Running head: Character of Marilyn Reskovich

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

Group A: Jonathan Bland, Crystal Bromeling, Sofia Hale
& Krystle Lawrence
HSC4060: Working with healthcare professionals
Dr. Nelva Lee
June 29, 2012

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

The medical secretary, Marilyn Reskovich is a knowledgeable woman with five years of
experience within the Neurology Department at Perfect Watch Medical Center. She became
content while working under Dr. Christopher, the previous chief. She learned to take her time at
lunch and leaving early on Fridays to be with her family on the weekends. After a recent change
in chief Neurologists, she has become unhappy with her position at work. She is not comfortable
with change and will prefer her work rhythm to be the same as always. Marilyn may be
unaccustomed to being pushed to rush through the day because of her old boss work methods.
She feels that the new chief does not take his time to enjoy life as it shows with the difference in
his life motto to give it your all from the former chiefs motto, life is too short to spend it at
work.
As anybody who has worked on the same job for a number of years, Marilyn Reskovich
has become accustom to the methods her former chief of neurology exhibited and agreed with
his life motto because it allowed her to not feel so pressured during her work duties. Marilyn has
become complacent with her work activities and is having trouble coping with the new changes
the current chief has made. Marilyn is experiencing some sadness now towards her job due to the
fact she no longer has a sense of comfort because she feels so many changes are occurring since
the new chief of neurology has taken over the department. Due to the fact the ending statement
of the scenario background states Marilyn is hoping the comfort level she used to have in her
work will return, shows that Marilyn is willing to follow the protocols and regulations her new
chief is implementing, however she does not understand his means of motivation which has
caused her to desire the old chiefs techniques.
The impacted of the change on the Neurology office culture

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

The attitude of the new chief working in the Neurology office has greatly contrasted with
the attitude of the old chief which has influenced the way the Neurology office is currently ran.
Since the new chief seems to always be working without any down time the office now seems to
be busier than usual causing the staff to perceive the office as chaotic and less organized. The
new chief also does not feel it to be necessary to speak with people via phone or email; however
he would rather have a more personal experience by having meetings face to face. This new
change has created more traffic with various people wanting to speak with the new chief about
different subject matters without a scheduled appointment to be seen by the new chief. Due to the
staff being complacent with the old methods of the previous chief some now find themselves as
feeling uncomfortable with having constant tasks thrown at them throughout the work day and
may also be experiencing a feeling of being unappreciated and of less importance.
Helpless?
Marilyn is not helpless in her situation. In health care there will always be conflict, and in
order to decrease the amount of conflict the workers must communication stresses and
misunderstanding (Borkowski, 2011). She should have a meeting with the new chief neurologist
in order to work out a scheduling and office responsibilities. She should tell him what she would
like to do, and in turn ask him what he would like her to do. He has expressed that hes rather
talk face-to-face to people than to respond to emails or phone calls. She is uncomfortable with
people stopping by at any given time. She should ask if he would allow for open office hours
which would allow for a specific time frame for people to stop in a talk. During the hours that are
not categorized as open, people will need to have an appointment. Marilyn needs to
communicate her wants and needs to the chief neurologist in order for any changes to occur that

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

could make her happier in her situation. The chief may be unaware of her feelings, and will not
be aware until she tells him.
An alternative conclusion
Because her position demands that she has a good relationship with her new boss in order
to be able to work together, it is necessary that she change her dynamic and establish a better
communication with him. The first thing she needs to do, it is to overcome her helpless feelings
by creating an approach that will increase her confidence in her job and promote the organization
that she was used too. This is achieved not necessarily changing her boss dynamic but in a
collaborative way. Second, she needs to talk with her boss about the situation, not in
insubordination but with the objective of open her mind to understand her boss daily routine and
clarifying the ambiguous situations mentioned with the objective of organizing better his
schedule and control the traffic in the office, therefore increasing the performance in general. A
person with great suggestions to improve the quality and efficiency of the job is always
appreciated.
A better frame of mind and improve workday
For Marilyn to relax there are several ways that she can do this every morning. The best
time to relax is before going to work. Some people try yoga in the morning air. Ti-Chi is an
excellent way to relax. Meditation can be done prior to arriving at the office. The best thing
about meditation is that she can perform it at work. Just 2-5 minutes of a break or sitting at the
desk can make a big difference. These are excellent way of clearing her mind and also relaxing.
These exercises can help clear her mind. She should continue to set forth a good work ethic by
showing up early and preparing the office. She could even arrive a little bit earlier than normal

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

set the office up and then have some meditation time. Clearing her mind and relaxing during the
day may help the day pass by faster.
Identifying communication issues in this entire scenario
The communication issues within the scenario include errors from Marilyn and Dr. K.
Marilyn is presenting non-verbal communication through her unhappiness and body language. It
has only been four weeks with Dr. K, and Marilyn is already feeling unhappy with her position.
Dr. K is excluding Marilyn from the line of communication; verbal and written. He has assumed
many of the roles that Marilyn had previous; this sent a non-verbal message of lack of trust. Dr.
K and Marilyn need to have a serious conversation about the role of Marilyn as the assistant. The
problem in this situation is with Dr. K being the only one that is communicating his wants. For
an effective relationship with communication each person needs to communicate efficiently.
Marilyns conflicts with her new roles
Marilyn needs to communicate her wants and desires about her roles through a private
meeting with Dr. K. She should write down every item that she use to do for the previous Chief.
She should plan what she wants to say. During the meeting she should speak precisely with few
pauses, however allow for Dr. K to interject when needed. She should not bring up fact that she
had been part of the department reviews due to the sensitivity of information that is presented
during annual reviews. Marilyn should request a new, written job description and assigned tasks
for clarification of her role as an office assistant.
Blending within the new culture in the department
First, she needs to change her attitude toward her new boss and the situation in general. She
needs to become part of the solution to the chaotic environment that Dr. K is used to, and come
to the office ready to learn and to share the knowledge that she has acquired in the past five

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

years. Second, to be able to accomplish her goals in mind which are very similar to Dr.
Christophers, it is important that she wins Dr. Ks respect and attention, so she can guide him to
a more effective organized environment instead of the chaotic and restless one he is used to.
Verbal and nonverbal communication plays a big part in accomplishing her goals, she was
showing sadness and was hopeless, and therefore her new boss was reading these signs from her
demeanor, which gives place to Dr. Ks possible resolution to not engage in any conversation
with her. In her conversation with her boss she needs to open herself to listen, to be able to help
his routine to be better organized, this means, respectfully understanding his standards too.
Constant communication will be imminent to accomplish these goals and have a better
relationship with her boss. When a person has won the trust of the other, it is easier to make
suggestions that will be valuable to enrich the work performance.
Marilyn gets across her concerns to Dr. K by rehearsing her points
Marilyn has become so overwhelmed with not being able to fully participate in her
previous job duties that she wants to finally confront the new chief to discuss her concerns of the
office. Marilyn has to be careful of the way she confronts her new chief because if she comes
across rude she could give the new chief a negative impression of her which could ultimately
jeopardize her position. The best recommendation for Marilyn would be to rehearse the key
points of her discussion and the way she is going to present her concerns rather than go in blindly
and leading her discussion based on her rage and emotion. Marilyn should have a face to face
discussion with the new chief since he appreciates personal meetings and address her concerns.
She should inform the new chief that she appreciates the new changes he has made for the
department however she feels as though she has not been able to fully assist the new chief as he
needs. At this time she can asks the new chief what his expectations of her are and how she could

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

better assist him with his daily work tasks. She could also present her ideas of how she feels she
could help the new chief and see if he objects or accepts her ideas.
Marilyns type of conversation
For Marilyn to be happy at work she needs to sit down and talk to her new boss. He does
have an open door policy. Marilyn should start with talking to her boss about what she is feeling.
She should address the concerns as soon as possible. Her conversation should also be direct and
be open to change on her part. She must be willing to discuss the changes. She should have some
notes to make sure she covers everything that she needs to discuss. She should be clear on the
way she feels about how the work is being done.
Marilyns concerns
Marilyn shouldnt stay quiet about her concerns. It is important that Marilyn addressed
her concerns of how the company has changed which has made her feel that her work
performance has decreased. Having a meeting with Dr. K to figure out the way he would like her
to complete her position duties and how she should handle scheduling his meetings allows
communication between the two parties to help make Marilyn feel better about her work
performance and allow Dr. K to see the full potential Marilyn has as his secretary. It is not
Marilyns place to tell Dr. K how she likes things to be ran in the department or how she wants
their interaction managed because she has to remember her position and Dr. K is her superior;
however it is fine to communicate with her chief to discover the way he would like for her
handle their interaction and the tasks he would like for her to complete.
Changes in Marilyns life
Marilyn is afraid of losing her place as part of the Neurology Department. Her usual
routine and skills are not needed anymore because Dr. K is not letting her work around him as

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

she used to do with Dr. Christopher. She feels left out during this initiation period, this could
mean that she may be let go. With Dr. Christopher, she felt satisfaction in serving his coffee and
getting things ready for him, schedule his meeting with the other department and monitor the
correct functioning of the office. She also had access to information that she was able to share
with the other departments like who was in trouble and who would be rewarded. Losing control
or power over certain circumstances makes her miserable and it is fairly understandable that she
felt diminish in her work. And it is worth it to add, that she was and will miss the comfort level
she enjoyed with Dr. Christopher which is lost forever since Dr. K took his place.
Marilyns agenda
Her agenda implies that she wants to know what he wants from her. She wanted to know
her new responsibilities. Also, if Dr. K wants her to manage his schedule or not, she want to
know what are his priorities, what are his methods to communicate with the other department
also organize meeting for him, also she needed to know what is her job description, and what
things are not necessary in her daily performance. I dont see that she was interested in her needs
and wants but in knowing his point of view and his needs and wants. In other circumstances, if
Marilyn had a hidden agenda, the person will try to control the situation, putting first her needs
and her wants to be able to get the desire outcome.
Motivational style of Marilyn and Dr. K
Marilyn has motivation. She has a satisfactory-performance theory. She was satisfied
with her performance and job satisfaction by the way the previous doctor she worked with
treated her. She does feel that she keeps trying to equity between her new and old bosses, and
runs into problems. She does feel that Dr. K has set goes for himself and everyone else has to fall
in line with what he wants done within the office. He will not change his style of motivation until

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

Marilyn talks to him about how she is feeling. Dr. K may be unaware of how she feels. If she
does not speak to the doctor he may never change his motivational ways. When she does speak
to him about the problem, I think Dr. K should change his motivational ways to a goal-setting
theory that would help her feel as though she is helping the facility move instead of being steam
rolled each day by the way Dr. K has it working.
Leadership styles
Marilyn is use to a leader who puts everyone on the same level as they are. The previous
chief talked with her as an equal, with a leadership style similar to charismatic or democratic. He
had a personality that allowed Marilyn to connect with personally and professionally. Dr. K has a
leadership style laissez-faire leadership style. He has taken on most of the responsibilities
himself, but leaving a gap Marilyn unsure of what she should do since he is hand-off. In order to
get more work out of Marilyn, Dr. K should consider changing his leadership style to democratic.
With this style he will be able to lead while allowing Marilyn to give some input in the decisions
of the department. With a democratic style is allows for the leader to lead and the followers to
give feedback which in the end gives the sense they their opinion matters.
Dr. K and Marilyns assumptions and the truth behind it
Dr. K assumptions:
1. He thought he needed to do everything by himself because he was not sure Marilyn could
handle the new changes. The truth behind it is that she was expecting some communication that
will put her on the right track and continue her work accordingly.
2. He thought he was alone in these new changes and if he was not knowledgeable in computers
therefore he could not teach others. The truth behind it is that she was exactly what Dr. K needed.
She was talented and knowledgeable and could move mountains if he will ask for it.

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

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3. He assumed that she was not willing to help him. The truth behind it is that she was ready to
help in these changes, she was yearning for it but she didnt know how to help him.
4. He assumed that because she worked with Dr. Christopher for so long in an office that was
known for being old fashion, she would not have skills to do what was required. The truth behind
it is that her skills were beyond that, she knew how to get anything to work just the way he
wanted, he just needed to ask.
5. He was already thinking that she probably wanted to be let go and that this was the reason for
the meeting. The truth behind it is that she was not going to sit and look at him taking her out
without talking and trying to work with him first.
6. He assumed that by confiding in Marilyn it would make him less of an authority figure. The
truth is that Marilyn wants to be a helper and assist him in any way, and looks up to those that
ask for help.
7. He did want to make Marilyn feel as if the department was falling apart. The truth is similar to
the other truths; she would be willing to do anything to ensure that their department would be
successful.
8. He assumed that the department didnt want to change. The truth is that he didnt
communicate the need for change or what need to be change
9. He had assumed that Marilyn was aware of how far behind the department was, and that they
needed to get modernized. The truth is that Marilyn only knew of Dr. Christophers way and was
unaware that they need to get up to date.
10. He assumed that he needs to work long hours by himself to get the department in order. The
truth is that with Marilyns help he can cut back on his hours and decrease his stress load.
Marilyn's assumptions:

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

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1. She thinks she has to change everything about herself for the new doctor. The truth about this
is she doesn't need to change she needs to talk to Dr. K about how the office can be ran.
2. She thinks she doesn't have any control within the office anymore. The truth is she has to
change the way the office is ran and help Dr. K with setting up a better business for his patients
and colleges.
3. She assumes that her new boss doesn't need her as much as the last. Dr. K is a go getter, she
needs to let him know what she can do to help him with his job.
4. She assumes that just because she is no longer doing evaluations with the head of the
department she is no longer functioning as a member of the team. The truth is its not her job to
watch over the residents and students on who is working more or less.
5. She assumed that she needed to have a forced conversation with Dr. K to have her points
made known. The truth is she only needed to sit down and discuss the office and how she was
feeling.
6. She assumed Dr. K was an uptight workaholic that did not want her help with anything;
however the truth is Dr. K was working so much because he was trying to help advance the
departments standard of technology to keep their financial funding.
7. Marilyn thought speaking with Dr. K would be a stressful situation for her, but the truth is she
began finding ways to help calm Dr. K down when he began getting worked up after exposing
his work stressors.
8. Marilyn was upset because she could no longer create the slide presentations for Dr. K
anymore. The truth of the matter is that slide presentations are out of date and instead Dr. K
needs PowerPoint presentations and someone that can help him with the advanced technical
equipment.

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

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9. She assumed that Dr. K perceived her as being less important, however he needs her assistance
more than ever but he never knew her capabilities before their meeting.
10. She assumed Dr. K enjoyed having the open access policy, however the truth is the open
access policy seemed to stress Dr. K out more and he was relieved to find out Marilyn would be
willing to assist in handling his meetings and traffic to his office.
The Department of Neurology blossom after all
Now that Dr. K and Marilyn came to an agreement in their roles and discovered their
weaknesses and strengths, the Neurology Department is moving smoothly and has achieved the
goals that were expected by the administration. At first, Dr. Ks and Marilyns
miscommunications and misunderstandings had a big effect in their collaboration and the
Neurology Departments functionality. Both carried a burden that was not necessary and could
have ended in the discharge of one of the parties involved. During the event specified in the
scenario, we were having different opinions about it, and considered the possibility of Marilyn
getting laid off. We also noticed control issues in Dr. K, and almost unanimously disliked his
attitude toward Marilyn in the whole situation. But after Marilyns decision to come forward and
express her concerns, she then realized how much Dr. K still needed her in her role as a secretary
and demonstrated to Dr. K that he was not alone.
How the department has blossom?
The department blossomed through the effective communication and teamwork between
Dr. K and Marilyn. They have seen their neurology department group in to be the location for
fellows to want to do their fellowships. The department has won awards for their advancements
with technology. Dr. K is sought out to do presentation, which is due to the efficient work of
Marilyn and an intern. In addition, they are able to reduce their orientation time with new doctors

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

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with the use of an informative DVD. The neurology department has now reached the level of
success that was asked of Dr. K. (South University Online, 2012)
How important is the role of Dr. K?
Dr. K has given way to he'll do all the jobs that need to be accomplished in the clinic. He
has finally let Marilyn do some work for him all while allowing him to free up more time than he
has had in the past. He is able to focus on his work around the office more by letting Marilyn and
his intern do his presentation seminars. Dr. K has opened up the possibility of someone else do
work for him. He is able to do more with grand rounds than his previous time before Marilyn
started helping him. Saving time from doing repetitive work she has helped him with. Even
orientating new staff that has been left up to Marilyn has allowed him more time to do his job.
How important is the role of Marilyn?
Marilyns role in the department was very impactful. She had felt a significant change
when Dr. Christopher had retired and Dr. K took over. She felt unneeded and unwanted. She
suggested a meeting where she and Dr. K were able to talk about their frustrations with the
situation. She was surprised to find out Dr. K was under such a substantial amount of stress.
Marilyn assisted Dr. K with making the old fashioned presentations into up-to-date
presentation with video clips. She made an orientation DVD to help with teaching new medical
staff (South University Online, 2012). With Marilyns help Dr. K has eliminated extra work from
his week, the department is now pushing hard into the future of neurology, and the department is
no longer the laughing stock of the medical center.

Character of Marilyn Reskovich

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References:

Borkowski, N. (2011) Organizational Behavior in Health Care (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones
and Bartlett Publishers.
South University Online. (2012). Assignment 4: Final Project. Retrieved from Working with
Healthcare Professionals: HSC4060: http://myeclassonline.com/