Simply Worth It: Physician Negotiations with Dr. Linda Street

Hey ya'll! We're coming back from our hiatus for a special edition episode where I discuss the FTC ruling about noncompetes with non other than Ann Bittinger JD.  Ann is a healthcare contract attorney who's my go to for all things physician contracts and we discuss what this means for you AND how to use it even while things are ambiguous and clear as mud.... You can find Ann at bittingerlaw.com  and as always you can find me at www.simplystreetmd.com Stay tuned! I'm hoping to resurrect the podcast for a new season soon Also please bear with me! This was an unscheduled add in because of this being such an important topic and ATM I'm my team so its unedited. 

Even if you have all your ducks in a row, negotiations can throw us something completely unexpected.    One left-field comment can take the wind out of our sails and derail our plans.   Instead of letting your brain pull an amygdala hijack and respond rashly, there is a safety lever that will allow us to respond in our best light.    How do we respond to the unexpected without sabotaging ourselves?   In this episode, I share how to deal with something you weren't ready for in a negotiation.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Grace in the face of bad news If the conversation uncovers bad news, how do we maintain composure?   - A well thought-out response vs. a rash reaction How do we take a productive pause from the conversation and create space to regroup later?   - A win-win  How do we make sure both parties leave the conversation feeling like value was exchanged?  

The pay gap in medicine is something we're all too familiar with. While some of it is certainly systemic and structural - there is a mindset piece where we have to bring ourselves to the table.    To get jobs and packages that align with our worth, we have to learn to ask for what we want. Between our societal and medical socialization, that can be hard to do, but not impossible.    How do we overcome the mindset blocks that make it hard to advocate for ourselves? Why is preparation so critical to our success at the negotiating table?    In this episode, I join physician and master certified life coach, and CEO at Weight Loss for Busy Physicians, Dr. Katrina Ubell on her podcast: Weight Loss for Busy Physicians. We discuss the mindset and approach to a successful negotiation.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Facts vs. the stories we tell ourselves about the facts How do we approach negotiation with a more productive mindset instead of an us vs. them mentality?   - Mental barriers to advocating for ourselves  As women and doctors, we're socialized to play nice in the sandbox and be grateful for what we have. How do we overcome this mindset?   - A rising tide raises all ships  We often think only of how a negotiation benefits us, but can advocate for ourselves to improve the lives of others?     Guest Bio    Dr. Katrina Ubell is a physician and master certified life coach, CEO at Weight Loss for Busy Physicians, and author of “How to Lose Weight for the Last Time: Brain-Based Solutions for Permanent Weight Loss”.    She specializes in helping women-identifying doctors who overeat. Her clients no longer need food to make their lives tolerable, resulting in freedom around food and for many, weight loss.   Get Dr. Ubell's newest book “How to Lose Weight for the Last Time” here.

Conversations are the lifeblood of all human interaction. Leading others and advocating for ourselves is impossible without having effective conversations. From the normal ones we don't have to prepare for, to the sensitive ones we run over and over in our heads, getting good at conversations is a worthy investment.    What sets a conversation up for success? How can we use conversations to co-create better solutions?    In this episode, we conclude our series with Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant, and founder and CEO of 304 Coaching, Jen Thornton. Today, we dive into conversations and why getting good at them serves us well, at work and everywhere else.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - But first… How do we avoid blindsiding someone when we pull them into a conversation?   - Push-pull  There's a difference between a conversation and a vent session. How do we master the dance of conversational push and pull?    - A productive pause Sometimes our conversations need a circle-back point, but how do we make it a space of progress, and not a dead end?     Guest Bio    Jen Thornton is a Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. Jennifer has made it her life's work to grow the kind of teams that inspire, influence, and innovate brand experience.   Jen knows just how powerful teams can be when they feel psychologically safe and invested in - and she knows just how crucial that is to any organization that wants to rapidly grow and expand. She brings an unconventional approach to designing innovative workforce development solutions for companies that are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns and the results are expectation-defying and impactful.   Jennifer is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation and holds certification in several accredited methodologies, including Conversation Intelligence and Gallup Strengths.   For more information, head to https://304coaching.com and listen to her podcast, Let's Fix Leadership on your platform of choice.

Having an exceptional clinical skill set doesn't magically translate into great leadership in a world that's evolving at breakneck speed.    At some point we'll find ourselves leading people whose jobs we don't know how to do, but that doesn't mean we can't be effective leaders.    Whether we're working with different specialties or people with an entirely different skill set and perspective, we have to approach the challenge like CEOs.    How do we gain the confidence to lead in an unfamiliar area?   What are the key skills we need to have?    In this episode, I'm continuing my leadership series with the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching, Jen Thornton.   We talk about leading in an area that's not your forte.   Jen is available this month (September) in the NegotiatHER facebook group. If you have any questions bring them to her there!     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - We're all leading in uncharted territory Even if we're leading in a field we know, is the world moving so fast that even the familiar can quickly become an unknown?    - Bridging the gap and understanding a different thinking model  Sometimes the people we're leading don't think that we understand where they're coming from. How do we remedy this?   - I don't see it but change my mind Why is this a statement more leaders should be saying more often?     Guest Bio    Jen Thornton is a Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. Jennifer has made it her life's work to grow the kind of teams that inspire, influence, and innovate brand experience.   Jen knows just how powerful teams can be when they feel psychologically safe and invested in - and she knows just how crucial that is to any organization that wants to rapidly grow and expand. She brings an unconventional approach to designing innovative workforce development solutions for companies that are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns and the results are expectation-defying and impactful.   Jennifer is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation and holds certification in several accredited methodologies, including Conversation Intelligence and Gallup Strengths.   For more information, head to https://304coaching.com and listen to her podcast, Let's Fix Leadership on your platform of choice.

When we try to wrap our heads around why leadership is so challenging, we'll soon discover that the mindset piece is what gets in our way.    Our mental state is the foundation upon which great leadership is placed, and being a great leader begins with our own relationship with ourselves. When that foundation is stuck in a reactive space, it's hard for us to truly show up as our best selves, and that trickles into our teams and organizations.    Who are the 3 horsemen of the reactive leadership apocalypse? How do we take a less stressful approach to leadership?    In this episode, we're diving back into leadership with Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and CEO of 304 Coaching, Jen Thornton. Today we talk about the mental game of leadership, and how we can turn it into something beautiful that people want to follow.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The 3 horsemen of reactivity When we're in our reactive stage, what are the telltale signs and how do they manifest in doctor-land?   - Tendencies vs. competencies How do we break out of our default reactive thought patterns and behaviors and self-author an engaged response?    - A cure for the Monday morning screw its  How do we do away with the us vs. them mentality that tends to come up when we're working with hospital administration?     Guest Bio    Jen Thornton is a Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. Jennifer has made it her life's work to grow the kind of teams that inspire, influence, and innovate brand experience.   Jen knows just how powerful teams can be when they feel psychologically safe and invested in - and she knows just how crucial that is to any organization that wants to rapidly grow and expand. She brings an unconventional approach to designing innovative workforce development solutions for companies that are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns and the results are expectation-defying and impactful.   Jennifer is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation and holds certification in several accredited methodologies, including Conversation Intelligence and Gallup Strengths. For more information, head to https://304coaching.com and listen to her podcast, Let's Fix Leadership on your platform of choice.

As physicians, we're seen as leaders, but leading in an industry that has become more corporate is challenging. Even though we're accomplished in our careers, administrative leadership doesn't always come naturally to us. Adding to this the barriers we encounter as female physicians, leading well can be especially important.    Unfortunately, we're still using leadership techniques from generations past, so we have to create something new so we can thrive.     How do we lead effectively in this new world without sacrificing who we are?    In this episode, the first of a 4-part series, Leadership Consultant and CEO of 304 Coaching, Jen Thornton returns to share how we can wear our leader hats with confidence.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Bring your whole self to the leadership table How can women physicians lead without sacrificing the other parts of themselves?   - No more executive presence, time for dynamic composure We can't lead the way our predecessors did. What's expected of us in this era?   - You can only control your responses For most of us, the people around us are happy we got a leadership role, but what happens when there's hostility towards our promotion?     Guest Bio    Jen Thornton is a Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. Jennifer has made it her life's work to grow the kind of teams that inspire, influence, and innovate brand experience.   Jen knows just how powerful teams can be when they feel psychologically safe and invested in - and she knows just how crucial that is to any organization that wants to rapidly grow and expand. She brings an unconventional approach to designing innovative workforce development solutions for companies that are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns and the results are expectation-defying and impactful.   Jennifer is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation and holds certification in several accredited methodologies, including Conversation Intelligence and Gallup Strengths.   For more information, head to https://304coaching.com and listen to her podcast, Let's Fix Leadership on your platform of choice.

As the physician landscape continues to change, how we practice medicine looks different to how it was done before. The more we normalize this change, the better off we'll be and the more effectively we can advocate for ourselves.    There's so much room for us to do our jobs better and to make them more sustainable. In order to achieve that though, we have to get comfortable with experimentation and doing things differently.    How do we use normalization to our favor? In this episode, I share how to use change to your advantage in a negotiation.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The power of normalization in negotiation  How do we make it normal, and even expect that advocating for ourselves is part of who we are?  - “We've never done this before” is an opportunity Why is it so important to push against the barrier of the standard way of doing things?   - Rethinking how we practice medicine Can normalization keep more physicians in this field with a lot less burnout?

Our jobs naturally occupy a fair amount of our time and mental space. When that follows us off the clock, we're letting work live rent free in our heads.    Of course, there are times we're brainstorming solutions creatively, but I'm talking about the silent vent sessions and brain tantrums that sap our energy and make work feel even harder.    How do we stop thinking about work when we aren't at work? Today, you'll learn what to do when work starts to dominate your thoughts, round the clock.       Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Striking a healthy balance What's the difference between thinking about work in a healthy way and it living in your head rent-free?    - How to transition from doctor you to “everything else” you Doing our jobs and living our lives can easily bleed into each other. How do we decompress between one part of our lives and the others?    - Occupy your brain with thoughts that serve you  Instead of ruminating about work all day, how do we set aside time to brainstorm solutions proactively?

In our negotiations, we're typically laser focused on that particular job and how it aligns with our lives now, but sometimes we have to zoom out. Sometimes we have to take a 30,000 ft. view and ask ourselves - is this career consistent with the legacy we want to leave behind.    In a perfect situation, we want to look back at our careers and express pride and joy with what we accomplished, but we all know that's not always the case in medicine. A lot of us look at this job as something we were called to do but something that's soul-sucking.    Is there anything we can do to change that now so we'll look back on it fondly and proudly, with no regrets?    In this episode, I talk about the power of thinking of our legacy right now and advocating for it in our jobs.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Thinking about your legacy decades in advance How do you want to look back at the working portion of your life?   - Align today's work with tomorrow's legacy What steps can we take to make sure our schedules align with the lives we want to live?    - What I learned from my grandfather  How do we make sure we don't end up looking back at our careers with regret?

So you've successfully negotiated for a contract that aligns with you, but when you show up to work, you realize that it's not what you signed up for.    Maybe it's a total bait-and-switch situation, or there are some small boundaries that aren't being honored. When reality doesn't quite match with what was advertised, how do you regroup and go back to the drawing board?    How do you determine if the job is even worth salvaging?    In this replay of one of my most popular episodes, I talk about ways to take action so you can get the job back on track or find something that better serves you.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Facts vs. stories  How do we distinguish between the things that really need to be changed and things that our brains are just amplifying?     - How to determine your non-negotiables  When you were promised certain things that aren't being honored, do you try to fix it or is it time to look for another option?     - Why leaving a bad-fit environment is NOT a failure  What valuable insights do we get out of a job we left early because it ultimately wasn't what we signed up for?  

In this replay, we're revisiting skills of negotiation and we're going to continue our deep dive into influence, and why it's exceptionally important in a negotiation.    Having influence in the moment may get you what you want immediately. Maintaining influence in the long run makes it more likely that your requests will be granted, and sometimes without even having to ask.    What are the benefits of deliberately working on influence? If you want to be more intentional about being influential, what actions can you take?    In this episode, I share the dos and don'ts of building influence, and how it impacts the negotiation process.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The exponential effect of lasting influence  When influence is working in your favor, you don't have to negotiate as hard. Why does it get easier and easier to ask for things the more influential you become?   - How to fully engage in the conversation The more present and aware you are in a negotiation, the more influence you will have. What are the nuances we pick up when we actually pay attention?   - Why patience and generosity are part of influence  Patience is big in physician negotiations because decisions take a while at the organizational level. How can you make room for this in a negotiation?

By their very nature, negotiations are high cortisol events, and that can make it hard to feel good about how we show up. Thankfully, stress can be managed, reduced, or even eliminated by having a battle plan before the negotiation.    It eliminates ambiguity, builds up confidence, and ultimately makes us advocate for ourselves more effectively.     What steps can we take to reduce stress on the front end?    In this episode, I share strategies that will help you get ready for the negotiation.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Any plan is better than no plan Are we going to be more at ease when we show up prepared?    - Crowdsource for success How can insight from other people help us show up more confidently?    - Use data to your advantage Data makes us more confident. How do we arm ourselves with valuable information before the negotiation?  

There's no greater expression of freedom in the workplace than autonomy. Building autonomy into our jobs is as essential as being paid appropriately for what we're doing.    It's well-documented that autonomy contributes to greater job satisfaction and retention.    How do we make it a part of our jobs? In this week's episode, as we think of the idea of freedom - I talk about autonomy and how to make it part of work.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Autonomy can be a win-win  How do we show that autonomy doesn't just benefit us, but our employers too?    - The traits of high autonomy environments  What has to exist in culture for autonomy to be achievable?   - Autonomous employees are more loyal  Can autonomy make a difference in someone staying in the job long term?  

For many physicians, data sets like the MGMA provide more than enough clarity on what to negotiate for. That's not the case for everyone. If your role happens to fall outside of the scope of the data set, how do you ensure that you're compensated for the value you bring to the table?   Remember: a lack of data doesn't mean we accept whatever's put in front of us. It just means we need to get creative about sourcing the info we need.   In this episode, I talk about what to do when your role and its compensation aren't clearly defined by standard data sets.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Great sources of non-standard pay data  How do we tap into our network when there's no go-to data?    - Accounting for C-suite roles If your role isn't 100% clinical, how do you know what to negotiate for?    - When you don't have years of data to pull from… If we're in a newer role without a ton of pay data behind it, how do we make sure we're sufficiently compensated for the value we bring?  

The MGMA pay data is valuable information we can leverage to not just get paid better. It can also allow us to advocate changes that keep us in medicine as a whole. This is especially critical now as we deal with a physician shortage, doubled with the retirement of many doctors.    With these pressures, paying you what you're worth is a top priority for our employers and we can use this to our advantage. Ultimately: we've made a lot of progress, but there's still a lot of work to do.    In this episode, we pick up from where we left off last week - going through the 2023 physician pay data.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The flexibility factor  Are more organizations and hospital systems open to giving us flexibility in our schedules?   - Where we have the most leverage With shortages and pending retirements, how do we get employers to buy into keeping us happy?     - Production-based compensation vs. guaranteed salaries  How can the way we're paid impact how we feel about our jobs?

One of the best ways to see if we're being paid what we're worth is compensation data. Now that the latest MGMA DataDive has dropped, we can learn a lot about where we stand.    My ultimate takeaway from this information? We have a lot more leverage and opportunity to advocate for ourselves right now.    How has inflation played into compensation? Did productivity go up with pay? In this episode, I dive into the data and share the actions we can take from it.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The good news and the bad news  None of us have kept up with inflation, how can we negotiate so that we can catch up even a little?    - Owning the value you bring as a new physician  New grads and new hires have set an encouraging trend in compensation, what can we learn from them?    - The link between where you live and how much $$$ you get paid Regional arbitrage is real. Can we earn more by getting a new job in a next-door state?  

Clinical medicine isn't a straight and narrow road with no wiggle room or options. The path of patient care isn't rigid at all...there are a few ways for us to treat patients without being pigeonholed into one way to practice. What are the different models for working and earning money? If we crave a little more freedom and flexibility, what's the best path?    In today's episode, I talk about the different models clinical physicians can choose, and why knowing all the options gives you an advantage at the negotiating table.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The pros and cons of practicing medicine under a corporate employer Is autonomy possible in the corporate medicine model, or do we give up flexibility for stability?    - Why private practice can be a great fit There's a lot less red tape when you're running your own practice, but what are the risks of running your own business?    - How to get more out of your career through locums  Why are locums so great for people who want more flexibility in their employment?  

In last week's episode, I talked about an impending negotiation and how I was preparing for it. Unfortunately, things didn't go well. An agreement couldn't be reached, and in the aftermath, I've been reeling and working through the emotional fallout.    Sometimes the outcome of a negotiation isn't what we hoped for, and it's okay not to be okay.    How do we cope with a disappointing result? In this episode, I share the lessons I've learned after my negotiation didn't go well.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Allow space for it to suck  Why do we need to create room to feel our feelings, even the not-so-great ones?   - The truth you know vs. what they're saying about you  When your narrative and the other side's narrative are divergent, how do you deal with it?    - The most important decision you'll make  Even when things don't go our way, how do we control our definition of success?

An impending negotiation can spark many different emotions, from anticipation and hope to nervousness and even dread. What if all those emotions show up all at once, creating a simmering stew of overwhelm? Not good.    We're not always going to go into a negotiation feeling 100% positive about it, and that's okay. It's important, however, to parse through those emotions so we can effectively go to bat for ourselves.    How do we work through a hodgepodge of emotions if the negotiation has us all over the place?    In this episode, I talk about getting into the right headspace if you're feeling all the things.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - A thought download exercise  If the negotiation is bringing up all sorts of feelings, how do we sort through them?   - Fact vs. story Can we decide the thoughts we want to show up with even if parts of the situation are out of our control?   - Choose success ahead of time  Agreement or no agreement, how do we make sure we come out of a negotiation feeling good about ourselves?

Whether it's maternity leave, a self-imposed break, or long periods between jobs, resume gaps are something we're taught to dread. It's like going into career purgatory with no way of coming back.    Could the time away destroy the momentum we've built? How many hurdles will we have to jump over to come back?    In this episode, I share how to mitigate the challenges that can come from stepping away from the workforce. You'll learn how to step away and re-enter with ease. Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Getting around bureaucratic hurdles If we take time away, we might have to prove that we're clinically competent. How do we mitigate this ahead of time?   - How to be intentional about your next job  If we need to recover from a toxic work environment, is it wise to heal before the next opportunity?   - Present time away as an asset, not a liability Are attitudes towards job-hopping starting to change?

We've discussed BATNAs and the huge advantage they grant us at the negotiating table. Most of us think of set-in-stone BATNAs, but what about the more theoretical ones?    What about “phantom BATNAs” - the not-so-certain options we keep in our back pockets? Materializing these phantom BATNAs into something real can be hugely helpful.    How do we shore up our phantom BATNAs so they truly bolster our confidence in negotiations?    In this episode, I talk about how to bring a theoretical BATNA to life.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The advantage of having even theoretical alternatives Are you more ambitious with a BATNA, even if it's a phantom one?    - How to invest in other options  What steps can we take to fortify our phantom BATNAs?    - The best lens to see all your opportunities through When you have a BATNA every avenue you evaluate is going to be held to that standard. Does that bring us closer to what serves us?

When you have an imminent negotiation, there's no time to dig into the nitty-gritty of your beliefs and socialization. That doesn't mean you have to go in unprepared. There are brain hacks you can use to neutralize the mental and emotional hurdles right now.    When your brain offers unhelpful thoughts - how do you pivot? In this episode, I share some quick brain hacks to effectively advocate for yourself.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Focus on shared value How can we short-circuit our brains telling us advocating for ourselves is greedy?     - Don't fixate on what you want to avoid Can we get our emotions in check ahead of time?    - Separate then from now  If you were shot down before, you'll go into this negotiation expecting the same. How do you dump that baggage?

In our lives and careers, we're taught to work, make money, save it, and enjoy it later. Unfortunately, this delayed gratification mentality robs us of the experiences we can have right now when we have our health and are young enough to enjoy them.   But just like stocks, life experiences pay dividends too and if we can negotiate for them in our contracts, we can enjoy more of our lives now.    How do we carve out room for meaningful life experiences? In this episode, I reflect on what I've been learning in Bill Perkins' book, Die With Zero.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Enhance your job for maximum life experience What, aside from salary, would be valuable for you to negotiate for to enhance your life?   - What can you negotiate for to be a happier individual How can you advocate for more time off or just a little more room in your schedule for yourself?   - You don't have to wait till retirement Are there ways for us to make those bucket list things a reality for us right now?

A few months ago, I set a word for the year and a powerful intention to go with it- less. In a world of overachieving and stressful schedules, I decided to try experimenting with less, and it's been an interesting journey.    Whether it's at work or at home, mercilessly purging things that don't serve us gives us a lot of energy, but how do we go about it?    In this episode, I share an update on how I'm doing in my pursuit of ‘less' and my tips for doing the same.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - How to get rid of schedule clutter  Does our ego make it difficult for us to purge tasks that don't serve us as work and how do we overcome it?   - My decluttering discovery In constantly buying and holding onto stuff we don't really need, are we neglecting the impact clutter can have on us?   - Purging energy zappers from your work  How do we eliminate well-meaning commitments that are actually limitations in disguise?

In negotiation and in our jobs in general, the importance of our words and the language we use can't be stressed enough. Our language can make the difference between mutual success and stalled progress.    Whether we're talking with our leaders, or we're the leaders ourselves, there are ways to use conversational intelligence to get on the same page with whoever we're talking to.    What language choices are helpful and beneficial at work? How do we make the transition from being led to becoming a leader?    In this episode, I'm joined by Leadership Consultant and the founder of 304 Coaching (and my personal coach), Jen Thornton. She shares some awesome insight into the language of leadership. Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The easiest way to become a better leader When you're a new leader, how do you smoothly settle into that role?   - Zoom in, not out  How do we have more aligned and productive conversations with our leaders?    - How to cement loyalty  When it comes to our work as physicians, hard days come with the territory, how do we keep a high standard of leadership intact?     Guest Bio    Jen Thornton is a Talent Strategy and Leadership Consultant and the founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. Jennifer has made it her life's work to grow the kind of teams that inspire, influence, and innovate brand experience.   Jen knows just how powerful teams can be when they feel psychologically safe and invested in - and she knows just how crucial that is to any organization that wants to rapidly grow and expand. She brings an unconventional approach to designing innovative workforce development solutions for companies that are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns and the results are expectation-defying and impactful.   Jennifer is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation and holds certification in several accredited methodologies, including Conversation Intelligence and Gallup Strengths. For more information, head to https://304coaching.com and listen to her podcast, Let's Fix Leadership on your platform of choice.

“Ugh, I have to be on call AGAIN”, “I have to wash my kids' clothes for school.” We all have the bad habit of using words like have to and can't in just about every area of our lives.    The problem is: it disempowers us and robs us of the agency we have to make decisions for ourselves.    How do we start challenging this language and change our self-talk? In this episode, I talk about choice and why we have to change our language about it.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The difference between being trapped and setting boundaries How do we start seeing the choices we make as empowered actions to create the best circumstances for ourselves?    - Choosing in alignment with our values  When we say we have to do something, we forget that our values are what drive our actions. How do we remind ourselves?   - How to challenge your self-talk  How do we break the habit of saying we have to or we can't and replace that language with something more helpful?

From school assignments to work projects and even everyday decisions, we've been socialized to believe that deadlines are absolute, but are they really?    There's something disempowering about a rigid deadline, especially when we're trying to decide on a job offer, but we can totally challenge that.    How do we gently push back on a deadline?    In this episode, I'm talking about deadlines and why they might not be as set in stone as we believe.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - When you feel pressured to decide When we're given a deadline, it's hard to make a decision from a deliberate, unrushed place. How do we get ourselves out of fight or flight mode?   - How to politely push back on a deadline Can you still advocate for yourself when the deadline is a rigid one?   - How to buy time when you need it Is it possible to ask an employer for more time on a decision?  

Reciprocity is a social construct that goes back centuries, and it's so innate in us that it feels like second nature.    It's also a powerful tool in a negotiation.    When someone gives us something, this built-in need for us to do something for them in return is triggered, and it makes it easier to come to an agreement that satisfies both sides of a negotiation.    Behaviorally, how does reciprocity lay the groundwork for a successful negotiation? How do we prepare for a negotiation with reciprocity in mind?    In this special replay episode, I talk about how one social construct can impact your ability to get a deal that reflects your value.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why reciprocity makes us kinder and more considerate  How does reciprocity make human beings more friendly and cooperative?    - How to use reciprocity to get a deal you're thrilled with  The law of reciprocity presents the perfect opportunity to stretch what we're asking for, but how do we make sure that stretch goal isn't too unreasonable?    - How to create more harmony in a negotiation  If we're focused on reciprocity, it's easier for both sides to find common ground and shrink areas of disagreement. What strategies can we use to zone in on the areas where our needs intersect?

Whether you're trying to get your dream package, get your kids to do something, or buy a home, negotiation skills come in handy in many situations in our lives.    This is very true in my real estate adventures over the last year as we've been trying to buy a lake property. After 2 attempts that didn't go the way we planned, we finally got something (yay), but I don't consider the last two attempts as failures.    What did I learn from the deals that didn't go through?    In this episode, I share more lessons from my lake home misadventures and how we can apply them to employee negotiations.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - A lessons in when to walk away  Do we reserve the right to back out from something that won't work for us?   - Failed negotiations aren't a failure  What lessons can we extract from the negotiations that stall or even collapse entirely?   - To counter or not to counter  How do we know it's fine to accept the deal instead of holding out for something better?  

In any negotiation or conversation, language matters. Our choice of words has the power to either create a collaborative environment or an antagonistic one, and we can better inform the outcome when we practice beforehand.    Our mindset flavors the conversations we'll have, and before the negotiation, we can try on different words for size to see what works best.    How do we start this practice internally and then in lower stakes negotiations? In this episode, I talk about the power of selecting and practicing your mindset before the negotiation.   Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - How to eliminate negativity from the conversation  What words would create an antagonistic, tug-of-war negotiation?    - How to encourage shared success  What language can we use to create an intersectional alignment of goals?    - Why buzzwords might not work in our favor  Can coming up with a set script actually work against the conversational environment we're trying to create?  

The sad truth is, toxic work environments are still alive and well in medicine. This isn't just minor annoyances - we're talking work cultures where something undesirable has mutated into something that's genuinely psychologically unsafe.    As a physician, you have a human, basic right to feel safe in your job and if that's not being served where you work, it's time to take action.    What are the signs of a toxic environment? How do we support people who are on the receiving end of a toxic culture?    In this episode, I'm sharing why a toxic work culture is something we shouldn't just accept or tolerate.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Understanding vs. standing under  When someone is having a bad experience at work, how do we hold space for them, even if we don't share their experience?    - Work environment red flags  From bullying and belittling to gaslighting, how can we tell that we're in a psychologically unsafe environment?    - How to know it's time to exit We usually look out for big signs that we should leave the job, but do the little signs also tell us something too?  

For many physicians, the idea of being happy in your job feels like just that - an unrealistic idea or pipe dream, but it doesn't have to be.    There are things we can do to foster happiness at work so that showing up every day doesn't feel like diving into a wormhole of depression and job dissatisfaction.    In this episode, I share the 3 pillars of job satisfaction and how to set them up for yourself.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The power of community People are a critical piece of how we feel at work - how do we find and even create opportunities for connection?    - How to safeguard your values How do we do our due diligence to suss out the values of an organization on the front end?   - Why happiness at work is so critical  With all the mental health struggles physicians are facing, how do we make the field a better space?  

Your negotiation went well. You came to an agreement that reflects your worth, but then you get your contract and those stipulations are absent. What steps can you take if the conversation and the contract end up being two different things?    This happens a lot more often than you think, and whether it's a simple case of miscommunication or something far more concerning, you control what happens next.    How do we bring the issue up with our employers? In this episode, I'm sharing what we can do when the things we agreed to aren't spelled out in our final contracts.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The next best thing to a contract stipulation  If the contract doesn't reflect what was agreed upon, can an email suffice?    - Deal breaker or no deal breaker If it's not reflected in the contract, how do we know it might be time to walk?    - Innocent oversight vs. a targeted slight Mistakes can be made in our contracts, so how do we approach the issue with a benign sense of curiosity before we think the worst?

Just like building a home, successfully negotiating your contract is not a solo effort. You need a team of key players to cheer you on and help you navigate the process with your sanity intact.     The earlier in the process you assemble the team, the smoother your negotiation will be and like your dream home, the happier you'll be with the end result.    In this episode, I'm going to share the key team players you want to collect before you begin any negotiation.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The first team player you need to have It's important to have a key decision-maker in your corner, but why do we need other people on the team?   - Why you need a team player who sees the blind spots How do we find someone neutral to bounce ideas off of?    - How to round out your team Why do we need contract advice that's relevant to our specific jobs?

For residents making the leap into their very first job, navigating interviews, contracts and salary negotiations can feel like a minefield. On one hand, you want to make sure the value you bring to the table is reflected, but on the other hand, you're socialized to take whatever's offered because of your inexperience.    How do we make sure we're not short-changing ourselves at the negotiating table? What are some of the unique pieces of the contract we need to consider?    In this episode, I'm joined by Academic Physician Coach, speaker, and founder of Joy in Family Medicine Coaching Services®, Dr. Tonya Caylor. We talk about setting yourself up for success in your first negotiation.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why you shouldn't use your newness to discount yourself  When our employers say there's no room for more money in our packages, should we advocate for ourselves or just accept what's on the table?    - What we have to consider about sign-on and moving bonuses How do we insulate ourselves from complications if the job doesn't work out long-term?    - The power of internal marketing Why do we need to put ourselves in work environments that allow us to highlight what we love about medicine?     Guest Bio    Dr. Tonya Caylor is an Academic Physician Coach for Family Medicine Residencies and Speaker for Physician Professional Fulfillment and well-being. She founded Joy in Family Medicine Coaching Services® after realizing physician coaching's power and seeing a paucity of it at the residency level.   Dr. Caylor developed a curriculum and coaching program to give physicians the tools they need to enjoy their lives and thrive in their chosen careers. She remains active clinically as on-call faculty for the Alaska Family Medicine Residency and for the local FQHC. For more information head to https://www.joyinfamilymedicine.com.

In any negotiation, fairness is usually a front-of-mind concept - in fact, it's often the measure with which we judge the success of the entire process. But here's the challenge, fairness isn't as simple as a singular yardstick. It's actually made up of multiple facets that sometimes conflict with each other.    With that in mind, how do we take fairness to the negotiating table and make sure we're ticking the boxes that matter?   In this episode, I share how to approach the concept of fairness so that you walk into the negotiation with a tangible way to achieve it.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - How to determine what a fair offer looks like for you How do you move forward when fairness has multiple norms that often conflict with one another?   - The interplay between equality and equity  Is it possible to get something that's equal to everyone else while also taking previous barriers into account?   - How to make fairness a priority for your employer  Can we have fairness when the other side wants to maintain the status quo?

Getting a job that serves us often requires us to tweak or modify our current work environment, but what if the situation is too far gone and too toxic to salvage?    Many of us are guilty of staying in negative situations a lot longer than we should, damaging not only our careers but also our health. We're typically more biased towards staying with the devil we know, even if it destroys us, so how do we combat it?    In this episode, I'm sharing how to know when quitting is the only option, and why severing the tie sooner than later saves us a ton of pain and anguish.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Comfort vs. predictability  What makes us hesitant to change jobs even when we know it's harming us?    - Ways to safeguard against staying too long in a bad situation How do we create a “prenup” with our jobs and insulate ourselves from staying longer than we should?   - The perils of grit  Resilience is something physicians are known and praised for, but how does it hurt us in our jobs?

Non-compete clauses have never been beneficial to physicians. They are notoriously difficult to negotiate out of. They keep us trapped in toxic work cultures, and they back us into career moves that can be harmful.    I'd also argue that non-competes also harm employers and the economy as a whole. Removing this barrier would be highly beneficial to a lot of people, so I'm encouraged by the FTC's proposal to end non-compete clauses.     What would changing this rule mean for physicians? In this episode, I share my thoughts on the proposal to ban non-competes.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The problem with handcuffing people to the job  Is there a better and more humane way to increase retention and encourage physicians to be loyal?    - Why physician burnout needs to be a solved at the systemic level   How do we create work cultures that support less burnout?    - What happens next  Before the decision is made, what actions can we take?

If you really think about it, most of the goals and resolutions we set at the beginning of the year are often based on having more - more money, more stuff, and more responsibilities.    In the spirit of un-goals and values, what if we set the intention to have less? Could we achieve more by having a lot less on our plates?    There are plenty of opportunities for excess, but that could create clutter and barriers that make life more stressful.    In this episode, I'm sharing why I'm aiming for having a lot less this year.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why it's so easy to accumulate more  There are plenty of opportunities for excess when you have a lot of spending power. How do you use that power wisely?    - The lesson I learned recently  It's so easy to get caught up in having more and adding to our plates, but do we have to do all the things?    - How to get used to less  Many of us get a little itchy when we have extra time on our hands, how do we get ourselves to just enjoy the free time?

When we talk about finding that right-fit job, the checklist is usually centered on salary, benefits, schedule, and the tangible things that ensure that it reflects our worth.   The less tangible things also require some thought too, and they can have a bigger impact on how well we thrive in our roles.    Enjoying your job and feeling like your values are being met preserves our happiness and our longevity in medicine, so it's worth pinpointing them.    How do we identify the values that matter most to us and apply them to our current or next jobs? In this episode, I talk about how to uncover what truly makes you happy at work.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why our values can help us keep burnout at bay Can being in alignment make us more productive and purposeful at work?   - The win-win of focusing on your values Why is it so much easier to go above and beyond in our work when it aligns with what makes us happy?    - How to apply your values to your current job or job search Can you use your list of values to make changes to your existing job?

From finishing med school to reaching a certain income level, most of us live our lives by outcome-based, tick-the-box goals - but what if this approach just limits us?    We've been indoctrinated with the idea of setting goals, but having such concrete resolutions can rob us of opportunities to fully enrich our lives.    How do we shift from hard-coded goals to a driving principle for the year? How do we hold our lives to something less tangible?    In this episode, I share why in 2023, I'm trying un-goals on for size.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why goals can keep us from our highest potential  Can we still make amazing things happen without an outcome pulling us?    - How to hold yourself accountable to something intangible  If you thrive around the structure of a concrete goal how do you stay motivated?   - How to live towards your values Once we've set our un-goal for the year, how can you modify the different buckets of our lives to align with it?  

‘Tis the season for functioning in survival mode. With busy schedules, to-do lists, holiday plans, and the usual end-of-year stuff, sometimes all we can muster is just “good enough”. We can't always be in peak achievement mode, and that's okay.    But when survival mode becomes less a temporary phase, and more a chronic state of being, there's a problem.    How can we tell if survival mode is becoming more maladaptive and toxic? What can we do when we're stuck in survival mode?    In this episode, I share what a long-term state of survival tells us and what we can do about it.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - The good thing about survival mode  Is working in survival mode ever acceptable?    - Chronic survival mode vs. hibernation  Sometimes we slow down to prepare for a big leap forward, but how do we make sure that's what's happening?    - The giant caveat of functioning in survival mode  How can we tell if our survival mode is a symptom of something deeper and far more serious?

Call it gut instinct, a weird vibe, your sixth sense, or your brain picking up subtle cues, intuition is something we all have. As physicians, we get so caught up in the logic of things, it's really easy to shrug off a gut instinct as unreliable, but what if the little nagging feeling holds a lot more wisdom than you give it credit for?    In many ways, we subconsciously know what's best for us, so ignoring our intuition can actually be detrimental.   Do our instincts provide useful information we should include in our decision-making? How can our intuition serve us in a negotiation?    In this episode, I talk about why we shouldn't dismiss our intuition before listening to what it has to say.   Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why we shouldn't underestimate our intuition  Intuition might not be as woo-woo as you think. Could those nagging feelings be backed by science?    - Why your gut instinct serves you in a negotiation  Listening to your intuition doesn't mean abandoning all logic, but can this subtle wisdom actually give our rational side a boost?    - The difference between fear and intuition How do we make sure we're not making a decision just because the alternative feels scary? As a special bonus for our 100th episode, I am offering $100 off my MGMA Custom Pay Data Reports. Just visit www.simplystreetmd.com/pay and use the code 100podcast at checkout before December 31st.    Thank you all for your continued support of the podcast!

Conversations - the ones we have with ourselves, and the ones we have with others - are such everyday, autopilot things, we can easily forget how powerful they can be.    By fine-tuning our conversational skills, we can tap into a world of possibilities and create moments of transformation, whether it's in your next negotiation, or at the dinner table over the holidays.    What are the ingredients of a transformational conversation? How do we get past the natural tendencies that make it hard for us to open up?    In this special throwback episode, I'm joined by certified life coach, fitness enthusiast, podcast host, and founder of Life Coaching For Women Physicians, Ali Novitsky. We talk about the power of upping our conversational intelligence.   Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode   - How to identify an opening for a transformational conversation Is every interaction an opportunity to go beyond an informational exchange?    - High trust vs. low trust conversations Transformational conversations are built on vulnerability. How do we remove the protective mechanisms that keep us from it?    - How to take the cortisol out of our conversations  How do we have more conversations in a curious, brainstorming mode instead of being attached to a specific outcome and direction?     Guest Bio    Ali Novitsky is a certified life coach, fitness enthusiast, podcast host, and founder of Life Coaching For Women Physicians. Board-certified in Obesity Medicine, her program focuses on overcoming the challenges that physicians face and transforming their thoughts so that they can become the fittest version of themselves in Mind and Body. For more information visit https://www.lifecoachingforwomenphysicians.com.

Gratitude is one of those things we're socialized to believe is always positive, but there's a lot more nuance to it.   Sometimes saying thank you can go a long way, other times we use gratitude as an excuse to not ask.   What are the advantages of showing gratitude?   Where can gratitude take a turn for the negative?   In this episode, I talk about how to make sure your ‘thank you' is working for you and not against you at the negotiating table.     Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - A powerful way to bridge your ask  How can we use gratitude to melt the ice in a negotiation?    - The built-in social capital of negotiation  Why is it so important to express gratitude to the people who help pave the way to a great outcome?   - Where gratitude hurts your goals Can gratitude keep us trapped in a job that's not serving us?

To have a job that truly serves us and allows us to thrive at the highest level, certain boundaries and conditions need to be present. We may be acutely aware of what these things are for ourselves, but our employers can't read our minds.    We have to express our unique needs and spell them out so we can get the support we need to thrive in our jobs.    How do we get key decision-makers to understand the day-to-day challenges we have in our jobs and the improvements we need?    In this episode, I talk about how to express what you require to be your best (and happiest) at work.       Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why our employers might not understand what we're dealing with The people who make the decisions on what our day-to-day looks like are removed from our everyday clinical work. How do we let them in on what we're experiencing in a way they will understand?     - What we need to perform optimally  How do you maximize the things you're best equipped and most happy doing and minimize the soul-crushing aspects of the job?    - The effect of voicing what we need to thrive in our jobs Retaining physicians is of utmost importance, especially now. How can we create space for our employers to support us?

Big wins, leaps, and accomplishments are often associated with endorphin-rich highs and tons of elation, but what happens when the joy is short-lived, and we're left feeling a little underwhelmed about the whole thing?    Sometimes the after-effect of a win is more anticlimactic than we thought it would be, and that's totally okay. Victory hangovers are a natural part of growing as a person, we won't always have the warm and fuzzies when we achieve something great.    How do we deal with all the feelings that come with a win?    In this episode, we talk about why we feel low after doing something really great.  Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Why moments of accomplishment bring up unexpected feelings A huge part of growth is adjusting to a new set point for ourselves - is that what makes a win feel anticlimactic?    - How to avoid a spiral into full-on negativity  After a victory, our brains may offer less-than-helpful thoughts that can sabotage us, how do we shut them down?   - Embracing the emotional rollercoaster of growth How do we make room for every emotion that comes with a victory hangover?

When we show up to a negotiation (or any conversation for that matter) it's not just the words we say that make the ask, our body language does some speaking of its own too.    If we're making a big, bold ask, but our body language screams small - our words won't pack as much of a punch, making it very confusing for the person on the other end.    How do we create more alignment between our words and our body language? How do we make sure our confidence is equally heard and felt?    In this episode, I share a golden nugget from Kasia Urbaniak's Unbound: A Woman's Guide to Power and how to fine-tune our non-verbal communication skills.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - How to enter a negotiation with dominant energy How do we make sure the energy of influence is going outward to the person we're making the ask to, instead of being internalized?   - Why body language carries into our voices In a virtual setup, can our body language be palpable even if it's not visible?   - How to exude confidence and influence Why is it so easy to grant the request of a charismatic person and how do we tap into that energy?

Boundaries are associated with protecting ourselves from negativity, and even great things can become toxic without boundaries.    Many of us love our jobs, but because we have so much on our plates, we're always one stressful moment away from completely falling apart.   In healthcare, it feels like we're caught between accepting burnout as part of the job and quitting entirely. So is there a happier medium?    How do we overcome this internal tug-of-war between what's healthy for us and what burns us out?    In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by the founder/CEO of Brave Enough and author of “Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong and Take Control of Your Time” Dr. Sasha Shillcutt. She shares how to set boundaries so we stop over-functioning and stretching ourselves too thin. Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - Where our over-functioning stems from  Could our struggle with boundaries have little to do with ego or an over-identification with our careers?   - The first boundary we have to set at work  One major cause of burnout and stress is responsibilities that aren't even part of our job description. How do we protect ourselves from this pain point?   - Why our boundaries allow us to protect what's good The hardest boundaries to set are with the people we care about most. How do we have those hard conversations?     Guest Bio    Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a physician, gender equity researcher, speaker, founder/CEO of Brave Enough, wife, mom, and author of “Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong and Take Control of Your Time”. She teaches women work-life control through courses and community.  For more information head to https://www.becomebraveenough.com and buy Sasha's book here.

All-or-nothing, dichotomous thinking is a little evolutionary trait that all human beings have. Though it can be helpful in many scenarios, it can be limiting at the negotiation table.    When it feels like win or lose are the only options available to us, it makes us blind to the fact that there could be a third, fourth, or even fifth possibility worth exploring.    How can we break ourselves free of constrictive thinking, look at our situation differently, and come up with other possibilities?    In this episode, I'm talking about how to break out of the trap of all-or-nothing thinking and take the blinders off.      Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - How to unlock infinite possibilities  When we're presented with two options, how do we carve out another lane for ourselves?   - The trap of all-or-nothing thinking When we operate with blinders on, what could we be missing out on?   - Why we have to focus on what's best for us now Could thinking that we have to make a forever-decision limit us?