137. Small Actions for Big Impact | The Fine Print of Crushing It

It’s often not the big power moves that change our lives; it’s the small, intentional actions. By focusing on micro-skills, even the most ambitious goals become achievable.

In this episode, we talk with Drs. Adaira Landry and Resa E. Lewiss about their new book, MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact.  We explore how financial literacy, self-presentation, concise communication, and allyship can be developed as essential micro-skills for a successful career. We also navigate workplace dynamics, including recognizing and addressing issues like mansplaining and bropropriating. Finally, we discuss the nuances of learning when to say “yes” or “no,” and the art of timely, respectful communication.

 

 

Guest Bios:  ADAIRA LANDRY, MD, MEd, is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who studied and trained at University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; New York University; and Harvard with almost a decade of experience mentoring students and early-career professionals. She is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and award winning mentor. She co-founded Writing in Color, a nonprofit that teaches the craft of writing.

RESA E LEWISS MD is a professor of emergency medicine, TEDMED speaker, TimesUp Healthcare founder, designer, entrepreneur, and award winning educator, mentor, and point-of-care ultrasound specialist. She studied at Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the NIH Howard Hughes Research Scholars Program, Harvard Emergency Medicine, and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt. She hosts the Visible Voices Podcast, amplifying content in the healthcare, equity, and current trends spaces.

They have written for CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Nature, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Science, Slate, STAT News, Teen Vogue, VOGUE, and USA Today.

We Discuss:

The Concept of Micro-Skills

• Micro-skills are small, learnable skills that can be practiced and integrated in real time to break down large goals and habits into manageable tasks.
• MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact addresses gaps in leadership and self-help books that often lack diversity and practical guidance on “how” to implement strategies. The book draws from personal experiences to offer relatable and actionable advice, blending self-help with memoir-style storytelling.
• Micro-skills aim to be universally applicable, transcending professions, gender, and typical self-help audiences.
• A key difference in their approach is that they provide concrete instructions for achieving goals rather than just stating what the goals should be. The practical approach focuses on helping the reader improve at work by Monday, using skills that can be applied immediately.

Financial Literacy and Debt Management

• Tackling debt, especially high-interest student loans, is a critical micro-skill for healthcare professionals and others. This is a skill that can be approached strategically by understanding different types of debt and addressing them systematically.
• Many physicians come out of medical training with significant debt, yet often lack structured financial literacy or a plan to manage this debt.
• Financial literacy isn’t typically taught in medical school, leading to “aha” moments and financial surprises upon graduation.
• Building financial skills includes understanding different types of debt, prioritizing high-interest debts, and exploring debt strategies.
• Financial independence is linked to greater autonomy rather than materialistic gains, allowing for choices like part-time work or other career paths.
• Time and financial freedom are often more valued than material wealth, with an emphasis on controlling one’s time as a form of currency.

Performing a Debt Inventory to Understand the Landscape of Your Debt

• Not all debt is the same; understanding the differences, interest rates, and the purpose of each debt type is crucial.
• Understanding who you owe, how much you owe, and interest rates can help prioritize which debts to address first.
• Creating a debt inventory helps with strategizing repayment and fostering financial health.
• A distinction is drawn between debt that has a return on investment, like a mortgage, versus debt that doesn’t, like student loans.
• Engaging with financial literacy resources like online communities and finance books can help establish a path to financial well-being.

Appearance Matters and Personal Hygiene is a Skill That Doesn’t Always Come Naturally

• Personal hygiene and grooming are critical micro-skills often overlooked in professional development and have real workplace implications.
• Addressing appearance-related issues with colleagues, such as unkemptness or strong body odor, requires nuances. When conversations about appearance are necessary, they should be approached with sensitivity and curiosity, assessing the person’s resources and background.
• A decline in personal grooming can be a sign of emotional distress or other life challenges and may be an entry point for a supportive conversation. 
• Gender dynamics can play a role in these situations, and navigating them requires considering cultural norms and personal comfort levels.
• Addressing hygiene isn’t about judgment; it’s about fostering a professional and supportive work environment.

Timing and Context are Critical When Checking In or Providing Feedback

• Feedback timing and context matter greatly; avoid discussing sensitive issues during stressful moments like an ongoing shift.
• Conversations about personal performance should ideally take place in private, safe settings to encourage openness.
• When initiating a difficult conversation, ask yourself if it’s appropriate for your role and if you’re the right person to address the issue.
• The ability to pause before responding and choose the appropriate time and place for feedback is a vital micro-skill.
• Respect for boundaries and timing is a key part of professional communication, impacting how feedback is received and acted upon.

We’re Trained to be Cumbersome in Communication When What We Need is to be Succinct

• In medicine and many other fields, clear and concise communication is crucial; the first 30 seconds of a consultation call should be refined and rehearsed.
• Clear and brief communication is respectful of the time and needs of the person you are speaking to, facilitating a more efficient transfer of information.
• The tendency to provide long-winded explanations can be addressed by practicing “bottom-line up front” (BLUF) presentations. Rehearsing in advance, focusing on salient points, and avoiding unnecessary details help make communication more impactful.
• Learning to distill an H&P (history and physical) into a one-liner is a mark of a skilled communicator in medicine.
• Even minor adjustments in language can improve the clarity and efficiency of communication.

Don’t Bury The Lead

• One micro-skill is not to “bury the lead” in communication – share the main point or need immediately.
• Leading with the need helps the listener immediately understand the purpose and urgency of a call. Provide the bottom line up front before diving into details.
• Communication is a skill that develops over time and requires deliberate practice and feedback.

Role-Playing to Improve Communication

• Role-playing can be a valuable exercise for learning how to communicate effectively, particularly in high-stakes environments. Practicing conversations prepares individuals for real scenarios and helps develop concise messaging.
• Simulating realistic scenarios, like that of a challenging consultant, allows learners to practice various approaches and become comfortable with their communication style.

Learning from Experience and Modeling. Do we Leave Too Much Up to Chance?

• Skills like efficient communication and assertiveness are often modeled rather than explicitly taught, leading to inconsistent learning experiences.
• Some skills are learned by chance or through random exposure to effective models of behavior.
• Having a standardized method to teach these micro-skills can ensure that all learners have access to best practices. Ensuring equitable access to professional development helps all individuals, especially those who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
• Personalized coaching and feedback are necessary to refine skills that might not be addressed in formal training.

Micro-Skills for Self-Care and Burnout Prevention:  The Art of Saying No

• Saying no is a critical micro skill that many professionals struggle with, leading to overcommitment and burnout.
• It’s confusing for early-career professionals who are often told to say yes to everything but are later advised to be selective.
• Overcommitment to tasks that don’t align with one’s goals can result in wasted time and energy, contributing to burnout.
• Evaluating every opportunity in terms of its impact on personal goals, skills, and career trajectory is crucial. Learning to set boundaries early on can help maintain work-life balance and avoid future burnout.

Responding to Emails Promptly and Respecting Deadlines are Force Multipliers

• Respectful and efficient communication is a micro-skill that multiplies opportunities and fosters strong professional networks. Meeting deadlines and communicating clearly are skills that foster respect and reliability in the workplace. 
• Prompt communication conveys respect for others’ time and efforts and builds a reputation for reliability. Being responsive and respectful of timelines is a habit that can create more opportunities and build trust.
• Consistently responding to messages and respecting timelines makes individuals more likely to be invited back for future opportunities. Overcommitting and failing to meet deadlines can damage professional relationships and opportunities for advancement.
• Clear communication, especially in project management, prevents misunderstandings and unnecessary follow-ups.
• This micro skill extends beyond email to all forms of communication, enhancing relationships and project success.

Addressing Mansplaining and Bropropriating

• Mansplaining, manterrupting, and bropropriating are terms used to describe situations where men interrupt, explain condescendingly, or take credit for women’s ideas.
• These behaviors can occur across all genders but are named for their common occurrence in male-to-female interactions.
• Practicing radical listening, sharing the stage, and allowing space for diverse voices are vital for respectful workplace communication.

The Power of Allyship

• Allyship involves speaking up for others in real time and providing support when witnessing behaviors like mansplaining. Addressing these dynamics will create a more inclusive work environment. 
• Recognizing when others are interrupted or have their contributions minimized allows allies to redirect the conversation.
• Having stock phrases ready, such as “I don’t think she was finished,” can help intervene without escalating the situation.
• Small interventions like body language or gentle redirection can support colleagues who are interrupted or sidelined.
• Allyship requires situational awareness and readiness to act in the moment to uphold respect and balance in conversations.
• Emphasizing allyship in the workplace fosters inclusivity and helps address power dynamics that might otherwise be overlooked.

Recommended Books

• Your Money or Your Life:  Debt Collection in American Medicine by Luke Messac: Explores the issue of medical debt in America, highlighting how patients unable to pay their medical bills are criminalized and the emotional impact on healthcare providers who may be unaware of this consequence. Discussed in this Stimulus podcast.
• Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut: A novel that emphasizes the importance of authenticity and self-awareness, with the key message, “We are who we pretend to be, so we must be very careful who we pretend to be.” This theme encourages readers to reflect on their true selves versus the personas they project.
• White Coat Investor by James Dahle: The first personal finance book recommended for those in the medical field, offering practical financial advice and insights specifically for healthcare professionals.
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck: Praised for its beautiful prose and compelling storytelling, this novel demonstrates the power of masterful writing and was an influential read for its impact on understanding narrative depth.
• Story Genius by Lisa Cron: A practical guide for aspiring novelists, focusing on the use of brain science to craft compelling and riveting stories. The book offers deep insights into the storytelling process and is recommended for repeated reading as a resource for developing writing skills.