By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN What does luck have to do with it?  This is a question that nurse leaders rarely ask when they discuss their career successes.  I was intrigued to see Jim Collins and Morten Hansen, authors of Great by Choice, devote a whole chapter to this topic in their book.  Thomas Jefferson said,  "I am a great believer in luck, and find that the harder … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Several leaders have recently asked me to talk with their teams about "managing up."  Interestingly, even the term may mean different things to different leaders. If we manage up successfully, we create a strong relationship with our supervisor, allowing us to meet our work needs and encouraging each person to learn and grow. I have … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I have heard multiple versions of a similar story from nurse managers in recent conversations: I gave some constructive feedback to one of our new graduates today. It just involved some minor changes in how she prioritized her assignments. She became so defensive even though I was extremely gentle in my approach. She shut down and … [Read more...]