A fun song from the musical Hamilton, “What Comes Next” is the line we are focused on for the start of the 2021 leadership in AT podcast series.
Thanks Patrick Ohaver for putting it all together.
What comes next??
You have wanted to move up to a leadership position in the company, the school, or even a professional organization.
Just as a young America made the leap into independence, now you are given the opportunity to lead.
That is the question on this episode..
Do you know how hard it is to lead?
Patrick– As Former supervisor for a hospital Outreach based program I was given the task of leading approximately 25 athletic trainers. Some of these athletic trainers were my peers and that in itself is a difficult part to lead your own peers.I really resonated with this song in Hamilton as I knew it would be difficult to lead however I did not realize the full extent until I was in that situation. It is difficult to lead and not just your peers but to lead a cohesive group of athletic trainers.
I was fortunate enough to have mentors that were in leadership positions and I observe them through my career taking mental notes on what I would do in certain situations how I would overreact how I would respond however I learned so much during my tenure as the supervisor of Athletic Training Services and dealt with a lot of specific leadership challenges.
Patrick — Another point in King George's song what comes next really struck me was when your people say they hate you don't come crawling back to me. Now as a recovering people pleaser, I strive to make everyone feel Equitable and try to look for the win-win. However, during my time I discovered win-win just doesn't work out sometimes. When you have to lead a large group you are not going to please everyone now. I would not say that my employees “hated me “ however some decisions that were made did not meet with high favor.
I can recall a time when we sent out an employee satisfaction survey. It was a sort of 360-degree look at our leadership team.
Through the eyes of the employees and I was expecting an overall positive response however, the amount of negative response was shocking and really caused a point of reflection and revaluation of my leadership style and our leadership team’s style.
I was fortunate enough to work with two other athletic trainers in the leadership team. We assisted each other and each had our own strengths and weaknesses in the leadership team. However, that employee survey was a watershed moment for me and my leadership style.
Have you had an employee survey or an evaluation done on you that was not what you expected and did it change your outlook?
George Washington states – “Winning was easy, leading is harder”-
This point in the musical also echoes a similar thought that getting to the top may be easy however leading is harder.
Leading your peers is very difficult. We can look back at a recent Facebook post in the Secondary School group where an employee was ranting to her “friend” who was in an administrative position about the organization. I am not sure what was said or how it was said however the other party deemed it necessary to inform her superiors and her subordinate was reprimanded.
There's a good book called “From buds to boss” by Guy Harris and Kevin Eikenberry. It's a good book and help me get some perspective in my early supervisory times.
Being the boss isn't all Fame and Glory. Some people want that prestige and that title however, if you're not prepared, then it may be more of a detriment than an aid.
Call to action:
Were you ever on your own? I recently heard from a long-time listener Caleb who was out in China as an AT and he was on his own for a while. Share your story with us.
Is Leadership Curriculum a good way to learn to lead? Can it be added to our current AT course requirements?
How do we develop leadership in AT?
Curriculum is the hardest way to learn leadership – there is an absence of the practice of AT
“We tend to protect them from the leadership process in their clinical experiences”
The only way it can work is if we integrate them together into the clinical experience.
Trial and error – best most effective and efficient way
Observation
JBY: It is more outcome-based. It is easy to track clinical outcomes.
There are so many types of leadership.
Situational leadership or contextual leadership is critical.
In the current BOC practice areas, only about 2 of 8 deal with sports
How do we develop good leaders?
What makes a good leader?
Are we putting people in the right places to lead?
Energy bus
The military does this really well
They capitalize on the problem-solving process.
If you look at the CAATE and look at the math, .05% of ATs are in leadership as program directors.
MK: we need to be better at recognizing the reality there is a small percentage of us in leadership roles.
We need to train the program directors
Increase the exposure of our students
If we think adding clinical skills to our profession is going to change our profession we are sorely mistaken.
People want to know how we can help improve and all we have to offer is a new way to tape an ankle…
The BOC states we have to have skills in leadership…not knowledge of…
We have to be able to change hats.
We are 20 years behind compared to other healthcare professions as far as leadership.
Nursing is by far the leader in my opinion in the leadership curriculum.
We are making a big mistake as a profession by not putting more eggs in this basket.
Can we teach it at the MAT level? How do we measure such an objective subject?
MK: We get scared when we go to the literature.
Leadership is not like a clinical skill
It is not a checkbox item.
Instead of a concrete objective, there should be a certain number of leadership exposures per semester.
Develop a leadership philosophy.
JBY: New 2020 standards have shifted towards outcomes. How are you documenting them?
Checking the boxes is a managerial task, not a leadership task.
Self Assessment – SWAT analysis – how did I move this pile of beans to the other pile.
Operationalizing Leadership is hit or miss.
The MAT is designed for an AT student to ENTER the profession.
Some of the ways we have it is an AT Student Society
We have liaison positions in our program.
Being on a committee at various levels.
When everything is outcome-based how do we say “Leadership was performed”
MK: I hand out sticky notes and ask and ask them to put 3 words for each LEAD
That leaves us with hundreds of words dealing with leadership.
Now we need to make an operational definition from all of these words.
It depends is a real answer as long as you are not using it as a cop-out.
Leadership is a philosophical construct versus a hard skill.
MK: Leadership is not volunteerism
JBY: Education is a business
The student is our customer product and asset…it is so unique.
Why is PA more acceptable than AT in the medical community?
What is your responsibility as a program director? Differences between programs
JBY:When students come in I tell them I am interested in people who are looking to be leaders and agents of change. We will make you into good ATs, but we need you to be the change.
The leader needs contextual intelligence to be really good.
Management is checking the boxes
Leadership is influence
MK: At FIU we focus on helping them answer the “it depends” question.
We are developing leadership behaviors to influence the world, not just AT.
We need to add value to SOCIETY as a whole.
Leadership definition:
MK: leadership is not being the most productive person in the room…it is someone who navigates complexity.
Check out our 2021 Leadership Series
What Comes Next – Lessons From Hamilton the Musical
AT Inventors 3 is focused on Logistics and Production for your product to help improve the practice of Athletic Trainers EVERYWHERE.
Production
Origin of production, taxes, and duties
Cost per unit and minimum orders
Payment options with vendors
How do you price your product
E: dial in all of your costs and then add 15% in case of overages.
A lot of people do not understand this statement, but it's good to shoot for 5X to cover all the other expenses we talked about. Rent, insurance, time, labor…
Really slim margins do not offer you any protection. Everyone needs to make their money.
Using the SanDisk memory card example – the card is the same shape and size as it changes storage capacity but the price keeps going up.
Stay focused and do not spread yourself too thin.
E: Shipping can be a big experiment as well. Saving one inch could save you lots of dollars.
J: Everyone liked the custom cardboard boxes but they cost more…
E: I was going to pay $90 for 10 stickers…I decided to go with a vinyl sticker cutter instead…it has been well worth the time and investment.
Passive income streams are another option we did not really cover.
What is your relationship with your vendors?
How do you handle quality control and setbacks from vendors
J: As someone who does not have access to a lot of warehouses I had to prototype to troubleshoot quality control and how they handle the load.
I used SGS as a third party inspection company
How involved do you want to be with production?
Do you want to learn a new trade or use a vendor for production
J: Is it worth your time and money to pay someone or do you need to learn how to do this.
E: Look at efficiency and what you really want – do you want to learn how to sew.
How do you keep things in stock or when do you know you need to purchase more
Just in time manufacturing, WIP or large batches of inventory
Where do you store large batches of inventory?
Elysia, please answer this one. I do not want people to look into my supplier because of my partnership with the warehouse
Logistics
How will the products arrive to you?
Will you ship your product and storage
Order fulfillment systems
How involved do you want to be from start to finish?
Websites, credit card processing, and fees
J: Affordability was the key – square seemed to be the best fit for me now.
They are a one-stop shop for me.
E: I got a quote from a company to build a custom site with everything I want for $14K
There were not as many eCommerce sites available
I felt I would be stuck with that with minimal support.
We went with an eCommerce site and used the money to get exactly what we wanted.
With your website try to answer every customer service question with an article or video so that you can reduce the personally answered questions.
J: The best part of upgraded eCommerce sites is REPORTS.
Marketing options for trade shows, social media, influencers or grassroots
J: I did not do any marketing, I established a relationship with ATs first using Instagram.
E: The personable story is what everyone likes
Always answer the phone with a smile.
If you put a video on YouTube you do not actually own it but YouTube does.
Google ad words – someone will outbuy your “word”
Variety is actually good, not everyone likes Starbucks
How do you manage daily business operations and unforeseen events?
What is the critical path, doubling back on your work or pure avoidance
E: What is the most important thing you need to get done today at this moment – I do not open an email unless I am ready to answer it.
Do the things you least like first to get them out of the way.
Write yourself an abundance check – kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In AT Inventors part 2 Jay and Elysia discuss establishing a business and product testing.
Some of the topics we discussed include:
Establishing Business
Defining your core values before establishing a business
If you define the core values and base all your decisions on that then decisions are a lot easier.
It is easy to chase every shiny object but as a startup, you need to be focused on doing one thing well.
Articles of organization
Business insurance, product liability and other protections
J: I do not have a reseller license, for now, I am a direct-seller only.
E: Reseller certificate allows you to get items tax-free that you are going to use for your business. You need this to sell it anywhere, like a trade show…this is so you can pay more taxes.
Depending on structures you may set up monthly sales tax or quarterly.
E: Product liability insurance – Mine is high since I am looped in there with skateboards where people break bones often.
I have been able to break that into 4 payments so it is not a huge hit
My patent fee structure is confusing and I break it up to level out the costs.
Design and utility patents are different – again a couple of thousand dollars for the attorney fee.
And nobody gets approved on the first round so be ready for that. Lots of small adjustments.
Consider if you really need a patent or can you focus on other aspects of the business?
Business structure types, LLC, sole or other corporations
Toki Nakazawa – you can function as an S corp using Form 1120S even though you are an LLC
Funding vs bootstrapping your business financial needs
How do you manage a business partnership? Do you want a business partnership
Is Shark Tank or other investors an option
J: the style of my product is already out there, i am just making it more specific for our situation.
E: KNOW YOUR PRODUCT LINE
J: Is it sustainable?
Method of selling product (direct, wholesale, etc)
Where is all the money going? Proper accounting and continual costs
When to consider employees, worker comp insurance, payroll and managing other people
E: I answer all of my phone calls and emails. Do you want to make money or provide something that enriches the lives of others?
If money is your motivation then focus on that.
If freedom of schedule is your goal, focus on that.
J: My military price is important to me. I want to support and help those that have protected us and given me so much.
Why people always ask about how much money you make, how many units you sell and if you are a million dollar company
The importance of good business mentors who understand your product line
J: I am always cautious because it is a dog eat dog world
E: One of my college professors keeps a log of all her incoming and outgoing calls
Leave the end of the day with your desk clean
Through the years I have been able to meet all of my product owners. These inventors offered to help in establishing a business. I reached out and they helped out
SBA and SCORE are great resources
Some of the advice was helpful in that it showed me the wrong path.
When to quit your day job and jump all in with your business
J: Elysia, you are really an example. The passion in me really says let's go all-in with Nexus because I feel I am mediocre at both right now. I am not ready to leave the day job yet (I have a baby on the way).
E: Lots of friends know they can not start a business because of the family's need for stability.
It may take you longer, but you can do it.
“I can not keep doing it with the work schedule and my health…it is time”
You can jump right back into AT if needed.
Testing
The MVP-Mean Viable Product
How do you choose a product line and different tiers of quality
When to diversify and when to stay focused on your product line
Do you have multi-purpose materials or interchangeable parts
Is your product safe, allergy free, structurally sound or have a shelf life
How do you manage broken products?
E: Don’t make broken Products!!!
It is part of the process..my eyes are on everything, so i am quality control
“If the recipe is working don’t change it”
Honor your warranty but protect yourself.
Do not always apologize for things…say thanks for waiting instead of sorry I am late
J: I wish I could be all in on quality control.
Materials are important
I can not re-make the whole product to fit the needs of one person.
Is it hype or is it real- managing people who want product for free and offer false promises
E: some people are upset that they don’t want to afford it.
Is this really going to be a good partnership or is it smoke and mirrors.
I do not have any paid nice words people…they all bought the product and decided to say something positive
J: via social media, I get at least a message a week…everyone has to pay.
Casey Paulk has experienced Sales Success as an Athletic Trainer. Not because he was naturally gifted but because he knows what an AT is and does and continues to work hard to help meet the needs of Athletic Trainers.
What were some exposures you had to sales as a kid?
First time I had sales success was as an intern in the Texas Rangers AAA as a bullpen catcher.
I had to convince and prove to the staff I was qualified for the job.
I was able to help the Athletic Training staff more and the team more.
I also had to sell my services as an AT Skiatook Middle School as an AT and science teacher. They had never had an Athletic Trainer before.
What was your first job ever?
Garage door warehouse grunt.
I worked in the Oklahoma summer heat hauling garage doors.
It was a grind and hard work. It helped me succeed in my career as an Athletic Trainer and now in my career in sales with Sway
What does the life of an AT Sales Success person look like?
So now with my sales job I still work a lot of hours but I can set a few more boundaries.
I wake up early to check emails and line up my day.
Take care of personal business and spend time with the family.
Start making phone calls to Athletic Trainers (I do not call when they are sleeping or doing morning treatments)
Why do you love the sales side of AT?
Serving the Athletic Trainers and helping them return their athletes safely to participation.
I cover 14 states as a sales rep so I have a lot of phone calls and emails to get out.
The same process of evaluating an injury as an AT has helped me have sales success.
Athlete: “Hey, my knee hurts.”
AT: “Tell me what happened, when did it start hurting, what makes it better, what makes it worse?”
Athlete: answers questions…
Athletic trainer: perform tests and evaluates the next steps needed
Athlete: “I do not think that will work for me… or ok let’s do it”
It is the same with sales.
To the AT who is on the fence, what would you say?
Reach out to an AT in sales and tell them you are interested.
See if you can do some part time work in sales of any sort.
Go shadow Casey for a day or week and see what it is like.
There are jobs out there but unless you tell people you are looking for one they will not know.
Golden Rule for Sales Success:
Look to help and serve your customers and be sure you believe in the product.
Houston Methodist, Official Healthcare provider of Pasadena ISD just signed up with SWAY.
Call to action:
Reach out to Casey Paulk at Sway for questions about sales, life in Oklahoma, or basically any product that can help your patients get better.
