In China, you can buy little red envelopes in many shops, including grocery stores, pharmacies, and even school supply stores. While some are inscribed with the characters indicating “double happiness,” (indicating the double happiness a wedding represents for two families), others simply translate as “big lucky” or “big successful.”
They are intended to hold money given [...]
I’m often asked by leadership teams to speak to organizations, particularly hospitals, (to both hospital and physician staffs), about “taking ownership” of the hospital or organization they work with or for.
Larry Murphy, a stellar USAirways flight attendant (more on Larry later), demonstrated “taking ownership” multiple times on my brief flight with him from Charlotte to [...]
I returned from a trip to China a few weeks ago. Our Guide, Rene, was wonderful and hit me with a bit of inspired wisdom more than once.
In Shanghai, she described how a few sectors of the economy were driven by foreign investors, and with reference to one particular sector, Taiwanese investors were predominant. [...]
I was in the garden, tending to my bees, (more on this to come), and it started to rain. And then it poured. But I don’t mind rain after an experience I had camping with my son years ago.
A group of high school kids were camping with an outdoor club, (I was a chaperone), [...]
Like most physicians, I get a steady stream of recruitment mail. Most of it is predictable and after a while, you can read between the lines. Whey they state the practice opportunity is in “God’s Country,” you can assume that generally means within 50 miles of the Canadian border… bring your long underwear! When they [...]
Last week found me in the beautiful snow-scape of State College, Pennsylvania, speaking to the Pennsylvania Mountains Health Alliance, a consortium of 15 regional hospitals. There were a number of highlights… not the least included enjoying snow that we don’t see much of in South Carolina, having a great dinner with a number of the CEO’s [...]
I am recovering from blog-writing-burnout.
When I started my blog last summer, my travel schedule permitted, (read, “I had a very slow speaking schedule last summer”), daily entries. But, fortunately, my speaking schedule picked up…. and now is literally zooming. We just booked the 12th engagement for June yesterday. This summer will be my busiest ever. ”But [...]
I watched the news last night and was surprised to discover the writer’s strike, (that I did hear about a few weeks ago), is still continuing. Some programs, the report announced, had been cancelled and “classic programs,” (euphemistic for ‘re-runs’), were to be aired.
Although I really was surprised to find the strike continued, I was [...]
Well it hasn’t been. It’s been an amazing success. But why? To a large degree it’s been from the formation and use of rapid response teams. RRT works like this: ANYONE, from a housekeeper to a physician, from a nurse to an administrator, can call a RRT effort. But embracing “failure” has been key to [...]
Over the past weeks, I’ve had the “perfect storm” to think through a few ideas. I’ve shared the platform with Lt. Col. John Nance, who speaks on adopting aviation safety ideas to healthcare, Dr. Jeff Bauer, a healthcare futurist, and also listen to a variety of speakers in a symposium on innovation. And combining these [...]
