Archive for the ‘Change’ Category
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Dec
12
A number of years ago I was invited by my daughter to come to her 2nd grade class and speak to her classmates about what I did for a living. A terrifying proposition to say the least…how do I explain to 10 year-olds what my job is? Well, one sleepless night later, I came up with what I thought was a simple and accurate way to describe my work.
I teach grown ups how to learn how to learn again!
So proud of myself until a wise guy in the front row exclaimed, “and you get paid for this???” Funny right? But the youngster was spot on because in his little worldview, everyone is always learning. Children are natural sponges, soaking up everything that life offers. But adults unfortunately do not. Over the course of our lives we are taught, “this is the right answer, that is the wrong approach.” Routines and habits become entrenched and our ability to learn something new becomes more difficult.
And yet, we are all working and living in an environment of unprecedented change. Change, by its very nature, demands we learn something new. And yet we resist, push back, and rationalize keeping things as they have always been. In my work these days I challenge my clients (no matter the situation, training, planning meeting, one-on-one coaching, etc.) to be open to learning something new… to have their mind changed by someone or something.
If you want to establish a routine, try committing to having your mind changed on a daily basis. You will be amazed by the amount of new insight you gain and how you become naturally open to change.
And, yes young man, I get paid for this.
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They looked so tired…
I just facilitated a customer value session, attended by product company and c-suite executives and supply chain leaders of major university hospitals.
The topic of the session: Delivering Value in the Current Healthcare Environment. As one 25-year veteran put it, “More has changed in the last 3 months than in the previous 25 years.” Wow. I asked, “Has it really changed yet or are you witnessing people preparing for change?” He said, “Yes.” Wow.
Our goal was to discover how medical device companies could deliver value and differentiate themselves from other providers. What we all really learned was best described by the Chief of Thoracic Surgery in one of our most prestigious university hospitals in the US.
“It used to be surgeons and vendors against the hospital administration…now it’s surgeons, the hospital, vendors, etc. against the changing healthcare environment (aka: the government). A new common enemy.”
Another brilliant comment…
“It’s fine to expect a solution to drive down costs; and costs do have to come down…but healthcare is not the car industry or banking. The fundamental question we must ask is ‘what do you want when you are going into surgery … do you want the best technology, best surgeons, best car possible; or do you want your surgeon to use the lowest cost instruments and the lowest, aka – cheapest, mesh when repairing your hernia?”
Funny how the conversation changes when you’re “under the knife.”
The best outcome of the day: unprecedented levels of partnership will be required for success if we, as a nation, have a shot at truly reforming the practice of healthcare.