Managing Stress in Behavioral Health:The Power of Resetting the Room with COO Katie Vokes
Katie Vokes, COO, is resetting the room and making connections at work and at home!
At Sanford Behavioral Health, we talk a lot about showing up for our patients and each other. Still, the reality is, people don’t walk in the door at 100% every day, especially in behavioral health, where our teams are carrying patient care, operational demands, emotional weight, and everything that happens outside of work. And yet, we still expect them to engage, connect, and perform at a high level. One thing I have found that consistently helps in those less-than-100% moments is the power of resetting the room.
Managing Stress in Behavioral Health: Resetting the Room
As the Chief Operating Officer, when things feel tense or morale is dipping, I’ll stop and ask everyone to share three things they’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be deep. Sometimes it’s just “a strong cup of coffee.” I have found that at first, there’s hesitation and a few eye rolls (although my team is now used to it). But every time, the same thing happens. The energy shifts. People reconnect. The tone changes, and we’re able to move forward with more clarity and stronger teamwork.
In fact, we have written articles about turning an otherwise “bad” day around. We have an Instagram series called “Monday Merries” that addresses the Monday blues. Resetting is something we ask our patients to practice regularly, but not something we always challenge ourselves to do as leaders. At Sanford, culture isn’t just something we talk about; it’s something we actively shape in moments when the chips are down.
A Simple Challenge: Try it today—what is one thing you or your team are grateful for?
It takes less than a minute, but it can change how someone shows up for their team, their work, and the patients we serve. Additionally, I try to practice compassionate curiosity and connection when I am starting my day and throughout the day, whether with colleagues, clients, family, or friends. I use the gratitude example because I have never seen it fail! Taking it a step further, I might stop someone in the hall and say, “Didn’t you say you were going out to dinner last night? How was it?” Small connections have a big impact on company culture. Connection builds trust. We are all busy, but bonding can help solve problems, heal hurt feelings, and improve productivity.
Talk about resetting the room, last week I took a difficult meeting outside on a beautiful day. We walked around campus while discussing the issues. We might have come up with the same solution had we stayed inside, but the walk made us feel lighter, reduced stress, and boosted our creativity.
Resetting Company Culture
As a behavioral health facility, Sanford values both mental and physical health. There is a direct correlation between staff wellbeing and patient outcomes. With satisfied team members, attrition is lower. With lower attrition, there is better, more consistent patient care. A happy workplace boosts mood and productivity. Similarly, employees are happy to come to work when they are passionate about the care they provide and feel supported and appreciated by the organization. Interesting programming provided by engaged team members also leads to better patient attention, retention, and fewer departures against medical advice.
