Press Release

Contact:
Karen Valencic
317-257-0684
karen@karenvalencic.com

Hospitals Can Do More with Less Energy, Says Health Care Management Expert Karen Valencic

Management Strength Redefined in the New Norm of Chaos and Rapid Change

INDIANAPOLIS, November 1, 2011 – Hospital leaders can motivate employees and get more work accomplished with better, long-lasting results if they look at their problems in a different light, says health care performance improvement expert Karen Valencic.

“If today’s business climate is a turbulent and unpredictable hurricane, then the key to sustained success is operating in the ‘calm eye,’ not the outer bands of turbulence. When a hurricane loses its calm eye, it loses its power. The same is true for business leaders; losing the calm eye or center, they lose power,” says Valencic, author of “Spiral Impact: The Power to Get It Done with Grace”(www.spiralimpact.com)

She urges health care workers to shatter the typical model of driving harder to get more done. She applies her martial arts and engineering degree to coach business leaders and teams how to “‘spiral” to make “impact” and do it with grace and ease.

“Think of the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver. Many people who work in health care organizations feel hammered with too much to do. They are doing the work of two people. This extra work accelerates burnout and destroys innovation. They are really stressed,” says Valencic who keynotes healthcare conferences and leads training sessions and workshops on conflict resolution and employee engagement.

Valencic’s Spiral Impact® model touts using the spiral for improved performance, as with a screwdriver, easier to drive, stable and with a sustained outcome.

“Power comes in the form of a spiral not a straight line,” says Valencic, a shodan black-belt martial artist.

“I help people engage in a way that is productive. I created the idea of spiraling because anything else takes too much energy,” said Valencic, who speaks and consults with health care companies, hospitals and associations that are going through challenges. She shows them how to innovate through conflict and change.

“In a stormy business environment, business leaders have the challenge of planning in uncertainty with the added caveat of keeping their employees fresh and innovative. Spiral Impact provides the guidance and keeps you in the calm eye of the storm,” says Valencic who also consults on changing workplace cultures in healthcare. “ People have to get along. Leaders need to learn how to hold their people accountable.”

She shares her proprietary 4-point Spiral Impact process for getting things done with grace and ease.

“To begin, recognize when you are pushing or pulling. That pounding heart, tension in your neck or gut, or holding your breath are clues you are hammering away,” said Valencic who coaches health care leaders to literally spiral when they feel tension.

She offers these four ways to spiral, which can be used individually or in combination depending on the needs of the leader.

1. Become the “calm eye of the storm.” This is a concept Valencic refers to as centering. Valencic shares a variety of ways to accomplish this with clients. Breathing is at the core of all of them. She explores this in depth with her audio guide designed for while you are driving. http://www.karenvalencic.com/products/

2. Notice what statements you make about the situation. Change those statements into questions, acknowledgements or both. “This is impossible,” becomes “If we knew how, what would it be?” “They will never change,” becomes “How have I explained the expectations and verified understanding?” This economy is destroying us,” becomes “What opportunity or need can we fill?” Questions create answers; statements keep you stuck.

3. Declare three levels of intention. What is it that you want that you don’t have? Valencic asks her clients to clarify three levels of intention: the bigger picture, the deeper values or purpose, and the immediate. Making sure all three line up everyday is key to making sure you are not going in circles. Intention is what differentiates a spiral producing results from endlessly going in circles.

4. Choose your support. Feel like the Lone Ranger? Identify trusted advisors who can help guide you through the storm and keep you in the eye.

“Hurricanes are powerful. Use that Spiral power for good and go make a positive productive Impact!” she says.

About Karen Valencic and Spiral Impact

Karen Valencic, founder and president of Spiral Impact has been known for her content rich engaging presentations on conflict reconciliation for over 20 years. For more information and video lessons go to: www.spiralimpact.com. Her book, Spiral Impact: The Power to Get It Done with Grace, has recently been published on all e-book formats and is available in paperback on her website.
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