Leadership TriCounty March Session
Leadership TriCounty was back for an in-person session at Montgomery County Community College’s South Hall on March 3, with a day that offered insight into workplace dynamics, leadership in tough times, and the inner workings of township administration.
Class members started the day with a discussion of ‘The Four Pillars of Drama,” a framework for understanding negativity in the workplace.
• Jumping to Conclusions
• Looking to be Offended
• Making Stuff Up
• Not Declaring Noble Intent
Each of these resonated with different members of the class as we shared experiences being on both sides of misunderstandings and negative fallout. We also shared strategies that have allowed us to avoid falling into negative mindsets and reflected on methods for better understanding and collaborating effectively with our colleagues
Marsha Denton, of Memaw Wisdom Coaching, joined us to talk about the importance of balancing and incorporating family life into our work lives. She noted that families have changed dramatically over the past few years, with the lines between work life, home life, and school life becoming increasingly blurred.
Denton explained that the great resignation has permanently redefined what employees expect from their workplaces. Organizations and employers need to prioritize the psychological security and safety of their team members in order to spur innovation and creativity. At the same time, a culture of bringing humanity into the workplace and incorporating families will allow us to build a stronger workplace community and empower employees.
Rich Newell, President and Chief Executive Officer at Pottstown and Phoenixville Hospitals - Tower Health, spoke about his own values as a leader of a complex organization. Empathy and integrity are key themes of his leadership style and vital for long term success as a hospital executive. He emphasized that sometimes that means making hard decisions. Newell shared the current challenges of working in an environment where the need for healthcare services is outpacing the availability of clinical staff.
Newell emphasized the importance of being a part of the community that you serve. Knowledge of the community is vital in understanding the needs of patients, and, since many hospital employees live outside of Pottstown, Newell explained how he ensured his staff members were acquainted with the borough, including lunch at local restaurants and participation in local events.
Following lunch, the class embarked on an outing to the Limerick Township administration building, where we heard a presentation from township manager Daniel Kerr on the services that the township provides to its citizens—from public safety and roads to budget and property regulatory requirement. The township has seen rapid growth in the past decade and is constantly expanding services to meet the needs of residents and businesses.
We finished up the day back at MCCC, debriefing on lessons learned, establishing intentions for the coming month, and looking ahead to future class sessions.
Written by: Jenna Armato, Leadership TriCounty Class of 2022 Director