There’s lots of talk about physician burnout. There’s even more talk about how we get rid of it. Everyone has a solution. But the problem with the conversation is that burnout is a sign, not a disease. Burnout is the downstream result of a number of complex upstream problems. But it's rarely the problem. Focusing on fixing burnout is like trying to eliminate fever ... Continue Reading about Burnout is a sign
Suboptimization as a Healthcare Strategy
Optimization has become a defining feature of modern healthcare. We optimize, review, tweak, and measure our systems and ourselves against a super-optimized standard. Better, faster, safer, more productive, efficient and effective. We’re always looking for improvement. And for good reason. 21st century healthcare has worked to prioritize safety and quality ... Continue Reading about Suboptimization as a Healthcare Strategy
The Angry Email
The angry email is a timeless problem among young leaders and managers. Something gets us upset and we impulsively take to the keyboard to try to fix it. What comes out is typically edgy and direct. Usually there’s frustration buried between the lines. I've had the chance to work with several young physician leaders over the past couple of years. I've been able to ... Continue Reading about The Angry Email
The Fierce Reflux Cascade by GPT4
In the caverns of our bellies, a tempest brews, A fiery storm, a fierce cascade, acid reflux ensues. With burning rage, it surges forth, a churning tide, A searing pain, a bitter plight, we cannot hide. The tender walls of esophagus, its armor frail, Beneath the onslaught of the beast, it quakes and flails. A burning pyre, a molten flood, our throats ... Continue Reading about The Fierce Reflux Cascade by GPT4
Drucker on How to Manage Change
Peter Drucker, the father of modern day management, inspired a generation of leaders with his quote, "One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it." This needs to be reconsidered. Because there's the fantasy of staying ahead of change and then there's the modern reality. Early in this century technological progress exceeded the system’s ability to keep up. ... Continue Reading about Drucker on How to Manage Change
The People Margin
I love this concept of the people margin. It comes from Automattic engineer Mike Shelton in 2018. Data can be precise, specific, absolute and is meant to represent the actions and behaviors of people and things. Yet, people themselves can be imprecise, abstract, non-linear, and unpredictable. I call this the people margin – data’s margin of error when ... Continue Reading about The People Margin