<Lesley> Hi Bob, how are you today?
<Bob> I’m OK thanks Lesley. Having a bit of a break from the daily grind.
<Lesley> Oh! I am sorry, I had no idea you were on holiday. I will call when you are back at work.
<Bob> No need Lesley. Our chats are always a welcome opportunity to reflect and learn.
<Lesley> OK, if you are sure. The top niggle on my list at the moment is that I do not feel my organisation values what I do.
<Bob> OK. Have you done the diagnostic Right-2-Left Map® backwards from that top niggle?
<Lesley>Yes. The final straw was that I was asked to justify my improvement role.
<Bob> OK, and before that?
<Lesley> There have been some changes in the senior management team.
<Bob> OK. This sounds like the ‘New Brush Sweeps Clean’ effect.
<Lesley> I have heard that phrase before. What does it mean in this context?
<Bob> Senior management changes are very disruptive events. The more senior the change the more disruptive it is. Let us call it a form of ‘Disruptive Innovation’. The trigger for the change is important. One trigger might be a well-respected and effective leader retiring or moving to an even more senior role. This leaves a leadership gap which is an opportunity for someone to grow and develop. Another trigger might be a less-respected and ineffective leader moving on and leaving a trail of rather-too-visible failures. It is the latter tends to be associated with the New Broom effect.
<Lesley> How is that?
<Bob>Well, put yourself in the shoes of the New Leader who has inherited a Trail of Disappointment – you need to establish your authority and expectation quickly and decisively. Ambiguity and lack of clarity will only contribute to further disappointment. So you have to ask everyone to justify what they do. And if they cannot then you need to know that. And if they can then you need to decide if what they do is aligned with your purpose. This is the New Brush.
<Lesley> So what if I can justify what I do and that does not fit with the ‘New Leader’s Plan’?
<Bob> If what you do is aligned to your Life Purpose but not with the New Brush then you have to choose. And experience shows that the road to long term personal happiness is the one the aligns with your individual purpose. And often it is just a matter of timing. The New Brush is indiscriminate and impatient – anything that does not fit neatly into the New Plan has to go.
<Lesley> OK my purpose is to improve the safety, flow, quality and productivity of healthcare processes – for the benefit of all. That is not negotiable. It is what fires my passion and fuels my day. So does it matter really where or how I do that?
<Bob> Not really. You do need be mindful of the pragmatic constraints though … your life circumstances. There are many paths to your Purpose, so it is wise to choose one that is low enough risk to both you and those you love.
<Lesley> Ah! Now I see why you say that timing is important. You need to prepare to be able to make the decision. You do not what to be caught by surprise and off balance.
<Bob>Yes. That is why as an ISP you always start with your own Purpose and your own Right-2-Left Map®. Then you will know what to prepare and in what order so that you have the maximum number of options when you have to make a choice. Sometimes the Universe will create the trigger and sometimes you have to initiate it yourself.
<Lesley> So this is just another facet of Improvement Science?
<Bob> Yes.