Happy New Year!! Many people find the beginning of a new year an appropriate time to review their personal approaches to current situations. For the past several weeks, in anticipation of the beginning of the new annum, conversations around the break room and "water cooler" have centered around things people either wish to do less or vow to do more. To some, the first day in January signals a fresh start. Many find the likelihood of being able to adhere to a resolution somewhat improved over attempting new behavior on an ordinary Monday.
One of the things that your Board members have tried to do this past year has been to take a closer look at our business and operations. That was easy to do since we were orienting our new management firm, and we wanted an efficient transition. Interestingly enough, upon inspection, we noticed that some of our processes were due for improvement!! I'd like to share a story with you that was told in a staff meeting where I work, which has stayed with me for several years. Regretfully, the origin of the story is unknown, so, if it actually happened in your family, my apologies.
There was a woman who had a couple of daughters who were grown, married, and who now lived away from their hometown. The daughters always liked the way that their mother prepared certain foods and, when attempting to make them on their own, always copied her recipes to the letter. One of the family's favorite recipes was a roast, which had been made on special occasions and was associated with many happy family memories. Every time one of the daughters prepared the meal, they cut off the ends of the roast-just as their mother had done when they were growing up.
One day, one of the daughters thought, "What a waste to cut off the ends of my roast!!" Having done this for years, she finally summoned the nerve to ask her mother why she cut off the ends of the roast. When asked, the mother responded by saying, "My pan was never big enough to hold the entire piece of meat!!"
Clearly, the meaning behind this story is that often we do things a certain way because that is the way we were taught. But things change. Sometimes procedures were developed to compensate for a particular situation or circumstance that may no longer exist. For that reason, it is important to review operations periodically to be sure that there is no more efficient way to perform them. New, or fresh eyes are often the very best for this task. Frankly, there is no more powerful force on a Board than new members, who are taking a "fresh look" by merely acclimating to their roles.
If you were to relate this story to your personal lives, I might ask that you consider an introspective review of some of your own "procedures." Although many of us might reject the idea that our practices have fallen into a routine based on "habit" rather than evidence, a periodic review might be in order. Many of you have told me how either the welcoming of a new partner into your practice or the precepting of a WOC nursing student has changed the way you look at things, and that you had grown professionally from the experience.
Of course, it is critical to create an environment where questioning is welcome. Jack Welch (former CEO of General Motors) once visited several areas of his company and had an opportunity to ask a few people why they were doing things the way they were. A few of the responses were less than ideal, but are worth reporting:
* A blank stare
* "I was trained to do it this way"
* "It's the way we've always done it."
* "Here's the 1994 memo that tells us to do it this way."
* "It's our policy."
While he admired the strict adherence to guidance given to the employees by policy, he also valued independent and creative thinking. He later encouraged every employee to question the things that they did routinely and challenged them to come up with new and creative ways to do things.1
Questions and new, creative solutions contribute to a stronger and better environment for us all. Encourage them at home, at work, and notice that we are doing the same in our professional association. Support your Board members as they are challenged to look at things with a new and fresh perspective.
This year, things that do not make sense and processes that are found to be cumbersome are going to be referred to as "rump roast." One of our ongoing tasks will be to eradicate all "rump roast" from the WOCN Society. We need your help and we welcome your suggestions!!
My best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year. And, if someone offers you rump roast (in the figurative sense), by all means, pass!!
Laurie L. McNichol
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