Sharon M Weinstein

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What’s in a credential?

You see lots of letters after someone’s name, and you wonder what they might stand for! Perhaps your search for those acronyms leads to a discovery that your new friend or peer is a highly credentialed professional.  They are “Certified.” Certification is an earned recognition that demonstrates specific skills, knowledge, expertise in a given area. Usually aligned with a profession, technology, or industry, the credential is usually awarded by a professional organization or credentialing body.

A professional certificate, like many offered online, is not the same thing as professional certification. Certificates are not all equal…and those who have earned the highly regarded credential are honored to be recognized.  According to the American Association for Legal Nurse Consultants, certificates and certification are very different.

Certification
  • Results from an assessment process that recognizes an individual’s knowledge, skills, and competency in a particular specialty
  • Typically requires professional experience
  • Awarded by a third-party, standard-setting organization, typically not for profit
  • Indicates mastery/competency as measured against a defensible set of standards, usually by application or exam
  • Standards set through a defensible, industry-wide process (job analysis/role delineation) that results in an outline of required knowledge and skills
  • Typically results in credentials to be listed after one’s name (LNCC, ONC, CCRN)
  • Has on-going requirements in order to maintain; holder must demonstrate he/she continues to meet requirements

 

Certificate
  • Results from an educational process
  • For newcomers and experienced professionals
  • Awarded by educational programs or institutions often for-profit
  • Indicates completion of a course or series of courses with a specific focus (different than a degree-granting program)
  • Course content determined by the specific provider or institution, not standardized
  • Usually listed on a resume detailing education
  • Demonstrates knowledge of course content at the end of a set period of time

Let me provide an example that is critically important to me. The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) is an earned credential.  The CSP credential offers skill validation from clients, peers, meeting professionals, and other CSPs. It adds opportunities to command greater fees and to develop new and sustainable connections. It also showcases the designees, allowing them to shine on paper as much as on the platform, in the training room, or in the virtual studio. The CSP designation is the speaking profession’s highest earned international measure of professional platform competence. Less than 17% of National Speakers Association members worldwide have achieved the CSP designation. With support from NSA’s CSP Committee, the CSP is conferred by the NSA Board of Directors upon qualifying members of NSA as well as upon qualifying members of the 16 Global Speakers Federation (GSF) associations. For me, earning the CSP credential was a milestone; it was not my first credential, nor will it be my last. As Chair of NSA’s CSP Committee, I’m pleased to announce that on September 4th, candidates for the CSP Class of 2021 were encouraged to begin the application process. https://www.nsaspeaker.org/csp/. 

Certification is an earned recognition that demonstrates specific skills, knowledge, expertise in a given area. When you see lots of letters after someone’s name, take note of what each acronym stands for, and realize how hard they worked to earn that credential. What about you? If you are a speaking professional, are you prepared to apply for the highest earned international measure of professional platform competence – the CSP?

The application process begins now…for professional members of the National Speakers Association (NSA) or one of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF) member associations.  Will you be certified? 

 

 

 

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What’s Your Business Theme for 2019?

It’s a New Year, and perhaps you have already set your resolutions.  Perhaps you’ll be successful at accomplishing each of them; on the other hand, perhaps you’ll disband them by the end of January.

I prefer a theme, and I examine that theme from every aspect of my business and my life.  Deciding on a theme depends on the type of business, the stage of your business, and your purpose in life.  Start by reviewing 2018, and ask yourself:

  1. What worked well?
  2. What did you love?
  3. What went wrong?

Use those questions to position yourself, and your theme for 2019. Write out the answers to the three questions, and use those answers as your GPS as you forge ahead.  Your theme is a quick reminder of what you want to manifest this year. It will keep you focused and on track for success.

Examples include:

  • Lean-in
  • I am deserving
  • Moving up
  • Establishing roots
  • Being the best me
  • Actionable steps
  • Attitude of gratitude
  • Elevate
  • Innovate
  • Engagement
  • Be bold, be brave, be YOU

These are examples, but you get the point.  Think of something that resonates with you and your business goals.  Think of something that can be measured, appreciated, and celebrated at quarterly milestones, and at the close of the calendar year.

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What do you bring to the table?

A potluck?  Not at all- just a simple question. What’s your value-add? What skills, attributes, talents, energy, and insight do you bring to the table? 

Whether it is at work, at home, or within the community, you add an element of value? Have you thought about your own value-add, and how that benefits those with whom you work, live, and play?

 

I bring my nursing platform to the table; it has served me well and provided the basis for a journey that has taken me around the country and across the globe. Throughout my career, I have used the lessons learned from my initial educational program to grow personally and professionally.  And, I have taken it to the next level- by being of service to others, by mentoring the next generation of leaders, and by giving back.

I have worked with unique populations and have created a model that can be used as a prototype for every educational program that has international as a part of its mission. I believe that we have much to offer and a lot to learn. The model that I have created can be used to foster additional professional partnerships among growth-minded leaders from multiple industries.  I am committed to enhancing the business outcomes of my colleagues and helping these high-integrity leaders make great decisions that benefit their companies, organizations, families, and communities. What about you- what do you bring to the table? What value do you add? 

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Culture drives performance…engagement

Employees are unhappy at work, and companies are paying for it!  Results matter and to survive and thrive in today’s economy, companies need an engaged workforce. The bottom line, in companies large and small, is a concern that can be managed through culture and hiring practices.

If you were to rewrite the future of your organization, what might that look like?  What changes could you make in your company’s culture that would drive performance, enhance the bottom line, and generate an engaged workforce that ensures your success and theirs?

As a master of work/life balance, I’ve spoken and written about the impact of the environment on behavior, productivity, relationships, and yes- health!  What I know is that CULTURE DRIVES PERFORMANCE…and a culture of success is the first step in communicating your goals, your vision, and your mission. Employees can and should be ambassadors for your organization; they will do so if you set expectations with them, communicate those expectations, and hold them accountable.

Reward your superstars by recognizing and cloning them. Author Seth Godin has often referenced past culture (follow instruction, be on time, work hard, suck it up), with current culture (be remarkable, be generous, be creative and connect people and ideas). What I know is that CULTURE DRIVES PERFORMANCE, and a culture of recognition and replication will lead to success.

You are familiar with the Good to Great philosophy of “having the right people in the right seats on your bus.” Take it a step further with the right fit credo. Hire for values! What I know is that CULTURE DRIVES PERFORMANCE, and a value-driven culture will attract and retain the right people.

In the words of John Ruskin, “In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.”

Ruskin says in a simple quote what I know to be true: CULTURE DRIVES PERFORMANCE, and a culture of success, recognition and fit will drive your future!

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Healthcare Marketing…solutions-based

Today’s healthcare system is replete with problems that begin with access and end with outcomes. The communities we serve are more interested in staying well than in being ill, and they are more willing to try alternatives to traditional care as long as there is not out-of-pocket expense involved. So, the publics we serve want it all, at a nominal cost, with good outcomes. How we do that in today’s environment is a challenge as well as an opportunity.

The challenge offers healthcare organizations the chance to move beyond the problem, i.e., limited access, long lines, high costs, using emergency departments for primary care, and more – to become the solution. And how do we become the solution – by empowering the public to assume responsibility for care and their outcomes, by knowing that wellness does not begin in the doctor’s office – rather it begins with the small decisions that we make each day when we buy groceries, order from a menu, pack our kids lunches and more. When we offer solutions, we succeed.

We’ll walk through some of those solutions that are well within our reach!

The customer experience…does anyone ever ask what the customer/consumer/patient wants and expects? Forget the satisfaction surveys and delve deeply. Identify the opportunities that bring participants to your brand. Get it right the first time. Build a winner in this industry by simplifying the process and delivering on your promises. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) created Triple Aim – Population Health, Experience of Care, and Per Capita Cost.  

The challenges:

Many organizations work in silos, with no one accountable for all three dimensions of care. By now, most health care organizations and community leaders have heard of the Triple Aim. It’s a multi-dimensional framework developed by IHI to optimize the health of a defined population and improve the care experience while reducing costs. Yet, while organizations and coalitions understand the benefits of implementing the framework, they’re not clear on how to begin the change process — especially when initiatives happen in silos and no one is accountable for all three dimensions.

In the DMV area, the system becomes more important than ever before; access to records and coordination of care to ensure outcomes is imperative. The patient is the driver!

The issues:

  • Convenience
  • Communication
  • Consistency

The trends:

  • The patient/consumer/customer will become more involved than ever before
  • The more informed the patient – the better the outcomes
  • The patient must have an advocate
  • By 2021, patients may compare their hospital experience rating against those of other hospitals prior to making a choice and choose like they would a hotel or airline
  • Too many portals take up too much time

The solutions:

  • Counting reputation
  • Establishing a laser-focus on experience is critical
  • Engaging value-conscious patients and consumers
  • Identifying competencies needed by healthcare professionals
  • Integrating behavioral health and medical care
  • Enhancing wellness programs that improve health and reduce costs
  • Identifying the gatekeeper: not obsolete but more difficult to coordinate care

What are you doing to integrate solutions within your healthcare marketing plan?

To start the process, AND START READING THINK DIFFERENTLY:

  • Please complete the contact form or email Sharon directly at info@sharonmweinstein.com.
  • Visit Sharon’s Consulting site for information about work/life balance programs and services, as well as an extensive client list by category.
  • You may also reach Sharon by phone at 202.798.0092.

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