In this special Speaker Series, Becker's Healthcare caught up with Lisa Stump, senior vice president and CIO of Yale New Haven Health and Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut.
Ms. Stump will speak on a keynote panel during the Becker's Hospital Review 4th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference title "Population Health, Consumerism, Digital Health and More," at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 21. Learn more about the event and register to attend in Chicago.
Question: Can you share your best advice for motivating your teams?
Lisa Stump: I start by focusing my team on why we are here: to enhance the lives of those we serve, our patients, our communities and the caregivers who support them. Motivating my teams is much easier when that focus is clear. Then, we focus on what is possible: defining what it will take to get it done. The focus on what it will take to get it done balances what is possible with a realistic focus on the resources — such as time, people, training, dollars, technology — we need to be successful. By identifying the positive actions we can take, setting real milestones and tracking progress to those milestones, we channel our energy into action rather than getting stuck in all the reasons why we can't. This motivates the team and our customers!
Q: What is your No. 1 dealbreaker when it comes to evaluating vendor partnerships?
LS: Vendor partnerships are critical to achieving our goals. Not every vendor is a partner and I don't use the term vendor-partner lightly. A vendor who can't be trusted is our biggest deal breaker. Using dishonest tactics to get an audience, pricing models that don't reflect a partnership in achieving our goals, or misrepresenting experience with us or with others are just a few of the things that make it clear that the vendor doesn't share our values — and that's a big dealbreaker.
Q: What's the best thing you've read lately?
LS: Gender equity is a crucially important issue, and I dedicate time and energy to understanding its impact on women in our workforce, on the quality of our business and on my own impact and influence. One of the best things I've read recently is a book called The Influence Effect: A New Path to Power for Women Leaders. With the majority of our healthcare workforce comprised of women, and the majority of health decisions made by women in our society, enhancing the number of women leaders in healthcare is an important mission. And the book is not just for women — men can gain some real insights into workplace dynamics that will serve our organizations and our communities well.