Maj Charlotte Hildebrand, FACHE
clhildebrand@hotmail.com

Suzie So-Miyahira
suzie.so-miyahira@kapiolani.org

Stefan Fedusiv
ideasovercoffee@gmail.com

Tamara Pappas
tpappas@Queens.Org

Bobbie Ornellas, FACHE
bornellas001@hawaii.rr.com

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
Emiline Buhler
emiline.buhler@kapiolani.org

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Gidget Ruscetta, FACHE
gidget.ruscetta@palimomi.org

Seneca, a first century Roman philosopher allegedly first opined about luck being where opportunity and preparation intersect. In more recent times, that opinion was validated by Oprah as she morphed the saying to be “luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” In healthcare, how often have we said, or heard said, “Wow! Isn’t he/she lucky! They were just named the new C.X.Nameyourletter!”?  In reality, career development has little to do with luck and more to do with preparation. Luck may be present in the timing of an opportunity, but if you haven’t invested in your own development to allow you to be recognized as the “winner” of the promotion lottery, all the luck in the world will not be sufficient for you to be successful over the long term – longevity in leadership requires thoughtful career development.

Wikipedia defines career development as “the lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure, and transitions in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future.” Let’s take this definition apart:

• Lifelong process implies that it involves a series of steps that go on as long as you do. That’s reassuring as I’ve been at this a while and don’t necessarily want it to end, yet. I do wish that I would have taken more time early on in my career, to really think about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be in my career by a particular time – so if a mentor suggests that you take some time to think about where you want your career to go – listen and do!  There’s a reason that a standard question in job interviews has been "where do you see yourself in x years?" It’s no longer acceptable to answer passively "I’ve been too busy to give that a lot of thought."  Potential employers (as well as your boss) expect you to have an answer.
  
  
• “Managing” implies that career development is an active, personal responsibility, not a task assigned to your direct supervisor, HR, or anyone other than YOU! Employers are looking for goal-oriented, insightful leaders who are taking personal accountability for their growth – and not expecting that the organization will handle that for them.
  
  
• “Learn” is a verb; therefore, it implies action – and it’s personal. Your boss or mentor may suggest what needs to be learned to accomplish a task, but no one else can learn something for you. So you need to become the master of the knowledge base necessary to get you to the next step in your career journey.  Find a mentor. Don’t wait for a corporate sponsored mentorship program to find you. Reach out to a leader in ACHE and ask for a time to meet and learn from them, what they believe it takes to be successful in health care.
  
  
• “Work” is an important factor in career development as it’s a great place to learn, and it’s also a great place to showcase your abilities. In healthcare, many people advance through leadership by proving on a daily basis that they are “good” at what they do; or that they “show promise.” That you must master your assigned responsibilities and do a great job for your organization is a given. At the same time, your boss and others are likely looking for the next person who can take on more responsibility. Be eager and ready to do so. And be prepared by networking with others, reading professional literature, staying current with community events, and of course, being active in ACHE.
  
  
• “Leisure.” Worth in healthcare leadership is no longer measured by how many hours you put in at work but on the outcomes you achieve. This is a great concept because it leaves time for leisure (aka fun).  Employers appreciate well-rounded and interesting leaders – not one dimensional people who can only talk about work. Develop a passion for things that bring joy to you personally and your career will advance as well.
  
  
• “Transitions” implies moving from one thing to another, which is necessary to career development. It used to be that you were considered successful if you stayed at one job for 20 years or more. A review of healthcare literature would tell you that executive tenure is on average, 4.8 years; suggesting that we either will have VERY short careers or we will have many transitions throughout our careers. A synonym for transition is change – and in health care, we need to become very comfortable with change. A single leader cannot endlessly take on more responsibility or outcomes will suffer as perhaps will the leader’s health. Therefore, leaders must accept opportunities or roles, learn, master, hand-off, and then take on more or different opportunities.
  
  
• Finally, career development is about moving toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future. Your preferred future may not include being a CEO and it may even involve you refusing some opportunities that are presented. Your career is largely in your own hands. You can reach out to others for guidance or support, but you can’t depend upon them to determine your future. Be prepared to identify where you want to go, when you want to be there, and what it will take to get there – and keep an open mind and sense of humor--because in the process, you may end up somewhere entirely different, but very fulfilling nonetheless.