asking questions
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[00:00:00] Hey there guys. It's Hoang here. You're just talk to you a little bit about who you ask for questions to. So if you're new here, welcome. My name is Hoang Tran I'm an occupational therapist and a certified hand therapist, and I help occupational therapist develop their careers and you know, just have a great time and possibly one day become a certified hand therapist if you want.
I just wanted to talk, I know a couple of I've had a couple of things on my mind lately and it's, it keeps going back to, who do you ask your questions to, can determine the type of answer you receive, right. So I'm gonna give you a couple of example.
So that I've been kind of noticing. I just got off a coaching call with one of my members I'm waiting for this video to convert and all that stuff. So, so said, hello how's everyone doing? And I type into the chat. Where are you tuning in from and where are you on your journey? [00:01:00] As an occupational therapist, as a hand therapist, I'd love to know.
And that's who I'd like to help. I'd love to help you, no matter where you are on that journey, where you're just starting out. So lately I've been getting a lot of questions, just letting me know or maybe not even questions, but you know, just letting me know where they are in their journey in terms of hand therapy.
And some OTs are just starting to come out right now. I've been out. Workforce for like a couple of years. And you know, they're struggling to get into the groove of working, getting into the groove of you know, developing their skills, developing their confidence. In terms of being a great therapist, right?
It just takes time. It takes a little bit of time to be a great therapist and actually to sort of weave your way into hand therapy. Sometimes I'm two years in hand therapy, hoping to take the CHT next. Spring. Well, good for you. Awesome. That's really amazing. [00:02:00] Congratulations for already being in hand therapy and being a CHG soon.
So some people have that fast route and some people don't right. And so I just wanna encourage you that no matter where you are, how long it. Takes you that just that, you know, it's possible, right. That, you know, it's possible if you want it. So I talked to lots of different people who maybe when they first start out, can't get into that hand therapy position.
So they might take any old job. Right. And I don't know about you, but I did. I worked in a skilled nursing facility, several skilled nursing facilities, and I went and started working in. in the hospital setting. Hey, you're in LA that's awesome. Seven years practicing, also a CHT. Good for you.
That's awesome. So as the CHT, who do you ask your questions to? You know, cause really at the end of the day, we all need some form or fashion of support system of [00:03:00] accountability. Take the exam as soon as you can. Worst case outcome as you take it again next year. Absolutely. I completely agree with that too.
But before you take the exam, you really wanna be prepared so I've talked to people like that too. They're like, I'm just gonna take it and see where it goes. So see how it goes. But. If it's something that you want to do. I definitely agree to taking it, but as a CHC, who do you talk to? Who do you ask?
When you're needing support? And so I really do think that we all, to some extent or another, you know, need what I call outside eyeballs. Right? It's the idea that you know, you can't read the outside label. When you're inside and sometimes you're so close to yourself. You're so close to what you want.
That's really hard to see what's going on at the end of the day. If you really think about it. our patients come to us because they're too close to it. They want some kind [00:04:00] of outcome results and sometimes they can't see what's going on. So they come to you as an expert, as a therapist, you're the extra set of eyeballs for them.
And then you can see, and you can say, oh, here are the malalignments, you know, working with a hand guy who bilateral hand stuff it's chronic. And I can look from the outside and say, oh, When I see that our bilateral hand stuff, I have certain symptomology. One of the first places I'm going to look is in the neck and shoulder.
Do you have any neck or shoulder problems? Oh yeah, but it doesn't hurt. , we're not looking for pain cuz you don't have pain. We're looking for problems. Right. And here are the key things that I'm gonna be looking for. So you ask very specific questions and low and behold, there is definitely a neck and shoulder component that they didn't even think that was a pro.
He didn't think that was a problem because it didn't hurt. So [00:05:00] sometimes we can be struggling. , but it won't be that painful. Right. But it did take him took him a little while to get in here, but it was because surgery, isn't an option. really, so, you know, let's wait until you get really bad and then we can have surgery.
That's not an option. Right. So if you think about it in terms of your career, let's wait until things are so terrible that we hate our jobs and we hate our career. And then what are we gonna do? You know? There's no surgery for that. I mean, some people go back to school, but you know, when you go back to school, what are you gonna do?
What are you gonna do with another degree you're coming out there? , you know, still don't have the skills for that degree. Right. What are you gonna do if you decide I don't wanna be an OT anymore. I wanna go and do real estate. You still need to learn the game. You still need to learn the, you know, the skills for that.
And you still, you know, when you're struggling with something there's sky be, who do you ask? Right. Who do [00:06:00] you talk to? So I'm a big believer and I didn't believe this before. And I think it was just because I didn't know. Well, back then, there wasn't anything like this available, right? If you didn't find a local mentor if you didn't find a local mentor, you didn't find someone who was willing to give up their time to help you.
Kind of suffered through and maybe it just took you longer now with the way technology is and everything that's available to us. We can actually do things quicker, faster, easier in so many respects if we're willing to take the time. And you. And essentially be coachable, right. Essentially be coachable.
So, you know, who are you asking or who are you counting on to really give you sound advice? I remember was so thankful for having, you know, being in several different types of business coaching programs for [00:07:00] myself. When the pandemic hit that I knew I needed to do something. I just was unsure, uncertain cuz.
It had never happened to me before a pandemic, you know, and everything was shutting down and people were scared and I was scared, but I had somebody who I could go to who regardless was even keeled. And could see, like be the extra eyeballs out of my business. And it was funny cuz as I was prepping, it took me several hours just to prep to ensure that I was asking the best questions or I had questions to ask other than help me, you know?
But asking the right person really made sure that I was making the best decisions and it helped me to make the decision. Faster. And so this is essentially that type of conversation because you know, really one of the things I notice is [00:08:00] if you're, for example, if you're kind of a new grad and you're out there and you're struggling, right.
Hey, listen, if you're not struggling, kudos to you, that's really awesome. I'm so glad that. You like have this great job and stuff like that, but there's so many other people that are kind of struggling and that they're not able to find a mentor places aren't open to just go and observe. It's extremely time consuming to go in, you know, from a perspective of like allowing people to come in and just observe and it's extremely time consuming.
So a lot of times people don't. The time anymore to give it, but you know, who do you go to? So, you know, there was this new grad has a terrible job experience and she, you know, she asked a question of like, isn't this so terrible. And then of course everyone's like, yes, this is horrible. Get out. And as I was looking, I was like the only thing I [00:09:00] think that was missing.
I mean, she was right. It wasn't a good fit for her. I, we didn't need to have 50 people tell us that. But one thing I noticed was that there was no plan. So if you are in, if you're stuck in a terrible position maybe you're stuck in a position that you don't like. You know, maybe you are maybe you are a terrible boss.
Maybe you have terrible coworkers, maybe. You don't like the setting you're working in. What is we all can, we can all agree. You don't want it. You want a different situation, right? That's the easy part knowing I don't want that. what's the plan. right. What's the plan. There's got to be a plan. And one of the plans is if you can see it coming right.
And I was actually talking to another CHT about this and she made she's made out like a bandit, right. Because one, she could see something coming and she [00:10:00] knew. it wasn't for her. And two, she made decisions and took action fast. All the people who didn't are now stuck in, maybe. Positions that they are not happy with having lost positions, having their hours cut, being transitioned, you know, from a business buying into another business.
Right. So, but if you know that situation is not ideal, have a plan and the plan should include how long you're willing to stay and endure. Right. So some. You're there, you know, be realistic about the experience that you're trying to receive, right? So cuz sometimes you can get a certain amount of experience that then can propel you to the next position and to the next position.
So have a plan of how long worst case scenario, how long are you gonna stay there? Cause I mean, we could all just quit and not work. That'd be a different type of problem. but have a plan [00:11:00] cuz most of us can't just quit without a job. One is money, but two it's lack of experience two. So have a plan of how long, you know, you're willing to stay, even if it's just to get a certain amount of experience that would propel you to the next job, right.
Have a plan. And then the two is like, have some very key action. Right. So what could those action steps be? But have at least, you know, have at least two to three action steps and then of course take action. Right? So let's go back to number two of like your action steps. What are your action steps?
Well, your action steps might be I need to update my resume. I need to look around at different positions. Where am I willing to go? What am I willing to do? And then start actually putting yourself out there. And one thing that I would say is go back to positions where you had already been turned down.
I can tell you right now that in the OTs that I've hired in the last several years, majority of them have applied for my position. [00:12:00] Several times before they actually got in. And it's because as a hand therapy clinic and as a hand therapy clinic that's that specializes in chronic types of issues, post surgical types of issues.
So the difficult cases, right. And then we're a cash base out of network type of facility. So people have to make decisions. You know, wanting to come to be seen by us, willing to pay, willing to exchange for the value that we're giving. So I have to, you know, essentially to deliver on the results that I promise, which is I'm gonna find out what your problem is.
I'm gonna help you get the results, you know, that we're looking for. Right. We're gonna do that together. So, a lot of times they apply several times because I need as an employer, like as a boss, right? I'll tell you who I'm looking for. I'm looking for someone who[00:13:00]
essentially is an action taker. So if you tell me you want to be a hand therapist, if you tell me you want to specialize in hands, what have you done? What have you done so far? It makes a difference. Especially for me. And I think if you talk to any small business owners that they wanna see that the person is interested, not in just the words, but in their actions.
Right? So it's a relationship like any other relationship, if a dude tells you, he loves you, but he doesn't show it to you. Do you believe him only on his word? Or are you looking for action? certain type of action. Right? So the same type of idea. So, so if you are, you know, Looking for a new position. You've got that plan created.
You're taking the several different action steps. One of them should be, you know, go back through and apply again at those places [00:14:00] that might have turned you down before. Right. Who knows? Maybe they're ready now. Right. So, so things like that. If you are someone working in hands already who are you asking in terms of, you know, advice?
Because you can ask somebody, for example, you can ask somebody who's not doing what you want to do, and they're gonna give you different answers than the person who asks who's done. What you. to do, right? So for example, if I'm a certified hand therapist and you want to become a certified hand therapist, and if you ask me, you're a certified hand therapist, I wanna be a certified hand therapist.
What are the steps? What do I need to do? For me to get to where, you know, I wanna get to where you are, how do I do that? Right. I'm gonna tell you from my perspective, because I've done what you want to do. If you ask somebody, sometimes you're not even asking [00:15:00] and people are going to give you their opinion.
So be careful what you take and what you put down. And I would say that even for me, take what you want, take what you need, you know, and put back what you don't need. But if you're like, I wanna be a certified hand, the. and these are the things I'm gonna do. I know it's, you know, quote it's hard.
There's a hump you get to, especially when you're studying for the exam that it gets really, you know, it's a little bit of a struggle, right? , but that's what makes it so good. is that you gotta have that little struggle so that you can see how great it is. But if you go to somebody and they're not doing what you want to do, they're gonna tell you why are you struggling so much?
Why are you working at a place that makes you work so hard that makes you study all this for what? You could be a traveling. Now you can be working in a nursing home and you can make so. More money. But at the end of the day, they're giving you advice, whether you ask or. [00:16:00] but the advice is gonna be completely different because they don't want what you want.
So you have to have discernment, you have to have judgment who you're asking your questions to and being careful about who's advice you're willing to take and what, which ones you're now willing to take. And sometimes that can play a role and feed into some self doubt and things like that. So, so yeah.
Who are you asking your questions to? As a business owner? I'm a business owner. I have a clinic I'm sitting here waiting for the rain to sort of pass a little bit before I go and I was waiting for one of my videos to download, but athlete, business owner. I need to be talked off the ledge sometimes.
Like, do I fire this person? Do I hire another person? Like, what am I doing? Right. What am I doing wrong? Right. During the pandemic I needed to pivot. I had already started hand therapy secrets, but I was gonna take it real nice and slow and I'm pandemic. And I was like, you know what? I need to go [00:17:00] faster.
And that was when I put out, like, I. Like whew, like three or four days straight on putting together. The 30 day freehand therapy training. I put that out right when COVID hit. And I was like, oh man, like, everyone's struggling. Just like, I am like, I'm worried. People have time on their hands.
Let me sit and put this program together. And I put it together and people are still signing up for a daily. I'm actually thinking about retiring the 30 day program, maybe completely scratching that and doing another one. But you know, as a business owner, it's important for me to ask the right people, the questions I have, because if I ask my husband or if I ask my mother who actually is a business owner herself, but she runs her business very differently from the way I want to run mine.
And the way I want to. Like run mind so that it can have a particular type of life. Right? If I ask those two people, they're gonna give me wildly different [00:18:00] answers. And it's because sometimes they love you so much that they cannot give you the right, you know, the best answer, because they care about you so much.
They don't want you to get hurt. They don't want you to suffer. They don't want you to go through whatever they went through. Right. So there's a lot of baggage towards that. So. for me. I have to make sure that, you know, when I'm talking to them about stuff, about business, that I'm just telling them like this, just the usual stuff.
Yeah. The clinic's going great. I've hired this person. I've, you know, let go of that person or whatever. But I don't go to them for business advice because they're not going to give me a objective answer. Does that make sense? So I'm gonna go to my business coach who has done business and has runs a successful business and is [00:19:00] on top of learning all the time about business.
Right? If I go to my business coach, And say, you know, I'm struggling with X, Y, and Z. You know, this is my next step. Or, you know, what should my next step be? Because they're doing exactly what I'm doing and because they're more successful than me. They're going to give me the steps and help me with the plan that that I can follow.
That's going to leave me in a place of abundance instead of scarcity in a plan and an action of growth instead of fear. Right? So, you know, I've given you three different examples of whether you're just starting out, whether you're in the trench. You know, you're an OT, you're a P D you're a CHT.
And also if you're a business owner, right, who you ask your questions to really plays a role [00:20:00] in terms of the type of answer that you'll receive and the type of answers that you receive can either help you go really fast or slow you down. who you. Will determine the type of answers you get, which will affect the action that you're gonna take.
So you can either go really fast towards your goals, or you're gonna go really slow towards your goal. And this is coming from an Asian woman who was raised to, you know, listen to your elders. To listen to your parents. And I had that conversation with my therapist cuz my staff actually, I was like, yeah, I, you know, I work to not listen to my parents.
Funny enough about certain things. It's not everything, but I don't listen to them about business. I don't listen to them about how I [00:21:00] want to grow my career because if I listen to them about how I wanted to grow my career, I. I definitely wouldn't have the kind of career that I have right now, which is a really darn great one.
You know, it's been really good. I have to say fricking amazing career, 20 something years as a therapist still love it. Can you believe it? I, three years as an OT and I never thought I'd be sitting. 22 years later saying that I still love being an occupational therapist and I still love being a hand therapist and I actually still love treating right.
So, if I had listened to my parents, I don't think I'd be where I am because they're not necessarily They, I don't think they would've given me objective perspective. They would've given me a perspective from love and from fear, [00:22:00] which is like, they didn't want me to fail. Right. They don't want me to fail.
So as I was. Switching jobs. They'd be like, why are you switching jobs? Just take the safe one. Just do the, whatever, the easy one, like, because I'm bored as shit. And I don't wanna do that. Right. I want a challenge. I want it to be techno. I like the technical work. I want the respect, the, you know, the value of like actually helping someone achieve a goal.
And I found that in hand therapy, my parents only see that now as being former patients of mine, , you know, my dad is currently a patient. You know, my mother has been a past patient and I treat them, I've treated them for their arms, for their necks, for their. For their hips for their knees. Right. Like I got to do all that and I don't think I [00:23:00] would've done it if I listened to them early on.
Because they love me so much that they didn't want me to hurt. They didn't want me to fail. So who you ask your questions to will determine the value of the answers that you receive. So be, you know, have discernment have judgment around who you're asking and what kind of answers you're receiving and willing to receive and accept.
Right? You've got to be picky about that, who you ask. Makes a big difference. I did that quite a bit like, and I say it from a business perspective now, you know, when I started out asking people who did not have businesses. Oh, you think I should go into business? Do you think it's, do you think I could do it?
Oh yeah, sure. What? Yeah. Oh, but it's so hard. Like, oh, you nobody's gonna wanna work for you. [00:24:00] Everyone's quitting. A great team. I have a great team right now. Did it take some work to get a great team? It sure did. I have a great team right now? When I was studying to be a CHT asking people who failed in the past asking people who, you know, like, I don't know, didn't do what I was trying to do.
Ah, what's the point it's so hard, you know, like, yeah. I took it once and I didn't pass, but you. I don't know what else to say about that, you know, but I I was asking all the wrong people and I feel like it slowed me down. I still achieved it. I'm not saying you just, you can't, but you know, there was a lot of there was a lot of struggling in between that.
I feel like I could have missed. And hopefully this gives you a little bit insight so where you can miss it. so. You know, keep that in mind. I hope that helps no matter where you are on your [00:25:00] journey as an occupational therapist, if you're interested in hands, I can help. You can go to the link of my bio and take a look at the different offerings we have.
If you're just looking for free, please feel free to follow me or subscribe to our YouTube channel. We put out. Every week on the YouTube channel, I put a new video out every Sunday and then our podcast. If you're a listener, go check out the podcast. It's long's world. If you're on, if you're a watcher on YouTube, go to hand therapy secrets.
And I have tons of videos there all the time for you as well. And if you're following here on Instagram, I often share stories and stuff like that. So feel free to to leave me a comment, leave me a message. And tell me a little bit about where you are in your journey as a hand therapist, as an occupational therapist, and I hope to connect with you soon.
All right. I'm off gonna go get dinner. Have a great night guys. Bye.
