations is, we had to give up our funding and then we were hit with a pandemic right after that. We have seen this pandemic shut well liked businesses down because they were unable to bring in enough revenue to keep their business open. When we first went through giving up our funding, she spent countless hours finding ways we could sustain the business. She and our organizational leadership team came up with pay scales and ways to still be able to help patients be seen when they did not have insurance. When COVID – 19 striked our nation, we had to stop doing some services to help make sure we minimized exposures to our staff and other patients. This allowed more cleaning times to be able to see each patient. As a leader she had to make decision to cut out centers do furloughs. She went to each center and had these conversations with individuals. She stood up to make sure they were compensated with health insurance while they were furloughed. Even thought these things are a negative impact to someone she came with a positive outlook. None of these things were easy for her or anyone to do, then she started moving into adding additional services so patients could be seen without coming into the office by using telehealth appointments, providing flu vaccines this year and introducing wellness appointments that provide hypertension and diabetes screening. She provided the team with clear expectations and what she wanted out of each one of these new initiatives. I do not see how we would be standing as an organization if it were not for her, because with these new initiatives it provides us with new patients, existing patients and to be able to sustain our revenue while going through a pandemic.

How I could change my personal behavior to be similar, I think is being more direct with what I want from someone. Not being afraid to hurt someone’s feelings, which I am, and I am not. I think there are times I just do not want to hurt someone’s feelings and I need to step away from that and remind myself this is just business its not about feelings. Example of this would be I need to talk with someone about their behavior or attitude, I do talk to them and I do it softly. Unless I am stern with clear expectations, this individual is going to step out of line from time to time. If you are clear and stern they are going to stay on the right tract.

The takeaway from this is to step up my game and make sure I am doing everything I can to be a good leader. Leading by example and making sure they have clear expectations. As a leader, I need to be a better listener to be able to understand and guide my team in a better direction. Giving them different perspectives to see things differently than they normally would see or view situations. Finally, not being afraid to hurt someone’s feelings, because in business its all about business and not someone’s feelings.

References

1. Lewis, J. (n.d). What Is Positive Modeling in the Workplace. Retrieved from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/modern-concepts-promoting-employee-involvement-36643.html