LEADERSHIP REFLECTIONS

Michael Vanderpuije, MHA is a Regional Administrative Fellow at Trinity Health of New England. In his work, he collaborates with various departments to implement procedures that enhance organizational effectiveness and improve patient experiences. A native of Detroit, Michael holds a Master of Health Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix.

February 2024

AN ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOW’S PERSPECTIVE

This year has truly been the best year for me in terms of growth, both personally and professionally. My fellowship has been a direct reflection of myself internally and continues to serve as a reminder of my own resiliency, dedication and effort. It also serves as a testament of how far I have come. Here are a few takeaways that I hope will help you re-center yourself as you step into your bright future.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself.
One area I have been working to improve is focusing on the outcome instead of painstakingly focusing on the details in the pursuit of excellence. Many can relate to the challenge of placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves that no one is expecting of us. These expectations can hinder one’s own success. It’s okay not to know everything. Once we accept that truth, it opens the door for us to learn and experience things without self-imposed pressures. I say this because when starting something new (like a fellowship), you will not have all the answers. In fact, the answers can become more unclear the more you focus on what you think you should know, rather than being open and focusing on what you can learn.

Give yourself grace, relish in pursuing endless learning opportunities to sharpen your skills and be comfortable being uncomfortable (ie: not knowing everything). Be diligent in your pursuit of knowledge.

Develop Your Voice.
Gently knock on doors. When no one answers, knock again with a hint of pressure. Learning my voice has been a treasure whilst in the fellowship and is something I work to hone daily. Being selected as a Fellow holds great value, and I have a responsibility to leverage my position and use my voice. Let’s think about it. As a fellow, you were selected out of (X) amount of people, thoughtfully chosen by experienced leaders of an organization. In your fellowship, you are there to learn, yes, but you also bring tremendous value to the organization from a fresh and non-biased perspective.

Therefore, be confident in what you feel you can change for the better and utilize collaboration and your voice to make an impact.  Be humble and confident, rather than arrogant and assuming you know everything.

You Made It, But Keep Moving Forward.
Before my fellowship began, I took a moment to reflect on how far I have come in my life, education and career. I like to do this through a method I learned about called the “Car Mirror” effect.

In essence, reflect on your life as if you were looking through the mirrors and windows of a car. Think of the driver and passenger side mirrors, along with the rearview mirror. All three serve as tools to indicate where you are in your lane, what is near you, what obstacles are in your vicinity and how far you have come.

Next, the windshields serve as a very good metaphor for our lives, both personal and professional. The rear window symbolizes your past and is significant, as the rear window is nearly equal in size to the front windshield. I believe that for one to be successful, it is important for us to know what is behind us and to learn from where we have been. However, when someone is only looking through their rearview mirror and rear window, it is because they are moving backwards. In our lives, when we stay fixated on the past, we are not living in the present and we will likely miss out on many opportunities happening in front of us.

Remember where you have come from, but keep your eyes on where you are going from here.