“Nothing stops an organization faster than people who believe that the way you worked yesterday is the best way to work tomorrow.” — John Madonna
Patrick, one of my colleagues here in Massachusetts shared that quote with me one night when we were having one of our nightly conversations about where our service is, and where it is heading. Â John Madonna’s words describe many people that I’ve encountered in EMS. Â They fear and are resistant to change, and they really shouldn’t be. Â They need to learn how to embrace it, and be comfortable with change, and view it not as “change” but as evolution.
I’ll paraphrase Patrick’s thoughts that followed:
“We could call this the ‘Dinosaur Mindset.’ Â Extinction thinking. Â We must grow, learn, evolve, become, and always improve ourselves and our ability to serve the world. Â All the while not changing or letting go of the core principles, truths, and values that should never change. Â If we waver from our course, we will just find another way to become extinct and irrelevant.”
Every generation has seen change in EMS. Â Otherwise, we’d still be driving around in Cadlillacs that doubled as hearses. Â We wouldn’t be doing 12-Lead EKGs, and CPAP would just be some silly thing that respiratory therapists apply in the hospital.
If you’re one of those people that’s not really comfortable with change, that’s fine, but don’t fear it. Â Don’t hold it back. Â Throw the phrase “That’ll never work” from your vocabulary, and right next to it, file the phrase “well, 5 (or 10, or 15) years ago, we didn’t do it that way.” Â Be patient, and let evolution take its course. Â It might not be comfortable at first, but with time, change becomes easy, and often can be beneficial.
Right on SBK! I had a slightly different take http://thehappymedic.com/2011/02/why-im-no-good-at-chfers/ earlier in the year, but the same intent!
It is as if people think that EMS is perfect at any point in time.
EMS/medicine is about constantly improving patient care and constantly learning from our patients.
There is no golden age to return to. No time when all of our patients had good outcomes.
Tim – What a great point. This is an evolving industry that is populated by the Type A personalities who are so resistant to change. Maybe their resistance has to do with their own reluctance to even stay in the field. They see themselves as short timers, so they get comfortable with the status quo, and then they end up staying for the long haul and want to stay in that comfort zone instead of branching out?
I’m not really sure, but none the less, terrific point!
Let me get this out first, I am an dinosaur and proud to be one. And a card carrying member of the ambu-hearse generation. Also proud to have been involved in your education.
Your correct in the mind set of many wallowing in the old ways. Change is uncertainty and uncertainty is never easy to except. However, I wonder if the pendulum has swung to the other side. Too often I see a new protocol/procedure instituted because of one study or the lone vocal voice of one physician who had an issue. We want to adopt the best science based practices available however one study doesn’t make good science or a valid practice.
I have also at times have voiced “that will never work”. Why, because we tried that same darn thing 20+ years ago. It didn’t work then, why would doing the same thing again work now. Wasn’t it Eisenstein who wrote that the definition of insanity was repeating the same thing over and over expecting a different result?
Many of the recent generation of medics have never learned that “old dogs” can teach new tricks as well as learn new tricks. And what is truly disappointing is that this group upon exit from school feel they have learned all they need to know.
In reality change is the only constant in life. It does need to be backed up by multiple well constructed studies and implemented in an organized manor that does not throw the organization the dumpster.
The best course I took in college was the management of organizational change. Should be required of all EMS managers.
That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
Stop by the office some time.
Bob
Well hello there, sir! Its good to see your words show up here.
While we might put too much weight in single studies, there is plenty more going on out there that needs to be looked at more closely, such as the strives that Seattle has made with their cardiac arrest protocols, or the push for community paramedics in some systems. There have been many successes out there, but in this field, we seem to base our direction more on preventing failure rather than embracing and promoting success, which I think is what makes us so resistant to change. We find something that does “just good enough” and stick with it.
As for your comment about Einstein, you are exactly right…. to an extent. When I look at that comment, i think of repetition as a whole: the idea, the process, and the outcome. That doesn’t mean that all has to remain the same. An idea and an outcome can be achieved with a different process when that process has failed. Its only when you studied those past failures and realized what they are can you really truly improve and change a process and produce the desired result, but simply saying “well, we can’t get there because we didn’t get there when we tried it last time” can be short sighted.
Lastly, I am proud to say that I learned a lot of my tricks from some “old dogs” yourself included, and for that, sir, I thank you!
I will see you soon.
Scott