The benefits of creating a strategic plan

100:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,860Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast, where academic clinicians learn the skills200:00:05,860 --> 00:00:11,260to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.300:00:11,260 --> 00:00:17,340As clinicians, we spend a decade or more as trainees learning to take care of patients.400:00:17,340 --> 00:00:22,380When we finally start our careers, we want to build research programs, but then we find500:00:22,380 --> 00:00:27,780that our years of clinical training did not adequately prepare us to lead our research600:00:27,780 --> 00:00:29,200program.700:00:29,200 --> 00:00:35,480Through no fault of our own, we struggle to find mentors, and when we can't, we quit.800:00:35,480 --> 00:00:40,580However, clinicians hold the keys to the greatest research breakthroughs.900:00:40,580 --> 00:00:46,200For this reason, the Clinician Researcher podcast exists to give academic clinicians1000:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,800the tools to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.1100:00:51,800 --> 00:01:01,100Now introducing your host, Toyosi Onwuemene.1200:01:01,100 --> 00:01:04,680Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast.1300:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,280I'm your host Toyosi Onwuemene, and what a privilege it is to be speaking with you today.1400:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,140Thank you for tuning in.1500:01:11,140 --> 00:01:16,560I'm especially excited to be talking to you today about why you need a strategic plan.1600:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,280Why you need a strategic plan.1700:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,760Now a strategic plan has been called so many types of things.1800:01:22,760 --> 00:01:30,560I think there is an individual development plan, or it could be in, I don't know what1900:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,360else it's been called, but I'm calling it a strategic plan.2000:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,040Okay, let's just pause and call it a strategic plan, and I'm going to explain what I mean.2100:01:38,040 --> 00:01:43,040First of all, I'll tell you about when I first encountered the idea of a strategic plan.2200:01:43,040 --> 00:01:48,520Now the time I encountered the idea of a strategic plan, I had been a faculty member for about2300:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,400seven years, and somehow honestly I had been successful.2400:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,280I made it.2500:01:56,280 --> 00:02:01,260But most of the time what I would try to do is to create large blocks of time to get my2600:02:01,260 --> 00:02:03,600research and writing done.2700:02:03,600 --> 00:02:09,200And if you are a busy clinician without real, you know, protective time for research, you2800:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,600know, sometimes protective time is protective time on paper, but it's not protective time2900:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,760in reality, especially when you have a busy clinic with no support.3000:02:16,760 --> 00:02:22,360It's like, okay, when, you know, in about a week and a half, there'll be like a drop3100:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,000off, there'll be, I don't know, there'll be a thunderstorm or a snowstorm or something,3200:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,880half the patients will cancel, I'll get an eight-hour block, and then I'll be able to3300:02:29,880 --> 00:02:30,880write this paper.3400:02:30,880 --> 00:02:37,800So anyway, let's just say that I was getting stuff done, and somehow I was advancing.3500:02:37,800 --> 00:02:43,160And yes, it was hard, and yes, there were, you know, very few of these big blocks that3600:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,720I needed to do the work, but when they came, you know, I could really use them and get3700:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,120a lot of things done.3800:02:50,120 --> 00:03:00,320And then I attended this program called the Faculty Success Program, also called the National3900:03:00,320 --> 00:03:05,200Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Boot Camp.4000:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,760There's another name to it that I don't remember, but Faculty Success Program is what it's really4100:03:09,760 --> 00:03:18,120called, and it is a, you know, 12-week program, and they walk you through just different habits4200:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,600to grow as an academic.4300:03:21,600 --> 00:03:28,240And I think for the most part, the program is geared towards PhD scientists and PhD researchers,4400:03:28,240 --> 00:03:33,320but definitely it has some great tools for anybody, especially if you are in medicine4500:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,720and, you know, going, creating structures for your writing and research is not part4600:03:37,720 --> 00:03:38,720of what you do.4700:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,280So anyway, as part of the program, one of the things we did was to create a strategic4800:03:42,280 --> 00:03:47,600plan, and it was such a novel concept to me, this idea that you look forward into the future4900:03:47,600 --> 00:03:53,680for the next three months, and you say, this is what I need to do.5000:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,280These are the things I need to do to move my research and my writing forward.5100:03:57,280 --> 00:04:03,440And the reason a strategic plan is so helpful, and I learned from the National Center for5200:04:03,440 --> 00:04:11,320Faculty Development and Diversity, is that, you know, the strategic plan is the list of5300:04:11,320 --> 00:04:17,140things that no one's going to come knocking down at your door to tell you to do.5400:04:17,140 --> 00:04:21,360For example, you don't put on your strategic plan, patient care.5500:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,760You don't say, clinic on Monday.5600:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,800No need to put it on the strategic plan, because guess what?5700:04:26,800 --> 00:04:34,400If you don't show up to clinic on Monday, people will come and find you.5800:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,040And if they are not able to find you, you will hear about it.5900:04:38,040 --> 00:04:43,620The backlash from a missed clinic where you just didn't show up will be so big, you know6000:04:43,620 --> 00:04:46,120you're not going to miss clinic.6100:04:46,120 --> 00:04:51,360But what happens if you don't submit your manuscript that's important for you to apply6200:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,320for the next grant?6300:04:54,320 --> 00:05:00,040Maybe a mentor might be mad at you if they even know that the deadline has passed.6400:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,040Actually, they'll be upset with you if they're the senior author and that paper actually6500:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,480matters to them.6600:05:04,480 --> 00:05:11,360But if, you know, it's just one of 700 papers coming out of their lab, you know, it's kind6700:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,840of like, well, it's nice if it gets in, but if it doesn't, it's okay too.6800:05:15,840 --> 00:05:21,760And so the strategic plan really is your home for all things that move your research and6900:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,760writing forward that don't have accountability.7000:05:25,760 --> 00:05:26,960That's what the strategic plan is.7100:05:26,960 --> 00:05:31,320At least that's how I'm talking about it in this episode.7200:05:31,320 --> 00:05:37,920The strategic plan is your plan for your research and writing for the next three to four months.7300:05:37,920 --> 00:05:44,000And these are especially the things that nobody, nobody's going to chase you around, at least7400:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,720not to the extent to which they will chase you if you don't do something like show up7500:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,900and do your shift.7600:05:50,900 --> 00:05:57,160You know that there's accountability for patient care, but not as much accountability for your7700:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,280faculty development and advancement.7800:06:00,280 --> 00:06:04,080So I'm going to be talking about the strategic plan today.7900:06:04,080 --> 00:06:11,040And I'm going to be talking about five things, five reasons why you should create a strategic8000:06:11,040 --> 00:06:17,360plan, why it benefits you, why if you've never created one, you should create one.8100:06:17,360 --> 00:06:23,680And I have five reasons today and I probably have more, but these are just the five that8200:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,160I'm going to focus on.8300:06:26,160 --> 00:06:33,280The first thing that doing a strategic plan does for you is it gives you clarity.8400:06:33,280 --> 00:06:38,640The very first thing it does for you is it shows you exactly what you need to be working8500:06:38,640 --> 00:06:39,640on.8600:06:39,640 --> 00:06:44,600Now here's the thing, before you put it on your strategic plan, it was in your head.8700:06:44,600 --> 00:06:45,760You know, it was in your mind.8800:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,760You've had some conversations probably with a mentor or two talking to you about the things8900:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,160you need to do and why it's important.9000:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,600And you know you need to submit a couple of manuscripts and then apply for the K or a9100:06:56,600 --> 00:07:03,480couple of manuscripts and then go for the R. You know, you know that you need to start9200:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,160this new IRB for this research project.9300:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,280You know all these things.9400:07:08,280 --> 00:07:12,800And yes, you have in mind that you're going to do them.9500:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,720Somehow you just haven't committed that goal to paper.9600:07:15,720 --> 00:07:21,840You haven't said very specifically that by the end of March 2024, I will have finished9700:07:21,840 --> 00:07:26,520the protocol for this IRB that we're submitting.9800:07:26,520 --> 00:07:27,680You haven't committed it to paper.9900:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,620You haven't made it a smart goal, right?10000:07:29,620 --> 00:07:32,800People talk about specific, measurable.10100:07:32,800 --> 00:07:33,800What is it?10200:07:33,800 --> 00:07:34,800A?10300:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,040I don't remember what A is right now.10400:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,240Time bound is T. Realistic is R. And I don't remember A.10500:07:42,240 --> 00:07:43,800But anyway, a smart goal.10600:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,160I'll put it in the show notes if I remember.10700:07:46,160 --> 00:07:52,600But you know, people talk about making goals and you have these ideas in your head, but10800:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,800you've never really committed them to paper to make them concrete.10900:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,400You've never set time bounds around it because it's like, oh yeah, maybe in the next year11000:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,060or two I'll be done with this.11100:08:03,060 --> 00:08:04,600But you haven't said, no, no, no.11200:08:04,600 --> 00:08:09,000By March of 2024, I will have completed this project.11300:08:09,000 --> 00:08:14,280I will have the tangible protocol in hand ready to submit to the IRB.11400:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,400You've not made that commitment.11500:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,760But the moment you do, then you give yourself clarity on the things you're supposed to be11600:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,240working on in the next three months.11700:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,620And this clarity is such a beautiful gift.11800:08:25,620 --> 00:08:27,300It's so powerful.11900:08:27,300 --> 00:08:32,480It's so powerful because the moment you're clear about your goals, then you're clear12000:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,240about how to achieve them.12100:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,400Or even if you don't know how to achieve them, you're clear about what information you need12200:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,080to be able to successfully achieve them.12300:08:40,080 --> 00:08:44,480And so, okay, you need to maybe submit your first manuscript or write and submit your12400:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,380first manuscript, or maybe it's your first proposal.12500:08:48,380 --> 00:08:54,160And even if you've never written a proposal before, you now know that this is the information12600:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,040you need to be able to successfully write and submit the proposal.12700:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,760But until you decided it was a goal that you were going to try to accomplish in the next12800:09:01,760 --> 00:09:07,080three months, then you didn't have to put your foot in the ground and go find the information12900:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,600necessary to move forward.13000:09:09,600 --> 00:09:14,680And so, developing a strategic plan is so vital because it gives you clarity.13100:09:14,680 --> 00:09:21,080And I think it's been said that the real win is not the plans that you make.13200:09:21,080 --> 00:09:22,080Plans are worthless.13300:09:22,080 --> 00:09:28,520But the actual act of planning is so powerful because you first of all have to figure out13400:09:28,520 --> 00:09:35,680what is the most important thing, the thing for which I have no accountability, the thing13500:09:35,680 --> 00:09:39,600for which no one's going to come knocking down my door if I don't do it.13600:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,880But it's the thing that actually advances my career.13700:09:42,880 --> 00:09:53,040And when we think about that matrix of urgent and not important versus not urgent, definitely13800:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,680important, there's a specific name for the matrix.13900:09:55,680 --> 00:09:59,440I really need to look these things up before I come talk to you guys.14000:09:59,440 --> 00:10:07,200But that matrix of the things that are most important are the things that are not urgent14100:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,960but extremely important to your advancement.14200:10:09,960 --> 00:10:16,080And a strategic plan allows you to define what those things are and put them on a plan.14300:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,320It gives you clarity.14400:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,720And that is such a beautiful gift.14500:10:20,720 --> 00:10:21,720Okay.14600:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,080So, it gives you clarity.14700:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,560The next thing it does is it gives you focus.14800:10:26,560 --> 00:10:30,640So, the moment you have decided on a set of goals that you're going to accomplish over14900:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,320the next three to four months, now you know what to focus on.15000:10:34,320 --> 00:10:35,560You know.15100:10:35,560 --> 00:10:38,480There's no, oh, I'm not sure when I'm supposed to, you're like, no, no, no, no, no, no.15200:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,920I said that by March 2024, I will do this.15300:10:41,920 --> 00:10:45,480Therefore, I know what I'm going to do.15400:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,920You can focus on the thing that you've determined.15500:10:48,920 --> 00:10:54,240One of the things I love about the strategic plan is that you make it for yourself.15600:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,160I make my strategic plan for me.15700:10:57,160 --> 00:11:00,320And I'm so glad it's for me because if somebody else saw my strategic plan, they would be15800:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,800like, what?15900:11:02,800 --> 00:11:07,960It is uniquely targeted and tailored to me.16000:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,640Only I understand my strategic plan.16100:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,900The person who taught me how to do the strategic plan would probably be shocked at the kind16200:11:14,900 --> 00:11:17,520of strategic plan I create these days.16300:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,400But it's uniquely yours.16400:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,240Nobody can create a strategic plan for you.16500:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,360Actually, I take that back.16600:11:24,360 --> 00:11:31,120Anybody can create a strategic plan for you, but it's not powerful or effective until you16700:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,880create your own.16800:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,400And the reason you've got to be the one to create it is because it's for you.16900:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,060You commit and then you go execute.17000:11:41,060 --> 00:11:47,040And so the goals you set for yourself because you decided that they're important are the17100:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,840goals that you have power, energy, strength to execute on.17200:11:51,840 --> 00:11:56,800The goals you set for yourself because you're afraid that someone's going to be mad at you,17300:11:56,800 --> 00:12:03,280be disappointed in you, honestly, are not as sticky.17400:12:03,280 --> 00:12:09,600And if for whatever reason that person maybe is out of town for a two to three week window,17500:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,480you'll feel relief that, oh, okay, I might not need to do this.17600:12:13,480 --> 00:12:18,760Or you'll feel dread and anxiety over your goal.17700:12:18,760 --> 00:12:24,920And not many good things come out of that space of anxiety and dread over a goal.17800:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,120And so it really does need to be yours.17900:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,720It really does need to be your plans.18000:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,040And if you're not sure what to put on your strategic plan, yeah, talk it over with a18100:12:34,040 --> 00:12:41,020mentor and definitely flesh out what kinds of things should you be working on over the18200:12:41,020 --> 00:12:42,440next three to four months.18300:12:42,440 --> 00:12:48,000But in the general scheme of things, it's the manuscripts, it's the grants, it's the18400:12:48,000 --> 00:12:54,480research, it's all the stuff that's so important but that you may not actually have anybody18500:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,920pounding down on your door to do.18600:12:56,920 --> 00:13:03,060And writing them all in a strategic plan gives you focus on what to do.18700:13:03,060 --> 00:13:05,960You know exactly what you need to focus on these next three weeks.18800:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,420You know you're going to be on consults.18900:13:08,420 --> 00:13:10,720You know you're going to be rounding the hospital.19000:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,960And you know that when you come down from that week, you know what to focus on.19100:13:14,960 --> 00:13:20,600You know when there is a little bit of space in your schedule, you're like, oh, I'm not19200:13:20,600 --> 00:13:21,600free.19300:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,080I know what I need to focus on.19400:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,080And it's really helpful in that way.19500:13:27,080 --> 00:13:32,560The third thing a strategic plan does for you is it helps you be realistic.19600:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,480It really helps you be realistic.19700:13:35,480 --> 00:13:40,440You know how it is for many of us in medicine, how we love to please people.19800:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,160We're so good at it.19900:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,600I think it's just a big part of our training.20000:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,240Just some things we have to unlearn.20100:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,320And people pleasing is one of them.20200:13:49,320 --> 00:13:54,240But you know someone says, hey, hey, I have an emergency and I'm going to need to cancel20300:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,360my clinic on Thursday morning, but it's too late.20400:13:56,360 --> 00:13:57,760Can you just take the whole clinic?20500:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,120And you're like, of course I can help you.20600:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,920Because of course you have time.20700:14:02,920 --> 00:14:09,600But when you create a strategic plan, you know.20800:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,160You know what you're supposed to be working on.20900:14:12,160 --> 00:14:18,400And you know you do not have an extra five hours in the day for an impromptu clinic.21000:14:18,400 --> 00:14:24,280You know that it doesn't fit in your strategic plan because you made the strategic plan.21100:14:24,280 --> 00:14:29,320And so one of the benefits of a strategic plan is it helps you become realistic about21200:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,520what you can and cannot commit to.21300:14:32,520 --> 00:14:36,480Someone says, oh my gosh, I have this amazing new manuscript project.21400:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,000And you would be perfect to be the middle author.21500:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,400You're like, my gosh, this is such an important project.21600:14:42,400 --> 00:14:43,400When does it do?21700:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,480Oh, three weeks from now.21800:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,600You're like, wow, three weeks from now.21900:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,240I was hoping you would say four months from now.22000:14:54,240 --> 00:14:59,560In three weeks I have this project, this project, and this project that I need to wrap up.22100:14:59,560 --> 00:15:04,420And you're realistic about the things that you actually need to do.22200:15:04,420 --> 00:15:10,440And so you're not just saying yes and giving away your time without realizing how much22300:15:10,440 --> 00:15:12,840else is waiting for you.22400:15:12,840 --> 00:15:21,960You have a clear understanding of your commitments over the next few months because you created22500:15:21,960 --> 00:15:23,120the strategic plan.22600:15:23,120 --> 00:15:28,040You put time zones, you put time bounds around what you said you were going to be doing.22700:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,840There is no question what you're supposed to be working on.22800:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,720And yes, great projects will come along and want to derail you.22900:15:35,720 --> 00:15:40,520But because you set the goals yourself, then you're able to be realistic about what you23000:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,240can and cannot commit to.23100:15:44,240 --> 00:15:45,240That's number three.23200:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,160It helps you be realistic.23300:15:48,160 --> 00:15:52,320Number four is that it gives you direction.23400:15:52,320 --> 00:15:53,600I love this one.23500:15:53,600 --> 00:15:58,200I love the direction that a strategic plan gives you.23600:15:58,200 --> 00:16:02,080It says, hey, I'm on my way to Germany.23700:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,080Okay.23800:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,320There are many ways to get to Germany.23900:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,200But there are many ways.24000:16:09,200 --> 00:16:14,480There are more ways to leave to not go to Germany than there are ways to get to Germany.24100:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,680You can go by land.24200:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,120Actually, well, you can mix it up.24300:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,420You can fly.24400:16:21,420 --> 00:16:23,880You can take a ship and then go some by land.24500:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,840It depends on where in Germany you're going.24600:16:26,840 --> 00:16:28,040There are different ways to get there.24700:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,160You can mix and match different strategies.24800:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,440You can go to one other country, fly to one country, and then take the rail to get there.24900:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,320There are different strategies.25000:16:36,320 --> 00:16:42,120But there are more ways to not go to Germany than there are ways to get to Germany.25100:16:42,120 --> 00:16:47,760And so what a strategic plan does for you is it gives you direction so that every time25200:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,640somebody comes and tries to take you away from the direction in which you have said25300:16:51,640 --> 00:16:57,120you're going over the next three to four months, you get to say, hey, hey, hey, this is taking25400:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,000me in a different direction than I committed to.25500:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,160And now here's the thing about the strategic plan.25600:17:02,160 --> 00:17:07,160It's not like it's set in stone and written down forever and ever and you can never change25700:17:07,160 --> 00:17:08,200it.25800:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,160It's not that.25900:17:10,160 --> 00:17:14,000But it is that you are very clear on where you're going.26000:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,180And if anything is going to come and take you and move you in a different direction,26100:17:18,180 --> 00:17:26,380it's an opportunity for you to stop and say, hmm, this new direction, does it serve me?26200:17:26,380 --> 00:17:28,160Does it serve my career?26300:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,680Does it serve my interests?26400:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,960And it's an important question you get to ask only because you've already set the direction.26500:17:34,960 --> 00:17:36,800It's like you already set the GPS.26600:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,280You're on your way to Canada.26700:17:39,280 --> 00:17:40,280Or let's be more specific.26800:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,080You're on your way to Montreal.26900:17:42,080 --> 00:17:47,040And then all of a sudden, someone comes and says, hey, I see that you have set your GPS27000:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,160to go to Montreal, but I really love you to go to Texas.27100:17:51,160 --> 00:17:56,280And if you're going to go to Texas, you've got to readjust the GPS.27200:17:56,280 --> 00:18:01,840You've got to say, okay, well, why don't I take Montreal out and put in, you know, Houston,27300:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,720Texas, because that's the new direction.27400:18:04,720 --> 00:18:10,680But if you're going to go to that, then you ask yourself, is this new direction the direction27500:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,680I now want to go in?27600:18:12,680 --> 00:18:20,960Knowing that, hmm, Houston, Texas is all the way on the other side, far, far, far from27700:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,360the direction you were going in towards Montreal.27800:18:24,360 --> 00:18:28,640And you need to dress differently too, depending on what time of year you're going.27900:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,080And is this really what you want?28000:18:31,080 --> 00:18:36,440Do you want at the end of your journey to Houston, Texas to be so far from Montreal?28100:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,520Is this what you want to do?28200:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,240And so it helps you be very, very clear about your direction.28300:18:41,240 --> 00:18:46,440And it helps you decide on whether or not you want to change your direction.28400:18:46,440 --> 00:18:52,820But the beauty of it is that you're making the decision intentionally, not by accident.28500:18:52,820 --> 00:18:57,400Because what's happening to many of us without a strategic plan is that by many of us, I28600:18:57,400 --> 00:18:58,400mean me, right?28700:18:58,400 --> 00:19:03,720For some years of my faculty career, I had no strategic plan.28800:19:03,720 --> 00:19:08,780What happens to people like us when I had no strategic plan is that I would wake up28900:19:08,780 --> 00:19:13,120and find myself in Houston, Texas and be like, oh, what a lovely place to be.29000:19:13,120 --> 00:19:14,800It's so worth here.29100:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,240And then remember that, wait a minute, aren't I supposed to be in Montreal?29200:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,080How did I end up here?29300:19:19,080 --> 00:19:24,080And so the lack of direction just can be very confusing for you.29400:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,360And it allows you to make decisions that take you far away from your intended destination29500:19:28,360 --> 00:19:32,560because you didn't set an intended destination.29600:19:32,560 --> 00:19:38,360And so it really helps you get direction.29700:19:38,360 --> 00:19:42,080The other thing it does for you is it helps you assess yourself.29800:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,360It helps you with self-assessment.29900:19:44,360 --> 00:19:49,000You know, it's one thing for you to have that meeting with your chief or your chair at the30000:19:49,000 --> 00:19:56,120end of the year and say, wow, you didn't accomplish these important metrics of being a faculty30100:19:56,120 --> 00:19:57,220member.30200:19:57,220 --> 00:20:03,000It's one thing to have that conversation with somebody once a year, but to have with yourself30300:20:03,000 --> 00:20:10,920three months later and say, huh, you said XYZ was going to be accomplished by the end30400:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,920of three months and wow, not even a quarter of X is accomplished.30500:20:15,920 --> 00:20:17,680What happened?30600:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,040You know exactly where you didn't accomplish the things you said you were going to accomplish.30700:20:22,040 --> 00:20:27,560You don't even need anybody beating up on you or yelling at you or asking you, hey,30800:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,500why didn't you do this?30900:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,200You are able to assess yourself.31000:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,400In fact, you don't even have to wait till three months are over.31100:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,400In the middle of the first month, you know how far you've gotten.31200:20:37,400 --> 00:20:42,960You know by the second month, you know by the third month, you're able to assess yourself.31300:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,440And so then you're able to decide, well, did I try to do too much?31400:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,960Did I cut back the next time?31500:20:49,960 --> 00:20:54,400Because it is actually hard for us to be realistic about what we can and cannot accomplish in31600:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,200the three to four month period.31700:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,960It takes many iterations of creating a strategic plan to be clear about what can and cannot31800:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,200be accomplished in that period of time.31900:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,480But it allows you to do the self-assessment.32000:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,320So you don't have to externalize it.32100:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,200You don't have to have somebody else come tell you what you're supposed to be doing.32200:21:12,200 --> 00:21:17,800You don't have to have somebody else come tell you what you're supposed to do because32300:21:17,800 --> 00:21:25,400you got guidance in creating the strategic plan and you're able to tell at the end whether32400:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,720you met the goals that you set for yourself or not.32500:21:29,720 --> 00:21:34,440And so those are five reasons, five things, five good points.32600:21:34,440 --> 00:21:40,440So five reasons why a strategic plan will help you, five benefits of a strategic plan.32700:21:40,440 --> 00:21:46,760Number two is focus, number three is being realistic, number four is giving you direction,32800:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,440and number five it helps you do your own self-assessment.32900:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,040These tools are important because if you think about the theme of this week, you really are33000:21:55,040 --> 00:22:00,400big on you taking ownership of your own career, you leading your own experience because you33100:22:00,400 --> 00:22:05,980know what, you can't lead anybody else, not in your own career.33200:22:05,980 --> 00:22:09,140You can't force anyone to do anything for you.33300:22:09,140 --> 00:22:12,800You can't make anybody care for your career as much as you care for your career.33400:22:12,800 --> 00:22:17,640And so I hope that these tools have been helpful for you to think about how to move your career33500:22:17,640 --> 00:22:18,880forward.33600:22:18,880 --> 00:22:25,600And if you are looking to work with a coach to help you move forward, identify your goals33700:22:25,600 --> 00:22:32,960and to create structure and strategy to succeed in moving those goals forward, I would love33800:22:32,960 --> 00:22:34,440to talk to you.33900:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,840I'd love you to reach out to me on Facebook.34000:22:36,840 --> 00:22:38,840Send me a DM.34100:22:38,840 --> 00:22:46,840So you'll see in webinar or you can even send me a message on LinkedIn and I'm also an Instagram,34200:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,720but you probably will get higher engagement if you send me a message through LinkedIn34300:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,400or Facebook, but I will definitely be looking out for that.34400:22:54,400 --> 00:22:59,040And I just want to encourage you that you know what, you've been betting on yourself34500:22:59,040 --> 00:23:06,480since you started your medical journey and I believe that you don't have to stop betting34600:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,280on yourself today because you know what, you are pretty amazing.34700:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,840You've come this far because you have done the work you put in the hard work to make34800:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,680it possible and you've done it before you will do it again.34900:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,760I'm so confident of you doing that.35000:23:21,760 --> 00:23:22,760All right.35100:23:22,760 --> 00:23:24,880I encourage you to enjoy your week.35200:23:24,880 --> 00:23:26,520Practice one of these things.35300:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,620Tell me if creating the strategic plan, if you're able to, if you need some pointers35400:23:31,620 --> 00:23:33,960in creating a strategic plan, I'd love to help you.35500:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,000Send me a DM and I'll give you some more information.35600:23:37,000 --> 00:23:38,000All right.35700:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,640It has been a pleasure talking with you today.35800:23:39,640 --> 00:23:50,560I look forward to talking with you again the next time.35900:23:50,560 --> 00:23:55,880Thanks for listening to this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast where academic36000:23:55,880 --> 00:24:01,240clinicians learn the skills to build their own research program, whether or not they36100:24:01,240 --> 00:24:02,700have a mentor.36200:24:02,700 --> 00:24:08,680If you found the information in this episode to be helpful, don't keep it all to yourself.36300:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,560Someone else needs to hear it.36400:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,600So take a minute right now and share it.36500:24:14,600 --> 00:24:20,060As you share this episode, you become part of our mission to help launch a new generation36600:24:20,060 --> 00:24:32,920of clinician researchers who make transformative discoveries that change the way we do healthcare.