Laura Marquez Assistant Vice President IT Applications UConn Health | Laura is a transformational leader committed to bringing out the best in people by tapping into their strengths. She believes when organizations recognize their most valuable asset, their employees, then leaders can change the culture to be rich, inviting, and inspiring. Laura has worked her way up from the bottom, performing each job along the way, which has broadened her perspective and strengthened her appreciation for what people do day in and day out. Laura’s background begins as a Biochemist and Medical Assistant who was medical school bound. When she was rejected, she knew she wasn't done learning and pursued a Masters in Healthcare Administration. It was there she learned about clinical informatics and the electronic health record (EHR), and was awarded an opportunity to become an EHR build analyst. Tapping into her leadership skills, she began leading teams of analysts and worked her way up to lead an IT department. Laura is now the Assistant Vice President over IT Applications at UConn Health. This has given her a rewarding opportunity to apply all she has learned throughout her journey, and to put ideas into action to positively affect change. |
Leading Virtually with Empathy [CPHIMS Credit(s)]
On Line Event
Registration
Leading with empathy can move mountains and transform cultures. We must learn how to attribute positive intent, play to people's strengths, listen whole heartedly, and use feedback as a tool for improvement. Since the pandemic, we all had to navigate the new teleworking life rapidly. It's important for leaders to understand that during these times of high stress, we need to pivot to meet the needs of our workforce. We need to improve communication, stay connected, and showcase the utmost flexibility as possible. We must lean into vulnerability and recognize the challenging circumstances people face - whether that be family needs, like a child at home or taking care of sick loved ones, financial burdens, or mental health challenges.
Laura will speak to 5 key take-a-ways ideas to put into action: 1. Speak about the 'unspoken rules' 2. Identify teammates strengths 3. Solicit feedback of what needs to change to help improve the culture 4. Create standards around communication 5. Promote rounding with staff creating a safe space for people to bring forward concerns When the pandemic hit, we all became remote overnight, and had to navigate the course without much help or guidance. With teleworking future likely to continue, it's important to shed light on key principals of how leaders can show up for their teams, and continue to drive positive changes. Empathy is at the core to strong people management, broadening ones perspective, hearing the unvoiced questions, anticipating needs, and showing up with a whole new level of understanding. |
