Category: Leadership

Laugh tracks win debates.

Political talk shows, like Bill Maher’s, rely on cheers from the audience to boost the host’s views.

Applause directs viewers what to think. No one wants scorn for being out of line with what Bill Maher thinks.

Groups of doctors are no different. We think that we are thoughtful and deliberate, but applause changes doctors’ opinions, just like everyone else.

Influence Council

Almost 300 doctors will take a biannual pilgrimage to a giant basement in Toronto for the Ontario Medical Association Council meeting this weekend. Council delegates will consume tables of carbs and coffee listening to the OMA Board Report and other issues.

Delegates must sift hours of noise for buried scandals. Big issues can slip by in seconds. When delegates find something, they need to speak up. They need to convince the basement mob to think differently. Continue reading “How to Influence Council”

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade pivots around Indiana Jones’ relationship with his father.

During the first half of the movie, Indiana treats his dad with a mix of frustration and programmed obedience.

At one point, Indie sits with his dad and asks why they never talked.

Indie says that his dad taught him that he was less important than people who had been dead for 500 years. His dad insists that he was a great father: He gave his son independence.

The conversation heats up, and Indie’s dad finally closes his book. He leans back and says,

Okay, I’m here. What do you wanna talk about?

He stares at Indie: see the picture above.

Indie is at a loss for words. I….I don’t know, he says.

His dad says, Well alright then. We’ve got work to do!

Indie drops the topic, his dad stays convinced that he was a good father, and the movie continues.

Board & Executive Committee

We find Boards everywhere: hospitals, banks, medical associations and athletic clubs. Not all groups have Boards, but we all belong to groups governed by Boards. If we want our groups to perform well, we need to know a bit about the Boards that run them. Continue reading “Dangers of an Executive Committee”

Many athletes start second careers as broadcasters. Viewers love to hear from someone who spent time doing what others can only talk about.

Every profession has pundits and players: people who do and others who just talk. Even those who actually do what they love to talk about, sometimes confuse talking with doing.

Care versus Caring

Most doctors notice when they spend time away from clinical care. They feel out of touch. Physician leaders often insist on a few hours each week to spend with patients, to remember why healthcare exists.

If doctors feel ungrounded after only a few days away from patients, imagine how bureaucrats and politicians must feel? Continue reading “Caring Versus Care”