Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to the Healthcare Executive Podcast, providing you with insightful commentary and developments in the world of healthcare leadership. I'm your, host Maggie McKay. To learn more, visit ache.org.

You don't need more tools, you need results. Med-Metrix helps health systems deliver solutions that turn revenue cycle management into predictable yield end-to-end or where you need it most. Find out how at Med-Metrix.com. In this podcast episode, we're joined by Jessica Taylor, Business and Career Strategy Coach of the Coaching Coalition. Thank you so much for being here today, Jessica.

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: You so much for having me, Maggie. And thank you so much to ACHE. Glad to be talking with you today.

Host: First of all, how did you get into healthcare management and how has your career evolved?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: I started at the ground floor. I was working at an organization called Western Healthcare Alliance, and I was literally at the front desk. And over the course of 15 years, I worked my way through operations, marketing, business development, and my ending title was VP of Strategy and Client Services. And at the time, Western Healthcare Alliance was a membership organization, kind of like Costco for healthcare. We worked a lot with community hospitals and healthcare organizations, primarily in the Western United States. It was a member shared services organization that pooled purchasing power and also L&D. And so, they had a leadership academy and also 27 peer networks that I was a part of forming and facilitating.

And as part of that one day, one of the directors pulled me aside and said I might be inclined naturally as a little bit of a coach, which I was intrigued by at the time. This was in 2017. It wasn't quite though the word that it is today. So, I, was curious. I enrolled in a coach training program. And then, I started my own business. During the pandemic, as everyone's life was turned upside down, I started helping my dad who was really sick at the time. And so, I put my business on pause. But I was also able to enroll in a full-time coaching training program. It was 120 hours. It's through the International Coaching Federation and an organization called the Healthcare Coaching Institute. And the reason why I share that is, if anybody is interested in coach training, that's some of the things to look for is that ICF part. And it was a full training program about the equivalent of four college semesters. And I did a lot of pro bono coaching as part of that. And that's really when I felt like I had found my true calling, the work that I was meant to do. And so, today, now I coach full-time.

Host: How lucky is that? Because, you know, how many people don't ever figure it out. So, good for you. Let's talk about the role of a coach. What's the difference between a coach and a mentor?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: Yeah. The difference is that a coach is going to facilitate and ask a lot of different questions. They may or may not have been in the space that you work in. Especially within healthcare, it's helpful if they've had healthcare experience, but that's not necessary for someone to be a good coach.

A mentor on the other hand is somebody who has walked in your shoes before. They're just a few steps ahead of you or maybe a couple miles ahead of you. And so, they're able to share their experience, some of their skills maybe, and make connections, introductions. But a mentor is really—actually, they are the GPS on your roadmap, whereas a coach is kind of like your driving instructor. They're going to sit next to you as you're driving and you get to choose the direction that you go.

Host: I love that, GPS and driver. What are some attributes leaders should look for in a coach?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: So, I mentioned before that ICF, that's the International Coaching Federation. That is the equivalent like our ACHE, FACHE. It is a credential that coaches earn. And it's similar to our FACHE credential, it is a learning journey. And so, that says that a coach has at least a hundred hours of training, and there are a couple different levels. But the professional certified coach, the PCC that I am, it means a hundred hours of coaching, training. And that they've had supervision, they've had experienced coaches review and give input and feedback into the coaches, their style. And then, they're also—just like FACHE—abiding by a code of ethics. That is one of the things to look for as far as like credentials and things on paper.

Now, of course, then you're also looking for fit. So, having that first discovery session with a coach, identifying if you are going to get along, if the experience is going to be something that's going to be helpful, a coach should be asking you a lot of questions right away. If they're giving you a lot of advice, that might be more of a mentor relationship and something going to be different than what you're looking for if you're looking for coaching.

Host: So at work, leaders can serve as coaches to their staff. What skills should a healthcare leader have as a coach?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: When you're coaching, stepping into that coaching hat as a leader, the biggest skill that you can have is to shift from telling to asking. One of the coaches that I really admire, and he's written several books on it, is Michael Bungay Stanier. And one of his foundations is the AWE question and "what else?"

So, setting the stage for somebody to provide what is going on in the world, what this situation is. And then, as a leader asking, "And what else?" It's a very powerful question. It's very open, non-judgmental. It helps create a space as a leader for the other person to share what's really going on. The most expensive mistake I see is when leaders aren't getting all of the information from people and they're going on assumptions. So, coaching is a skill that eally creates more of a space that's open where people are sharing what is going on behind the scenes.

Host: How does coaching help with teamwork and communication?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: Coaching creates a culture of listening. And when leaders are modeling curiosity, teams learn that their input really actually matters. It changes how people show up. It teaches people that asking a clarifying question really saves a lot of that wasted effort we were talking about before. It surfaces what people are not saying. Simple questions like what is it on your mind that you haven't said yet can really help create that and foster that teamwork and those aspects of I'm on your side together.

It also creates that psychological safety because you understand, each team member understands that they can share things that they don't really have a grasp on yet, and that they're looking for more understanding. And so, just creating a culture of asking questions helps us establish everybody on the same page.

Host: And what are some ways leaders can build trust with their staff?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: Trust is really built on, you know, those small things, doing what we say that we're going to do, being there when we say that we're going to be there. It's having consistency over time. That's really what makes a leader stand out. Also, leaders who pretend that they have all the answers, that really erodes trust. That fact of when you can say, you know, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'm going to look into this more" really creates that two-way trust with their staff that, if it is something that in healthcare, we're navigating waters that we haven't been in all day. So if the pandemic showed us anything, it is that when we can say, "This is something we haven't seen before. Let's figure this out together." That can build trust across different levels in an organization.

And from a coaching lens, leadership, it can break down and trust can break down within a leadership relationship if leaders aren't curious about what's going on on different levels of the organization. So, coaching, that lens can add what do you need from me that you're not getting already? And that can shift the relationship.

Host: Jessica, finally, we asked this question of all our podcast guests who are ACHE fellows, how has your FACHE credential helped advance your healthcare leadership career?

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: Earning my FACHE has really demonstrated not only that I've got the technical knowledge of healthcare, but a genuine commitment to the professional development and continuous learning. I love that the FACHE credential has continuous learning requirements. And so, every year, we're always in sessions. And ACHE is always providing that continuous education through both the local chapters and the national chapters. It really pushes leaders to think about healthcare at a systems level, not just within your own organization. It also demonstrates a commitment to the code of ethics and a way of moving through the industry. It matters to my clients working in healthcare. It shows that I've got a commitment and dedication to not only their growth, but my own growth. And it shows that we're always learning.

Host: Well, thank you so much for making the time and sharing your expertise today. We really appreciate. It's been very informative.

Jessica Taylor, FACHE: Yeah. Thank you so much, Maggie. Appreciate it.

Host: Again, that's Jessica Taylor. ACHE has partnered with Healthcare Leadership Institute to introduce executive coaching solutions. For more information, please go to ache.org/coaching. For more information on ACHE's podcast, please visit healthcareexecutive.org.