When people
are extraordinarily successful, examining their characteristics, values, and
attitudes can be instructive. The rest of us can learn from them and possibly adopt
some of them to advance our own goals. Larry Page, co-founder of Google is an
example of one who has achieved exceptional heights. Peering into his thought
process can be enlightening.
Page says,
“Have a healthy disrespect for the Impossible”. While the statement may not be
original with him, it does reflect his world view.
Disrespect the impossible
To
conceive and develop the Google concept and then the massive company, its young
founders had to have a very healthy disrespect for the impossible. Others
besmirched the idea of collecting all the information in the world and then
making it available to everyone in the world. Not only was it a bold idea, it
was thought by most to be ridiculous and impossible. But Larry Page and Sergey Brin had a very healthy disrespect for the
impossible. They made it happen.
The
concept of disrespecting the impossible could be entertained by those of us in
the Workers’ Compensation industry. True, few of us are likely to reach the pinnacle
level of Larry and Sergey, but we can borrow some of their bold thinking to get
past the assumptions and barriers that keep us from achieving more.
Everyone
agrees Workers’ Compensation as an industry needs a healthy nudge to try new
things. The industry is known for its resistance to change. Refer to the
article, “Are You an Industry Disruptor? It can be a good thing.”[1] Maybe the way to change
the industry, to be an industry disruptor, is to begin with an attitude of
disrespecting the impossible.
The impossible in WC
Many people
in general, including those in the Workers’ Compensation industry focus on why
something cannot be done. Reasons for this notion are many, but probably
cultural tradition plays a role. Creativity and inventiveness are not expected
or appreciated. Too often, the best way to keep a job in corporations is to
keep your head down and avoid being noticed. Spearheading a new idea is risky.Stonewalling new ideas or doing things differently or adopting new technology in an organization thwarts creative thought and certainly diverts progress. I was once told we have a very good product, but to incorporate it would mean doing things differently in the organization. So the answer is automatically no!
Check assumptions
We all
know the old saying about the word ass-u-me. It actually packs some truth. To avoid
the trap, check assumptions for veracity. Incorrect assumptions can be highly
self-limiting.
Problem-solve
Begin the
process of problem-solving with new thinking—disrespect the impossible. What
could be done if the perceived barriers did not exist? What could be
accomplished if new methods were invented and implemented?
Tenacity
Probably the
most important ingredient for achievement in any context is tenacity. It’s easy
to quit when the barriers seem daunting. Tenacity combined with a disrespect
for the impossible might be the unbeatable formula.Karen Wolfe is the founder and President of MedMetrics®, LLC, a Workers’ Compensation medical analytics and technology services company. MedMetrics analyzes the data and offers online apps that super-charge medical management by linking analytics to operations, thereby making them actionable. karenwolfe@medmetrics.org
No comments:
Post a Comment