Don’t Burn Your Bridges
Posted by Bonnie Siegel on March 8th, 2010
Bonnie R. Siegel, FHIMSS
Now that the HIMSS10 conference is past history, I have to say it was good to see and talk with many healthcare IT professionals who have survived the past year. Several people, like me, have moved on to new positions. Others are looking for their next career move. All of us at some point in time can expect transitions to happen in our career, but my word of advice is to be careful and not to “burn your bridges.”
The healthcare IT industry is still small compared to other industries. Transitions and job changes mean you need to be ready to call on people you have worked with in the past as references, mentors, potential employers or clients. Keep in touch, don’t talk negatively about previous employers or colleagues (the walls have ears) and remember small acts of kindness are always remembered.
Here are some other thoughts to consider as you either move forward in your current position or if you are looking to make a change.
- Devote yourself to continuous learning and stay well rounded
- Understand the workflow of others and the organization
- Listen more than you talk
- Remember IT is a support service
- Focus on relationship development and proactive communication
- Demonstrate a collaborative spirit
- Don’t take yourself too seriously, make work enjoyable, have fun
- Have a mentor, be a mentor
Everyone you meet and work with or for is part of your network. Start by building a strong network of colleagues, ask them to join you on LinkedIn. If you don’t belong, join it and build your bridges. Over 70% of the health system CIOs I recently surveyed do belong to LinkedIn which reflects the growth of this professional social networking site.
If you are in a career transition or not, seek out people who know you and keep your bridges open and working.
Tags: Blogs, Bonnie Siegel
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thanks Bonnie — I’ve personally found LinkedIn to be a great tool in my line of work. CIOs will most likely find the same.