EP 64: The Power of Authentic Leadership in Cultivating Team Success

CB_65. Dr. Alquietta Brown: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

CB_65. Dr. Alquietta Brown: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Plants thrive and grow in a peaceful, nourished environment, right? Well, it's the same with human beings. But what if that environment is not so peaceful? What if it's toxic? Welcome to Coffee Break: Breaking the Cycle of Bullying in Healthcare – One Cup at a Time. In this podcast, you'll get practical, evidence-based strategies to help you cultivate and sustain a healthy and respectful work culture by tackling an age-old problem in healthcare: bullying and incivility. I am your host, Dr. Renee Thompson.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Coffee Break podcast. I just want to first thank you for spending some of your time with us today. Every now and then, you meet someone extraordinary, okay? Someone who is confident, who was kind, who was an optimist, and who is a mover and shaker. Today, you get to meet an extraordinary woman. I want to introduce you to Dr. Alquietta Brown, who is the Vice President of Nursing for Inova Health System's Behavioral Health Service Line and Chief Nursing Officer for Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. Alquietta, thank you for being here and welcome to the show.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Oh, thank you for having me, Renee. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to connect today.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
I first want to tell you how Alquietta and I met each other. So we've been doing some really great work across the Inova Health System, and I was fortunate to meet Alquietta and her team a couple of years ago, when they really were starting to work with us to implement our Department Culture Change initiative, really across the organization. And one of, the first time I met Alquietta, she was smiling, she was positive. And yeah, you were just, I knew right away that we were going to be friends because I just thought the world of you. But let me tell you a few more things about Alquietta. First of all, she served as a commissioned officer in the USA for 13 years and served during Operation Desert Storm. Wow, I didn't know that about you.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Oh, that's a hidden secret.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
So thank you for your service. And I can't even imagine what that was like, but thank you. She was also identified, and I knew this one as one of Becker's CNO to Know in 2023 and in 24, and she's a recipient of the Virginia Nursing CNO Leadership Award. Of course you are, because I've just really seen amazing leadership from you over these last couple of years. And so, Alquietta, you and I have been talking about culture and working on culture for a couple of years now. What are some strategies that you've actually implemented that are really helping you cultivate a healthy work culture? Let's start broad like that.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Thanks, Renee. As a chief nursing officer, one of the things that I realized is significant or most important to this role is maintaining a healthy climate and having a culture that is thriving. In order to achieve that, there are certain things that I've done that I've actually found to be quite effective, and some things that we've done collectively as a system that really drive our organization to the key results that we're looking for. So one thing that I think is essential for any leader is to be your authentic self. That is so important because your team needs to know who you are. They need to know that they can trust you. They need to learn certain things about you that they can anticipate in times of crisis or on a regular day. It's so important to be present and approachable. One of the other opportunities as leaders is to have an open line of communication where people feel comfortable talking to you and that you're going to take a moment as they're speaking to pause and intently listen. And if you don't have a response or an answer at the time that an inquiry is made, always circle back and close the loop. That is so important because people will feel like they're not being heard. I would also encourage that they're transparent with you and they are also their authentic self. And that way you all have developed at the foundation a rapport with one another. I'd stay connected with people. I do that. I think it's so important that now, the days of Zoom and teams, we do a lot of teleconferencing, but I think it's so important to be up close and in person. Stay connected by multiple means. It could simply be a call, a phone call, a drop-by, or that you're deliberately zooming in, but nothing takes place of that constant communication. And one of the things that's critical, because there's so many things that team members are dealing with today, is that we listen to what challenges they're having on the field in work and what's happening outside of work. There's a lot of changes happening across the nation and globally, and our team members need us to be there to provide that pillar of support. And lastly, I'd say always do things that will foster team building and collaboration on continuum.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Holy cow. Okay, where do I begin with this? That was yeah, that was a lot. And I want to unpack some of these because you said some things that are really powerful. And knowing that most of the people who listen to this podcast are in a leadership role, okay, they're a healthcare leader. You said about being your authentic self. I think about, and you mentioned the word trust, and I think you were there when we were talking about one of the intensives that we did about the trust wobble, and every leader has a wobble. And one of those wobbles is authenticity. Do your people believe that they're dealing with the real you? Are you the same way in front of them as you are behind them? Can they trust that you are who you say you are? If you talk about your core values and your mission and vision, but then they see you act in an opposite way. You're not being authentic, are you? And so, like how do you how have you personally really been authentic even though sometimes we're having a bad day or there are parts of I know myself that I don't like and I'm working on them, and you're the leader, and you have to create this culture of trust and confidence in your people. But how do you maintain your authentic self despite all the challenges that you're facing? And oh my gosh, you're a human being too.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Absolutely. I think we all have to learn that the lights, all the cameras are always on, right? So even when we're having a bad day, if we have a rapport with our team and those around us, they'll have those subtle hints that something is off, but that narrate. This is what happened. My dog was not feeling well today. And for many of us who are pet lovers, that's a big deal. So we have to tell our team members what's happening with us. You don't have to get into detail, but maybe you have a common interest. And that common interest is what connects you, and you build that relationship with them. But I think that it's so important to be genuine, and that is because they think of you as, oh my gosh, this is the chief nurse, and I have this fear because of position. It's up to us to tear down those barriers and say, hey guys, I'm a regular person just like you. I had to stand in the heat and do baking and great things over the holidays. Just like you, I have challenges just like you, but when we come to work, we're here on a mission with a shared purpose, and when we walk through the door, we transition into that dynamic caregiver. And do you realize that we give care in every aspect of things that we do when we're talking to each other, we're caring for each other. So I think it's so important to just be who you are at all times, and that way, your team members aren't surprised. As you noted, when we're not modeling our values.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Yeah, I, you said something that I want to repeat because this reinforces and decreases that hierarchy. Yes, you are the chief nurse, or you may be the chief medical officer, or you're in this executive role, but you're a human being just like everybody else. And you said this, and I think if you're listening, use these words. It's just like you. I get frustrated, just like you. I get angry just like you. I have bad days, just like you. It levels the playing field a little bit because I think when people see you as someone different or higher than them, we talk about hierarchies a lot. It really stops, and you mentioned earlier communication, it stops that flow of information because I may be intimidated by your role and as the executive, or if you're in any type of leadership role, for you to be able to help them overcome that intimidation by saying, you know what, I have bad days just like you. And, but you also said something that was really important. When you cross the threshold of your workspace, you got to be game on. But it's okay to say, I'm having a bad day today, issue with my dog or this or that. So please know that you can come to me. I will help you. But I may be a little off today, and I think that's real. That's just right. That's just being real and letting people know that you have bad days, too. Okay. You said something about keeping the line of communication open. And in our line of work, especially when we hear from leaders a lot that they go to their boss, they'll tell them about a situation of how one of their coworkers or somebody treated them, and then they make the assumption that their boss hasn't done anything about it, because the boss hasn't closed the loop on that communication. So, can you tell us, maybe give us a few examples or strategies that you've implemented to make sure you're always closing the loop so that the people who are coming to you can feel reassured that you actually are taking action?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
I think that our team members will test us to see that we're truly going to be a person of our word. I think oftentimes in meetings, we'll say, let me follow up with this, and they don't hear the resolve. So it's so important to come back and say at the last meeting when we talked about this particular opportunity, I want to close the loop and say, here's what we've done, and here's where we're going, but I'm open to your ideas. If you think there's still things that we can do differently to improve on what it was that we had already spoken of. Often when I'm out and about, I always tell our nurses, feel free to call me. I don't want you to ever wonder. I wish if you have an issue, that you would just pick up the phone and dial my number, and I give everyone my cell phone number, and in fact, it's out there. So it's on Google. You can get it. And I said, if you need me, please call me. And if there's something going on, I'm going to call you. And oftentimes, I'm not calling you as a chief nurse. I'm calling you out of genuine care and compassion. Maybe for something that's happening in your life that I want you to know, that you're thought of, that you're cared about, and that we're here to support you by any means. And I'll tell you, when team members have called, I answer, and everyone who's about that I see out and about. I've tried to set the precedence. If I say something, I'm going to do it. And that is so critical for us in our role as leaders is if you're not going to be able to do it, don't say it.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Yeah. Because that will break trust faster than many other things. But okay, I just have to ask you because, remember, we're in a coffee shop having a chit-chat. If we were actually doing that, I would say, all right. Has anybody taken advantage of the fact that you give them your cell phone number? Has anybody taken advantage of that, and if so, how have you handled it?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
I love that question, Renee. Actually, I was rounding, and I met a young lady who is a clinical technician who was telling me about her career aspirations, and I said, I would love to support you on your journey, and I can tell you some of the lessons learned that I've experienced, but feel free to call me. Here's my number. And indeed, one day I get a call and a text to say this is. And I'm following up because you said you'd help me. And I was so excited that she really did call me, and I connected her with people to talk about tuition reimbursement. We talked about the different programs that were available for what she aspired to work toward, and it was a great experience for her as well as for me, because she did follow up with my, a call, as I had asked her to do.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Does that, has anybody ever used your phone or text you to complain?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Oh, of course. Absolutely.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
I wondered.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Absolutely. And I appreciate when they do, because sometimes when you're rounding and you're out, people will say, oh, everything's great, and they're totally miserable. I don't want to hear on a survey that things aren't working well for you because your well-being is what leads to optimal outcomes for our patients. So if you're upset about something, the best thing that can happen is that don't assume that everybody knows what you're upset about. Be very open, transparent, and then we will work to bring a resolve.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Yeah. No, that makes a lot of sense. And I can see that people would worry that you might be getting 200 phone calls and text messages a day. And I've done the same thing. When I used to teach, I did a lot of adjunct faculty work. I would always tell my students, you have a question, you're working full time. You finally sit down to write your paper, and you have a question that's going to prevent you from actually working on it. Oh for goodness sakes, please text me. And I would always tell them, here are my sub-boundaries. Don't call or text me before 6 a.m. and don't call or text me after 9 p.m. because those are my I go to bed at 9:00. I get up at five, but I need to have my protected time. And honestly, like you, my cell phone is out there. So it's on my email signature, it's on my card, and it's actually the only phone number I have. Like it's the same phone number that my parents call me, and so I have to have my message like, hi, you've reached Dr. Renee Thompson, so sometimes my dad will leave me a message. Oh, Dr. Renee Thompson. Okay. But I find, in general, people don't abuse it. They really reach out when they do need something. They need some help. And I'm sure there's a lot of chief nursing officers listening right now or and other leaders. I would never give people my cell phone number, but I think if you just, I don't know, believe that people will do the right thing, you'll have your occasional person who won't, but it's really letting them know that you do want to hear from them and you want to know what's happening. You don't want them to lie to you. And sometimes having that one-on-one with you, I think, is really important. Okay, so you also said something about the team and team building. So, what are some ways that you've been able to really bring the team together at Inova Mount Vernon?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Oh, thank you for asking. We do so many exciting things. I think one day I was checking the pulse of our organization and it seems a little flat. Let's get everybody riled up and back in the spirit here. And it was actually this year at the beginning of football season, we did a theme of it's football season. Let's have a pep rally. Let's talk about all of the great things that we've done. And despite the challenges that come our way, let's share and reiterate to our team all of the progress and all of the things that they've done in a celebratory fashion so that they know that they're appreciated and that we have enough energy to continue on. Everyone needs to have our flame reignited from time to time. I can tell you it was a great success. As people walked around the room, they marveled at, wow, we did all of this. Yes, we did. And you know what's exciting about it? You did it. And you didn't even think back to say, oh, I'm doing this, and this is what I've achieved. It just becomes natural to you. We do team-building exercises. We have team member Appreciation Day, we go out on our lawn, we have a big lawn here, and we have a day where it's family and friends and we, it's team member appreciation week, and we do all kind of activities. We sing, we do karaoke, we are dancing. We have had International Day, where we celebrate all of the myriad of cultures that we're so fortunate to have here, both in our hospital and in our community. And I tell you, if you focus on joy and purpose, it's amazing how that inversely will improve your bottom line. Your outcome suddenly began to improve as your team feels more valued, appreciated, celebrated. All of it works together.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
I love that you get this. Okay. We know that healthcare is serious business. Think about the work that we do in healthcare. We are taking care of patients, saving lives. There's a seriousness to it that is different than I think a lot of other industries. But we're still human beings, and human beings need that sort of element of fun and team and … to help them. I think not just get through, but I think by doing some team building, and I love the idea of a pep rally and how you associated it with football season, but to actually show them the progress that you've made, the things that you've been able to accomplish, because we have, we work in such a serious business that we often forget the little things that we've accomplished, because we're always, think about all the metrics that you have to track. We're never 100% all the time. We're always short, always. No, we haven't met that metric this month. We haven't met. And so there is a book that I read a while ago, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy, called The Gap and the Gain, and it was all about, we focus so much on the outcome. What is the goal that we forget to celebrate the progress that we've made towards that goal? And what really gives people happiness in the sense of accomplishment is seeing that progress. So you showing, reminding them, look at what all we've done. Look at how far we've come, I think, is critical. And I love the fact that you're involving the whole team because we say all the time in …, this is not a nursing issue. This is not a nursing thing. This is an interprofessional team. It really should be the whole team focusing on what a healthy workforce culture looks like and bringing them together as a team. All right. I just want to ask you, you talked about Joy and you've talked about being your authentic self and communication. And I love the fact that everybody has their cell phone number and they can call you. What would you say you value most in the workplace?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
In all honesty, I value the people. I am motivated every day to come to work because we have great people. I love the people that I'm surrounded with. I've never met a group of individuals who have a shared vision, and that is one for excellence. We never arrive at excellence. We're always on the journey. But it's surreal to be surrounded by people with those shared values and determination and their efforts that are collectively brought together for the greater good. I, every day, I'm motivated. I don't feel the drudgery of coming to work because I look forward to it. I know that throughout the course of the day, there'll be laughter, there'll be smiles, there'll be tears. But together, we're one team unified to make a difference. So I absolutely adore the people that I work with, and I really love the service of people. I think the two are, go hand in hand not only for me but for every health professional because our jobs definitely aren't easy. But without the people, no matter what machinery and things that we put in place, we can't deliver top-tier care. It takes people, and our people make the difference.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Can you bottle that up somehow? And we could package it and give it to people, because I've seen this a lot, and I've actually said this, and we talk about, we've normalized deviant behaviors to the point where we don't even notice it. And we say things like, they're a great nurse but, great physician but, great leader but, and I remember sharing because I experienced this myself, where somebody when I was new to a department, they basically said, oh, he's a great nurse, just don't go to him for anything because he doesn't like people very much. And I just thought, isn't that a requirement to work with people, especially sick people in healthcare, that you have to like people? But sometimes, I swear there are people who are in healthcare right now who genuinely don't like people, and I can't imagine what that would feel like day after day, what kind of a burden that is. And so I'm thinking maybe they're just not a good fit for healthcare. I love the fact that that's what you value most are the people, because it really is everything that we do, especially in healthcare, it is about the people doing the work. I always look at your job as the CNO, as a leader, is to be the hero or be the guide for your people, and your people are truly the heroes in the story. I've learned a lot about Storybrand. There's a thought leader, Donald Miller, who talks about, if you're the executive, you're not the hero here. You're not the hero at Mount Vernon. You're the guy, your leaders or your senior leaders, your manager, your clinical directors, they're really your heroes, and so you are to equip and support them. And then when you go to that level, they are not the heroes. They are the guide for their teams, for the nurse, for the PCT, for the respiratory therapist. It's taking that mindset that I care about my people, and I'm going to support them. I'm going to be their guide so that they can be the ones who shine bright and do all these amazing things. And I just, I love your approach to that. I think it's spot on. And like I said, I wish you could bottle it up, and we could sell it. It'd be a nice Christmas or holiday present for people or birthday presents.

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
I love that. Thank you, Renee.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
All right. Alquietta, we know, and I know specifically, that you've been on this journey to cultivating a healthy, respectful, professional work culture. We've done such amazing work together. How are you planning on sustaining this over the next year and a half? And I know we're working together, but you as the chief nursing officer, what are some strategies that you're thinking about implementing to help you sustain this?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Thanks. I think one of the most important pieces for sustainment is modeling our values, and we talked about that. You have to live the values. You have to be a true representation representative of what you believe in and what you what you would like your team to replicate. So I think that's critical for all of us. The second thing that I would say is critical is having a robust, bidirectional communication means it's so important that you have that continuous dialogue and that you also intensively listen. Listening is fundamental for success, and it also prevents untoward circumstances in the workplace. I also think that keeping your team members engaged, you have to do a myriad of different things. We talk about innovation in healthcare. I think we really need to have innovation with engagement, be on the edge, do things that are different. If your team sees that you are about your business, then they will model the same thing, hopefully. If your team sees that you are very passionate about clinical outcomes and then making sure that we're following all of our designated pathways, they will get in sync with what ways that you are articulating the next steps and what we're going to do. But when you think about engagement, look at the resources that you have and keep a pulse on how well are you doing as an organization. And tell yourself the truth. If the survey says that there's opportunities with teamwork, there's opportunities with opportunity, with interdisciplinary collaboration, then come up with your team with creative strategies to make sure that those issues are addressed on a continuum and that we're finding out if the things that we've identified as action plans are actually working. Circle back and ask your team.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
So it's that closing the loop again. But you brought up something, and I'm going to condense it all into a way that we approach culture change, a way that it frames the work that we do, knowing how many disruptive behaviors are out there and how people are treating each other, and very disrespectful manner. We frame this as always, be working on something, and that's what you're doing. You're listening. You're gathering information. You're reviewing it. You're analyzing it. You were always working on it. And we've been doing this culture work, gosh, for 9 or 10 years. And the organizations that we started doing this work years ago are still going strong. It's because they continue to work on it. You can't say, oh, we have a healthy work culture. We're good. See you. Let's move on to something else. It really has to be something that you consistently keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening. And I love the fact that you are always listening to what people are saying. And it's not always in person or through surveys. It's, you're doing, you're actually gathering information in multiple ways, which I think is really important. As we wrap up, if you have another chief nursing officer who's listening to this and they say, I want to be just like Alquietta and cultivate a healthy work culture and do all the great things that you're doing at Inova, Mount Vernon. Where should they start? What's a good first step?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
Being honest, I think, look at where you are. Look at where you are. Do an informal assessment and do a formal assessment. And if your work climate and your outcomes are not where you'd like them to be, then you have to do something about it. And there was one element that is critical that I was remiss in articulating, and I don't know how I missed. That is the foundational elements that have been provided by the Healthy Workforce Initiative that you've led, Renee, are so important to everything that we do going forward, because what it's done, it is put everything that I've talked about into a formal operating plan that can be passed on from one unit, one leader to the other. And when I talk about modeling, the way the units that have gone through this program are truly modeling the way for other units, and although it's not even their time yet, they're like, hey, I want in right now. I want my unit to be one of the best or be the best that it can be. Please share all of the tools. So we found ourselves really taking a moment and sharing these best practices and the Monday messages and all of the contact calls. They're motivational to our team, and I can tell you that is one element of success that we are going to continue on our journey to excellence to employ.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Wow. Thank you for that. Yeah, it's a system. And what I love about this, it's our Department Culture Change initiative, and it's a system that you implement starting with phase one, phase two. There are four phases, but the feedback that we get from the leaders who have implemented this is they knew they needed to be not only just addressing disruptive behaviors, but cultivating a healthy work culture. Okay. It's not just all address the badness, but how do you promote the goodness? And what they all say was that we gave them the tools that they needed, and then they had the confidence, and it's a repeatable system. You do this first, then you do this, then you do that. It's a system, and it doesn't happen overnight. But it takes a little while because the culture you have right now didn't get this way overnight. It's not going to change overnight, but it can change. The question is, how do you want it to change? And you've really embraced this work and it's great to see this spreading. So it's not any one thing. It's a lot of different things. But they all fall under that umbrella of bringing everybody together and asking like how? What kind of a culture do we want to have in this department, in this organization? And how do we make sure that it's in alignment with our strategic goals and our mission, vision, and values? Because that's how you make it. That's how you hardwire it. It's part of, and in your case, Inova, Mount Vernon. This is how we conduct ourselves here in this organization. So, if people want to connect with you, what would be the best way?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
You can email me. You can reach me on LinkedIn and you can call me. I told you that number is out there, but if it is a strange number, you might want to send a text at the same time so I know who you are.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Yes. Oh my gosh, yes. So we will have Alquietta's LinkedIn profile link in the show notes along with her email address. And I'm also going to include, I mentioned, that whole trust wobble. There's a really great article from the Harvard Business Review. It's one of my favorite articles. We'll go ahead and put the link to that article, and I'll also link the book that I mentioned from Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy called The Gap and the Gain. I think it's just a really great read, especially if you're in a leadership role and you're looking at, how do I help my team see the great progress that we're making. And so we'll have all that in the show notes for you. Alquietta, I just want to thank you. Thank you for being here, and okay, I didn't ask you to do this ahead of time, but I'm going to put you on a good spot. Every time you start a conversation at a meeting, you walk into a room. What do you always say?

Dr. Alquietta Brown:
It is a great day at Inova, Mount Vernon Hospital and at Inova Health System, and I truly mean that. And it's a great day today, being with Renee Thompson on this wonderful podcast, talking to great people who are looking forward to making a difference where they're transplanted to serve.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Oh my gosh, I love that. Every time I hear you say that, I smile. It just it's my happy place. So I want to thank you again for your optimism, your positivity, your confidence, your kindness, all those good things. And I want to thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules. We know that you're super busy, but the fact that you're either listening or watching right now tells us that you know what? This is important to you, too. So, thank you all for being here. If you like this podcast, if you can post a review, you can rate it and then share this with someone who actually might need to hear this today. Thanks, everyone. Take care.

Dr. Renee Thompson:
Thank you for listening to Coffee Break: Breaking the Cycle of Bullying in Healthcare – One Cup at a Time. If you found this podcast helpful, we invite you to click the subscribe button and tune in every week. For more information about our show and how we work with healthcare organizations to cultivate and sustain a healthy work culture free from bullying and incivility, visit us at HealthyWorkforceInstitute.com. Until our next cup of coffee, be kind, take care, and stay connected.

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