How to Create Synergy with Sales and Operation: a Conversation with Kacie Pritt

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Transcript

Erin: 0:35

Thank you for joining us on another episode of the Aspire for More with Erin podcast. And today I have the Kasey Pritt, who is the Regional Director of Business Development at HCF Management. Hi, Kasey. Thank you for being here. Hi, Erin. Thanks for having me. She is brave, folks, and she is here talking to a stranger, which I love. I love meeting new people and, getting the opportunity to spread the word and to apply the growth mindset to people at every stage of their career journey, which is exciting. So I do not know what a regional director of business development does with HCF management. So enlighten me.

Kacie: 1:22

Yes, of course. So HCF management, we are out of Lima, Ohio. We are a post acute care business. So basically we can, we cover everywhere from skilled nursing, home health, assisted living. We have hospice services as well.

Erin: 1:38

That's a lot. So when you say post acute, right? in my mind, in my assisted living memory care world, post acute would mean like a rehab, maybe that's connected to the hospital. But you describe post acute as lots of different business models. Am I short sighted in my definition of what post acute is?

Kacie: 2:04

I think that, no, I think that it just depends on like how you're used to working with post acute. That's not uncommon for me to hear people say, post acute as being a rehab that is attached to a hospital or something along the lines of that. Post acute to me is more of everything that happens after the hospital. So the hospital is acute. the patients go into the hospital with their acute stay, whatever that might be. And then after that is all of the care that happens.

Erin: 2:34

So I guess post acute, after hospital, long term care, sustained care. So that's the definitions of that. So assisted living and memory care is post acute care then.

Kacie: 2:45

potentially. Yeah, I think that, there might be like a fine line that I'm not really sure where it starts of after you get admitted into, let's say, a skilled nursing facility and then you are going to convert to a long term patient, I'm not really sure where that line would be, but I just see it as a whole group.

Erin: 3:03

yeah. No, that makes sense. That makes perfect sense. You work in a business model that has lots of different business models. Home health, skilled nursing, and the company has some assisted livings, correct?

Kacie: 3:21

And they also have a hospice line. So I'm the Pennsylvania regional director of business development. So in Pennsylvania specifically, we have skilled nursing facilities. There's seven of them that I oversee the business and sales for. And then I also have a home health branch as well. The assisted living facilities in the hospice. line is in Ohio.

Erin: 3:42

Okay, so you oversee skilled nursing and home health. so you have two different business tracks going on constantly all the time. Yes. That's fine. Yeah.

Kacie: 3:54

It is fun. it's definitely, there's times where it's wait, I got to shift ears real quick, but a lot of it just intermingles, we're here for the patients and we're, as long as you're keeping them at the forefront. I think that you can figure out what you need to do.

Erin: 4:06

yeah, I assume that requires a lot of, intellectual intelligence, a lot of IQ and a lot of emotional intelligence, because you get to see the two different businesses and how they run. So what makes them similar and what makes them different? And what is it unifying thing that each one need? You think I would think the emotional. Intelligence and reg awareness, is a couple things that come to mind for me.

Kacie: 4:40

Yeah, like regulations as far as care. So I'm gonna tell you that's not gonna be my strong suit. But as far as I guess just maybe even communication or how we talk to everybody involved. Like you have to be a chameleon, right? You have to change and weave, but it's all people. It's all patients with a loved one or somebody that, potentially has nerves and is I don't know what to do about this situation. So just making sure that between the business line, the patients and the families, everybody is communicating along with the referral sources. And just keeping that whole chain of like relationships and communication open and flowing. That's where I think maybe it's unified, if that makes sense.

Erin: 5:26

no, that makes perfect sense. how many times have we, as a family member, or, you have seen, or I have seen, where people come in and, Things are communicated halfway. Most of the problems are not necessarily the lack of communication. It's the way we communicate right? It's did they receive it? Did we ask them? Did we only talk about part of the issue and not all of the issue? there's just so much to communication. That if we're not careful can really bring these walls up. And the walls come up and it's like resentment steps in and now I can't trust you. And in a world where we can't trust anybody anymore, because there's so much information, communication really matters a lot.

Kacie: 6:15

And I think asking clarifying questions to, that's a big deal with it. Like whenever you have somebody that doesn't, maybe they're not comfortable asking those questions, I can't believe the amount of people that I've come across in this past year that just. They're afraid to ask questions. They don't know to ask questions. They just think that whatever you're saying is how it is. But if I don't know all the information, I can't tell you everything. it's like a two fold thing.

Erin: 6:41

Yes, I have had an experience this week that, falls right into this. This scenario that I think is really cool to think about or even to dissect. I am a professional at communicating and I typically do a lot of pre, I'd ask a lot of clarifying questions or I prepare people if they're going to meet my son for the first time, how to prepare, how to, all the things to set him up to succeed, right? And I didn't do that this week, because I thought I was entering a place that had an understanding that I had. Problem number one, I assumed that

Kacie: 7:24

Don't assume, never assume.

Erin: 7:26

I assumed that where I was going understood certain needs. Certain things. and I was wrong and certain things happened. And unfortunately, as a family, we didn't do what we needed to do to set our son up to succeed. And it failed miserably. It failed miserably. I did not ask clarifying questions. They did not ask questions. The other thing that I thought was really interesting when I was like really diving in deep as to how we got to this point was some of the things that they set up as communication factors to me as a new participant. I didn't know where it was coming from and I didn't ask. I didn't know. I didn't do it. So there's, as a family member, I assumed. People knew better than me and that was wrong. And I think that's what you goes back to those clarifying questions. Like, how do we set, how do we set our customers up to succeed? Yep. And members. Yes. Yes. Absolutely. And I think that's where the sales and ops relationship goes hand in hand, doesn't it?

Kacie: 8:38

Yes.

Erin: 8:39

Yeah. So talk to me about your experience when you're working in home health care and skilled nursings and understanding the basis of what I just, what just happened to me. how do we work together? Which I think is a question that all of us. Really struggle with sometimes is that sales and ops relationship. if we're not working together, our customers are not getting exactly what they need. And if we are working together, all of a sudden we have this synergistic. Flow of teamwork and then what stands in the way, but what is the value that you see, considering you work with two different business models, right? The sales and ops team working together.

Kacie: 9:25

I think it's just alignment and you're clear, you have a goal and you're able to obtain the goal. Sales cannot be effective without ops. We need their support. We need to know operationally Okay. What's going on with staffing? is there barriers that could prevent us from doing our job successfully? Because if we're going out and we're communicating one message and we're pushing for one thing, but something else is happening and we're not able to uphold that message that we just pushed out there, then we look unreliable. So To come back from that with damage control is not easy and we don't want to do that. We want to keep moving forward and growing as a team aligned together. and I think that whenever you have that disconnect, it can just be chaos. When you have it like literally chaos, I don't know how else to describe it, chaos and frustrating. But whenever you have that alignment, it's I, my regional director of operations for the skilled nursing study. I call him my work way. Like he just, he is the person that I know is going to have my back. I'm going to have his back. And we together are making sure that at the building level, the business development team and the administrators are also working that way. They have to work cohesively too at their level, because if not, same thing can happen, chaos, you

Erin: 10:40

know? Yeah. With trust being a huge component. When we know, I always use this example, we know in when someone's moving a loved one into long term care, or when they're just coming out of the hospital, it doesn't matter really what put them in their emotions are at peak level close to it or over peak, right? Or just flooding over and we, as professionals have to be able to manage through those emotions. And try to look through what, that root cause analysis is, which to me all boils down to wanting to be, helped, hugged, and heard, right? that's what people want. That's what people want. They, especially from a healthcare setting, this is what they want. And if our teams, if our ops teams and our sales teams are not, Aligned. And that's a great word. If they're not aligned, then we can't help hug and hear people. No,

Kacie: 11:47

no, not effectively. Not. I feel like it's, there becomes a disconnect. it's I could be saying this and you could be a hugging them this way, but if we're both hugging them two different ways. They're not going to feel like safe, and it just, it also comes down to whenever you're saying about trust, like the questions that we ask or those types of things, like that's a big deal as well. because they can feel validated, but also sometimes they get defensive, right? So then you have to make sure that you are feeling whatever the emotions are that they are having to make sure that we can move forward.

Erin: 12:25

Yeah. Yeah. We want to ask the right questions because we care. And I think when we preface this, I'm going to ask you a lot of questions and some of them may be uncomfortable, but we want to know so we can be successful with you. And I think the number one question to always ask for me is what does success look like? Look like to you and I say that and I'm such a hypocrite this week because I didn't do that. And clearly success was not met on either side for my situation. Which is a great topic to talk about because. That's what happens when you don't ask the right questions. We just assume that professionals know what they're doing in their specific niche area.

Kacie: 13:13

Yeah. I, have you ever had it where somebody has said that they didn't know what their success looked like? Yeah, that's really interesting when that happens, because it's okay, let's ask more, like, how do we figure this out together?

Erin: 13:26

Yeah, I think when I get that question, and that's due to overwhelm. Yeah, and we pull it right back down to a very basic level of okay. Do you want them to move in? Yes. Okay. When do you want them to move in? Yes. Would you like us to be there or do you want to do it alone? that kind of thing. what do they like to eat? And so then all of a sudden it sparks conversation and then they start going. Oh, okay. or if they literally say they don't care, then. That's where I get okay, I can make this as big and grand as you want it to be, or I can make this really small and low key. It's just whatever you prefer. And then I go, okay, do you want it big and grand or do you want it low key? Yeah, clarifying,

Kacie: 14:16

clarifying

Erin: 14:16

that. Yes, clarifying question. Yeah. Have you had instances where ops and sales are struggling and we have to find ways to bridge the gap?

Kacie: 14:29

Yes. Okay.

Erin: 14:30

Yeah,

Kacie: 14:30

I think that, there has been times where I have found like almost some people perceive a, this is my lane, and this is your lane, and I agree we I don't want to do anything operations like I have enough things going on. But the communication and openness still is required for that unified or the alignment to be there.

Erin: 14:56

yes, I really hate the term. Stay in your lane. I really hate that term. I understand the context. I understand the value of, being focused on the things that you need to be focused on. But if your main point. As to be successful is to create an experience for someone or some people. Each lane needs to know what each lane is doing and be accountable. Yes, and to be accountable and to really understand a salesperson needs to understand the operation boundaries and then the operation people need to understand the pressures that sales has and the amount of questions that are asked and understand how we have to tweak things to what the customer wants. That's amazing. Yes, perfectly. like we do XYZ. Yes, but we can also do ABC, because it's a different. this person's bringing in a different perspective of X, Y, and Z. And yeah, we actually, we can do that right within the realm of our own boundaries, but we have to be able to communicate to each sales and ops have to be able to have an open line of communication to figure that out.

Kacie: 16:18

Yeah. We have to know what's going on. Everybody has to know what's going on. you just knowing doesn't mean that you're doing. It just means that you're going to be able to do your job then successfully if you know what all is going on. Knowledge is power, right?

Erin: 16:32

yes, it is. It's very empowering to know because there's not one customer that wants to hear, I don't know, I'll give you to somebody else that can tell you that.

Kacie: 16:45

Let me just call and check on that.

Erin: 16:49

Especially in an emotional situation. There is no 1 that wants to hear, hold on a 2nd, let me give you somebody that you can talk to and then the line drops or whatever. that's not what we want. I think that you should fill every sales director with lots of information. And then the salesperson is free to talk to any operational person during the tour or on a call and bring them in and feel the synergy. when they're in the room together.

Kacie: 17:19

Yeah. I think that, patients and family members or referral sources, they look at us as a resource. Like once you, you establish that trust in that relationship, they look at you as a resource. And if you don't know what's going on and they ask you those questions, it decreases your validity

Erin: 17:36

They're trusting you. To be a resource and not a sales pitch to me is how you grow your business because they view you as the expert. You're the expert and expert's a very scary word. I, to be so bold as to say, I'm an expert. in this area seems. Bold and arrogant and risky. Yes. But I like to use it in the sense of, I am an expert in comparison to the person that I am talking to there. You are an expert. Casey print is an expert. in home health, business development, and in skilled nursing, business development. I am not an expert in that realm because I do not have that experience. In comparison to me, KC Preux is an expert. Yeah, That's what you are. There are other people who may be more knowledgeable than you, but that doesn't lower your degree of expertise in this conversation. You got to own that. and so to be able to put on that cap of I'm an expert and I'm here to help people who know less. Then I know, or who needs help in managing through the journey. How does that make you feel when I tell you that you're an expert?

Kacie: 19:00

I think it, yes, it is very, it's wait, I'm not a scientist. So but I do think that I've tried, I've gone through that feeling of okay, these people are looking at me like I'm an expert here, so I need to Do my due diligence here. Yes, exactly. But I've been able to shift my mindset over watching podcasts and things to just think of it as I'm giving. I need to not think about what this means for me or how they're perceiving me. I'm purely here to just give and be a resource to them, to educate, whatever that might be. And that has helped because I have gone into meetings where I'm like, they're looking at me like an expert and this is not going to go well,

Erin: 19:42

But you are, don't discount what you are. I know. Yeah. And. But do rationalize it for to make you more confident in it, but yeah, they are looking to you for guidance. if you're transparent with people, they'll respect you. But if you help somebody, they're going to buy from you. They're going to want you. It's that idea of reciprocity. if you're going to go buy a wedding dress and they offer you some champagne, you're like, yes. All of a sudden I've elevated the experience a little bit to somebody who didn't do that for me. And so the idea of reciprocity is I'm going to give, so people will feel more comfortable and their guard will come down when you give information. You're new, you're being a resource. And if you, and here's the other thing about imposter syndrome to help with that, into the same tone of I'm an expert, but I don't, but I'm not an expert, you only speak through your experience. Don't step out of your experience because you're an expert in your experience. And so everything you can say is, based on my experience, this is what I've seen.

Kacie: 20:51

It's ironic that you brought up imposter syndrome because I've literally just had this like deep conversation with one of my team members this past week about it. she brings it up a lot, how she feels that she has imposter syndrome and she, it was cold calls. There's certain things with the sales process that sometimes it's a barrier for her. And I'm like, all right, I'll put my therapist hat on. let's see if we can work through this and just ask, you know, be curious and say, okay, why are we feeling this way? And whatever. So it's just funny that you're bringing this up and how it's tying in other areas that I didn't even like. Realize, yeah, it's

Erin: 21:25

literally based on my experience. This is what I've seen because now you have eliminated all the other things that could happen that you just haven't experienced yet, and yeah, imposter syndrome is huge.

Kacie: 21:41

Yeah,

Erin: 21:42

and it is literally what prevents people from moving forward to the next going.

Kacie: 21:47

Yeah.

Erin: 21:47

and I certainly am one of those people until I just decided. It's okay to do it wrong. It doesn't, I don't tie my worth into it. And I think that's what you could tell anyone is my worth is not tied into the outcome. My worth is tied into the attempt.

Kacie: 22:04

and I think too, I think a lot of times we focus on where we started and not where we've come or where we're at or how we're growing or what we're doing to be able to move forward. It's okay, we're going to start with this and it's probably not going to go well because. whatever that might be that you tell yourself, but,

Erin: 22:19

yeah. So when we are the expert, it's only based on our experience. And if we can put that framework in people's minds, it really works. But you brought up a good word being curious, and on the same vein of the sales and ops team working synergistically together. I think being curious. Is what's the skill needed to bridge that gap? I like to say, and of course, I cannot take credit for this. This is certainly a Brene Brown concept. And who knows if she even brought up with it because a lot of people say it now, but it is so true. It's about getting it right and not being right. Yes,

Kacie: 23:00

my, the thing that I've seen is so many people put their ego into it. It's this is not about you. Like we're trying to work towards whatever the problem is or the solution or the goal, and asking those questions and really being curious to identify how we do that as a whole. it's interesting how different individuals can perceive curiosity.

Erin: 23:20

yes, and if we start a meeting where we know we're having to bridge the gap right between sales and ops and whatever I think. I can look at it when I speak about it. It's from inside and assisted living or memory care community, or I could even take it to a place of from a home office to a community standpoint. So we, if this can be applied from a sales and operation thing and to from a community to a home office, or, inside skilled nursing or inside home health or whatever, inside a home office, it is being curious versus being certain.

Kacie: 24:00

Yeah.

Erin: 24:02

Yes. The sword I died on inside of a community was being certain, and it was more about being right than getting it right? And in my, in this particular example, I won't go into detail too much, but both parties cared more about being right than getting it right. Yeah. And I was one of the parties. Yeah. there was no curiosity. It was strictly being right, being certain that it was right. And, the connection ceased to exist. But I look back at that again, we can talk about this from any angle, from the sales op to the sales and the ops to co office and community. And it was just, if I would have taken the angle of just being curious, why less defensive. here's where I stand on. And here's why, with this being said, how can we work through this? Um, curiosity versus certainty are getting it right and being right. You can look at it from being vulnerable and not being vulnerable, worth being tied into all of it. there's just so. Much that is just not even about sales and ops.

Kacie: 25:25

Yeah, but it ties into it. Yeah. I know that there's been times where I'm like, I do not understand where this person is coming from. Like clearly they, their idea is way wrong. I know that this is right, but let's just, see what happens here. And I started to practice asking them like, can you tell me more or why is that? Or what has led you to think this way? Or, to implement it this way, or whatever, just so that I can try to discover what is. their thought process behind it, and then be like, okay, this is how it doesn't make sense to me, or this is where I'm coming from, or maybe it will make sense to me once I shed some light on all of the ifs, ands, and what's about it, but whenever you just give it very vague, sometimes it's no, Yeah,

Erin: 26:09

that's not the truth at all.

Kacie: 26:11

It's not the truth at all.

Erin: 26:13

Or, now I'm understanding where we went wrong in this scenario, I think one of the ways, one of the ways that I have seen even recently is to start bridging the gap is to take accountability of some kind first. 1 sides got to take accountability. I realize I don't understand. I realize that we are speaking at each other, but we're not speaking to each other. So can you help me understand where we are and how we got here? When somebody takes accountability and then the responsibility of forging that. that road back to each other. It's

Kacie: 26:54

important. Yes. If I had a microphone, I would drop it right now. Like drop, that's just like phenomenal. I think that there's a lot of times where people just don't, they don't understand the difference. Between being accountable or being responsible or how it ties together or that like you need to have both and it's eye opening whenever you're in those situations of trying to coach people along to do what we need to do and how we have to hold, even though you're not responsible for this person, but we all do need to hold each other accountable and trying to get them to see that it's a little challenging.

Erin: 27:29

yes. Yes, it is very challenging. And I think when I go back and I look at other versions of myself, one of the main reasons accountability was never my. My Achilles heel, because I would always be accountable for the actions that I did or did not do, but where I was really strong that other people were weak at was being able to be accountable. I understood what people wanted from me. Number 1, I really understood it. And as a leader, I am accountable for my team's actions. I'm not responsible for them. That, that did that maturity didn't come till later. I did feel responsible for them. And if I felt responsible, I'm going to be accountable, but when you feel responsible, you feel it inside here. And so there is a difference between. you have to be careful that people understand and when you're coaching your team, it's like a distinct difference of you're not responsible for the choices that they make, but the family wants you to be accountable the choices that were made. And therefore, we have to have the hard conversation. we have a tendency to house these things inside. I did, which was part of my problem, which was the defensiveness creeps up when you're already beating yourself up. So much that I don't need you. I don't need you to do that for me. I'm already doing it. Yes. yep. Yeah. And I think that's another aspect that, leaders can do when you have a defensive person is you may be really beating yourself up on the inside for this. And, I want to help you not do that, but we need to be accountable for this.

Kacie: 29:19

Yeah, that's a good approach.

Erin: 29:20

Yes, because I was a very defensive person. Naturally, I just am. And I have worked really hard. I would have never guessed that. Oh no, I have worked really hard to, identify that and lean into the uncomfortableness. Of why I want to be defensive or why I was defensive. yes. So I always like to say to people when you're dealing with your most offensive associate, you want to make sure they understand their worth is not tied into this. You are worthy of it all, but we have to talk about your choices. And number two, you're not responsible for this, but we do have to be accountable. And then just to be aware that and to address the fact that they may be beating themselves up. Yeah,

Kacie: 30:16

I've never thought of it that way. Like I have, but not that deep, that makes a lot of sense

Erin: 30:21

when your worth is tied into your outcomes.

Kacie: 30:23

Yes.

Erin: 30:24

You don't want to look

Kacie: 30:25

like you're doing bad, but by any means. Yeah,

Erin: 30:29

yeah, dude, yeah, I've had some conversations that I'm not proud of

Kacie: 30:33

right into growth. you're like, I, this is very uncomfortable. But look here, look at me grow, protrude into this uncomfort. That's good for you, though. that's good for you.

Erin: 30:42

yeah,

Kacie: 30:43

that's hard.

Erin: 30:45

It is. It's hard. And that's why, that's why changing from a growth oriented or to a growth oriented mindset from a goal oriented mindset is such a extreme focus of mine because, it's the only way to grow and to not be defensive, and I think what we see with that sales and ops is the defensiveness sometimes

Kacie: 31:07

I agree. And I think too, like there's just this level of It's a whole new game. Once you switch, it's just you're just getting started then in the mountains that you can go and, basically the sky's the limit. Once you're able to switch to that growth mindset, it is. It's just the way it affects people, the way it affects me. It has affected me because I used to be that way where I was like, very just narrow minded or goal. I had one, one thing and that was it. And I really don't know what the turning point was where I did switch from that. I honestly think that it was whenever I was at my first job as an occupational therapist assistant. And, I was in a nursing home and I worked with somebody that. I just didn't understand why she didn't see things that I, like I did, like, why is it so hard to talk to her? she just needs to understand where I'm coming from. And it took, a few uncomfortable conversations to realize that she wasn't going to change. I needed to figure out how emotional intelligence played in, right? What was going on, how she was feeling, how I was reacting to it there. and that's where it started to spark my girl's mindset. Okay.

Erin: 32:16

Yes, that is correct. Excellent. You could have banged your head against the wall. Like how many of us have done that and for how long and anger and resentment and all the things, but instead you realized what can I control in this situation?

Kacie: 32:31

Yes. I

Erin: 32:32

can control me. You

Kacie: 32:34

know.

Erin: 32:35

And then you became that person who could control you to some extent. Yeah. I still have

Kacie: 32:40

a vision,

Erin: 32:41

I like to tell people. Oh, no, I still visit. I still visit defensive land. I just, Like, it's still a place that I visit. okay, so let's go. I feel like we've had a lot of fun, insightful conversation. So we learned. That post acute is everything after the hospital and in between hospital and long term care, all the services in between hospital and long term care, which I think is a fun way to look at it. It may not be the way, but I think. I learned something new today that I could call it post acute care. So we're just going to say that's what we say that it is. you can call it the Casey Pritt way if you would like. Yeah, that's right. Anything in between. Stay and long term care residency. And then, talked about being, A resource instead of a sale, which is really important. And considering you work in both home health and in skilled nursing in the business development side, that's huge. It's huge. And the sales and the operations piece communicate with each other. To me, if you're going to get to a hundred percent, you're a unicorn. If you can do that without. Sales and occupancy working hand in hand.

Kacie: 33:58

Yes, I agree. I don't think it's

Erin: 33:59

sustainable.

Kacie: 34:01

I don't think so either. It may be like if it was a shot in the dark and it just happened, by chance. But I agree, it's not sustainable, you have to be very fluid.

Erin: 34:11

Yeah, and the only way to do that is to be curious. And to really want to get it right, rather than being right, those, that mindset, those goals, that curiosity is what really bridges the gap in between the lack of communication. and then, switching our mindset, right to growth oriented versus goal oriented. we can overcome defensiveness. And certainty. And be curious and respectful, which is important. And then we distinguished accountability and responsibility. I like this other term and hope you take this with you. I was helping somebody this week and it was, observing, not absorbing, which I think goes hand in hand with accountability and responsibility. Yes. And I just recently got those words and that understanding. And when I look back and I'm sure you would do the same thing. Life wasn't fun when you were absorbing everything,

Kacie: 35:15

right? Yeah. I'm going to have to think about that perspective because I've never heard it that way. And it's my brain's going a hundred different directions with it right now. So I'll definitely have to be like next week, call you and listen.

Erin: 35:28

I know. because, I, there was a time in my leadership where I absorbed a lot. And, that's not fun. No, it's hard. Draining. It's really hard. And I think that we have, in healthcare, we have a lot of people absorbing a lot of things when you don't have to.

Kacie: 35:46

Yeah, no, I think that everybody has their strengths, right? Everybody, you have a team of people, they all have their strengths, and if you are unified, it's going to be fine and you're not going to be stressed out. But that's hard. To get it to that level.

Erin: 35:57

It is. it's certainly words that I am still digesting. And like, how do you, how does that make sense in our line of work? how do we apply that? Yeah, what are the strategies to do that with leaders? because it is such an emotional, industry that we work in, yeah. and we also talked about how emotional intelligence is. I believe, we believe one of the number one skills we need inside of healthcare.

Kacie: 36:27

And it's something that I feel like everybody can continue to grow or can continue to strengthen, just like communication skills. It's something that we use daily, but are you talking or are you communicating? are you hearing or are same thing. I know I still am learning about it every day, the minute that I start to feel comfortable, I come across a family member, a patient or an employee that I'm like, wow, I know nothing. Wait, I need to revisit this topic.

Erin: 36:54

Yeah, isn't it funny how life gives us these, situations where you're like, okay, yeah, no more to learn. That's important. I think the main thing that leaders need to understand, though, is that if they're doing everything the best they can that we have to trust the process, right? Yes. As long as we're being accountable for the process, then, You know, results will happen forward. Yeah. Anything else you want to highlight,

Kacie: 37:20

add? I don't think so. I think that this was phenomenal. Yes, it was fun. And I could feel the passion, getting all burned up inside. Get excited about

Erin: 37:31

those things. Yeah, I really hope that we help leaders understand that they're not alone. I think that's the goal, that we all struggle with this stuff.

Kacie: 37:41

And it is possible to move forward. it is hard, but it is definitely possible. If you're consistent and curious in all of the things that we talked about, I think you can get to those. relationships that you need or that point of alignment.

Erin: 37:56

Yes, I didn't, alignment is such a great word. Alignment is such a great word. and I will add whenever you say it's hard. And when we say it's hard, and you're feeling like it's hard, and you feel like maybe we're talking about another version of hard, No, we're talking about the hard that you feel is hard, I used to take people when they said this was hard. it wasn't my version of hard. It was another version of hard. I'm like, no, talking about the hard that you feel is hard. Yes, that's hard. Yes, I used to think, though, they're talking about something else, but no, they were talking about this. This is hard. Communicating with people is hard. That's the hard that we're talking about. thank you for being my guest and really having a real conversation

Kacie: 38:46

in real

Erin: 38:48

time.

Kacie: 38:49

Yeah, I know. Yeah, this is wonderful. Thank you. You're truly all of all the things you're doing. You've been an inspiration to me. So I can only imagine how you will continue to help others. And I'm just glad that I was able to be a part of this. So thank you.

Erin: 39:04

Oh, thank you. Thank you for being here. That means the world to me. It just really does. So I appreciate it. So to all my listeners aspire for more for you.