Cartoon – The Good News
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Cartoon – There’s Someone I’d like You to Meet
Cartoon – Got into it for the Insurance Plans
Cartoon – Figures, doesn’t it?
Cartoon – Affordable Care vs. Affordable Deductibles
Many families can’t afford even moderate deductibles
Reproduced from Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finance; Note: Liquid assets include the sum of checking and saving accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, savings bonds, non-retirement mutual funds, stocks and bonds; Chart: Axios Visuals
A lot of low-income families can’t afford even a moderate deductible, yet deductibles continue to rise in almost all forms of insurance, Kaiser Family Foundation president Drew Altman writes in his latest Axios column.
- Roughly 40% of all non-elderly households don’t have enough liquid assets to cover a high deductible ($3,000 for an individual or $6,000 for a family).
- Among families whose income makes them eligible for the ACA’s premium subsidies, 60% don’t have enough liquid assets to cover a high deductible and 44% couldn’t cover the deductible for a mid-range plan ($1,500 for an individual or $3,000 for a family).
Why it matters: High deductibles are everywhere, and they’re only getting higher. Many ACA plans have relatively big deductibles and Republicans’ alternatives would push them higher. They’ve been getting bigger and bigger in employer plans, too.
- “For many families, even if they have insurance, any significant illness could wipe out all their savings, making impossible to fix a broken car to get to work, or pay for school, or make a rent or mortgage payment,” Altman says.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta unveils plan for $1B campus
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is planning a $1 billion project to replace its Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children with a larger medical campus in North Druid Hills, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The proposal includes a 446-bed hospital, an advanced pediatrics center, support buildings, over 20 acres of green space, walking trails, a central energy plant, parking decks and funding for nearby road improvements.
The plan for the hospital, which will be constructed as two patient towers, also includes an attached medical office building and cancer and blood disorders center. Public hearings on the development will be held in December.
Under the proposal, the system’s Egleston location will shift inpatient operations to the new North Druid Hills campus in 2025. The hospital aims to begin construction by 2020 and finish by 2026.
“We intend to be a catalyst for long-awaited transportation and infrastructure improvements along this corridor,” said Donna Hyland, CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
FEARFUL LEADERS HOARD CONTROL – COURAGEOUS LEADERS GIVE POWER
Fearful Leaders Hoard Control – Courageous Leaders Give Power
Feeling powerful expands possibility, elevates engagement, and enables initiative. Feeling powerless creates weakness, dependence, and fear.
People who feel powerful see opportunity.
People who feel powerless feel threat.
Control freaks make others feel powerless.
Control freaks:
- Pretend to be helpful. In reality they’re pushing their own agenda.
- Believe others are the problem.
- Over-manage.
- Know there is only one right way to get things done. Theirs!
- Pretend to step back so others can step in. But when something “important” starts happening, they take over.
- Pretend to listen. But they already have their minds made up.
- View change as threat.
The smile of a control freak is arrogant sympathy in disguise. They feel sorry for all the lesser people.
How to make people feel powerful by giving control:
#1. Prepare people to feel powerful.
- How might you stretch and nudge, rather than shove?
- What training is appropriate?
- What experiences expand capacity?
- How might you build on past success?
#2. Describe the playing field.
- What values are in play?
- What does success look like?
- What’s out of bounds?
- How much decision-making power do others have?
- How often do you want to be kept in the loop?
- How does this project fit into the big picture?
- How much authority is being delegated?
#3. Honor expressions of power.
- Praise people who give input that differs from your approach.
- Thank people for taking action, even if it didn’t work out.
- Ask, “What are you learning?” Rather than telling people they screwed up.
- Ask, “What will you do next time?” when results disappoint.
More suggestions:
#1. Generate options. The more options you have the safer the path forward seems.
#2. Give choice. After generating options, ask others to make choices.
Choice is an expression of power.
#3. Practice attunement.
Courageous leaders give power to others. Fearful leaders hoard control.
How might leaders make others feel powerful?
6 Things Leaders Should Be Thankful For Everyday
1. Success:
Yes, be thankful for your successes. Your successes mean you’re having an impact on the world around you.
Don’t hide your successes. Celebrate your successes and be thankful for them.
2. Failure:
Hold up… You mean leaders should be thankful for failures? Oh yeah, leaders need to be thankful for failure.
Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. You can examine your failures and see why they didn’t succeed.
Learn and grow from your failures. They’re a great stepping stone to your next success.
3. Influence:
If you’re a leader, you’re influencing other people. These could be team members, customers, even your vendors.
Your influence is guiding and leading people. Be thankful for the influence you have on others.
4. Team members:
Your team is a valuable part of your leadership. From leaders in training to the people working on the ground floor of your organization, these are the people who are the foundation.
Without your team, there’d be a lot more work for you, the leader, to take on.
Be thankful for your team members. They take a huge weight off of your shoulders.
5. The organization:
Sometimes it can be hard to be thankful for the organization you work for. There comes a lot of stress and frustration when you lead an organization.
There are times when you feel unappreciated. You begin to wonder why you’re there when no one values the work you do.
This shouldn’t negate the thankfulness you feel towards the organization. You have the opportunity to guide, build, and lead the organization in a new direction.
Be thankful for the organization you work in.
6. Your family:
Sadly, I’ve seen families get passed over by leaders more often than not. The leaders dedicate themselves to leading an organization yet forget to lead the most important organization they chose to join: Their family.
Your family is part of your mission. You chose them. And they’re a godsend.
Be thankful for your family every day. One day they may not be there.
Importance of Social Confirmation
“What makes you qualified to give this presentation?”
I searched her face to discern her intent. Was she angry? Challenging? She seemed sincere and pleasant, but resolved to hear a real answer.
“Wow! That’s an interesting question,” I replied.
After a pause for contemplation, I said, “Social confirmation.”
I could have talked about education, achievements, skills, or experience. My white hair makes me look like a man of experience. I have degrees. I’m good at a few things. I’ve written over 2,500 short articles in seven years.
Education, achievements, skills, and experience demonstrate our qualifications. But they don’t open the door for me to give presentations, lead workshops, and coach leaders. A large following – social confirmation – opens doors.
When others see your value – others see your value.
Leverage social confirmation:
A long line at the restaurant is social confirmation. If the parking lot is empty, we have enough “evidence” to determine the food stinks.
Social confirmation validates worth and extends influence.
You damage others, teams, and yourself when you badmouth the people around you.
Don’t be surprised if the people you tear down find it difficult to get things done. The way you talk about people elevates their status or weakens their authority.
Respect given – while others are watching – impacts one’s ability to influence others and get things done.
#1. Give public acknowledgement. Praise is social confirmation. Gratitude might be a private matter, but praise requires an audience.
#2. Don’t make others look bad so you can look good. Social dis-confirmation lowers our ability to get things done through others.
#3. Spread the good word. Leverage customer testimonials to elevate the status and influence of team members.
How might leaders leverage social confirmation to increase the effectiveness of colleagues and team members?
HENRY KOTULA 