Many providers today report reduced passion and interest in their work.
With the need to take on more administrative tasks, less patient facing time, frustrations with electronic records and adapting to frequent and complex changes at work—many report having lost the joy they once experienced while practicing. Most of us have some aspects of our job we find draining or unfulfilling. When these aspects fill up an increasing amount of our work day, it sets us up for disappointment and potential burnout.
How about giving your career a boost by considering what you have power and control to change, and focusing your energy on the things you can positively impact.
Focusing on areas over which you have little or no control tends to be frustrating, discouraging and a poor use of time. As Dr. Starla Fitch learned when conducting research for her book “Remedy for Burnout,” we can’t control insurance companies, pharmacology companies or the people who walk through our doors. We can only take a look at our own daily lives and take back some control for how we manage our own activities.1
What can you do to assume control of your career?
1. Start by asking yourself some important questions:
- What parts of my job do I enjoy the most?
- What percentage of my day am I able to experience these aspects of my job?
- Is there anything I can do to increase the amount of time I focus on these aspects of my job?
- If so, what can I do personally and where do I need help? Who could help me facilitate this?
- What are the risks of continuing to feel the way I do about my career?
- How is it likely to impact my well being, relationships at work or outside of work, patient care and job satisfaction?
- What could I be doing to better tolerate or appreciate the aspects of my job I don’t enjoy?
- What can I do personally and where could I use help? Who could help me facilitate this?
2. Take some time to reflect on these questions. It will help to spend time alone — walk the dog, work in the garden, journal, meditate, brainstorm — and discuss with friends, family, a mentor, a leader, a counselor or coach.
3. Consider what steps you can take immediately and what steps you might want to take further down your career path.
4. Develop a strategy for career improvement, with a corresponding timeline for accomplishing items in your plan.
Peer Coaching
VITAL WorkLife has experienced peer coaches in our organization who are specialized in assisting with career development, the challenges of healthcare and the rigors of medicine. These coaches are all physicians who have years of experience practicing medicine and now are full or part time coaches — most have coaching certification and all are experienced mentors and passionate about assisting others in medicine.You are likely to find simply talking through your concerns and ideas with one of them can help you take steps forward with your own job satisfaction, and help you assume control over the direction of your career. Additionally, peer coaches can assist with the following:
- Developing a Professional Advancement plan with actionable steps
- Better navigating relationships with administration and leadership
- Improving relationships with peers and care teams
- Evaluating and improving leadership skills
- Mitigating burnout
- Improving your status and reputation within the organization
- Learning strategies to increase your influence across all levels of the organization
- Managing time
- Case In Point
A physician nearing his 60th birthday contacted us to access peer coaching related to his career. He reported a high level of enjoyment of his specialized practice. Although he noticed he didn’t seem to have the same energy he did earlier in his career, he was still easily able to manage a full clinical/surgical practice. What he found increasingly more difficult to handle was his call schedule. He reported lately at the end of each call he found himself considering retirement.
Our peer coach assisted him in making the decision to approach his colleagues and leadership with his observations related to his call schedule. They also made a plan on how to manage the discussion with his team to ensure a positive dialogue and outcome. It so happened he was older than anyone else in the practice, and the team had never addressed this issue in the past. Although this did not lead to an immediate change, the practice did work out a way for staff to drop call scheduling at age 60, and this physician was able to remain in practice.
We Can Help
Learn more about Peer Coaching:
- What is Peer Coaching?
- Benefits of Peer Coaching?
- Peer Coaching: How it Can Help Physician Well Being
- How to Use Your Well Being Resources: Peer Coaching
Physician Well Being Resources Members: Contact us today at 877.731.3949 or through the VITAL WorkLife App to schedule an appointment with one of our peer coaches. Most sessions occur telephonically or through a video platform like zoom.
