Balancing my Checkbook and other Disruptors

Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy TV (anyone who reads this blog may also know this from my previous post: The Best Part of Autumn). One of my favorite shows that debuted last year is New Amsterdam. New Amsterdam (the show) is a medical drama that revolves around New Amsterdam, a public hospital in New York.

The new medical director, Dr. Max Goodwin, wants to change the hospital for the better, to provide extraordinary care. Part of that is making it a great place to work, which he attempts to do by constantly asking, “How can I help?” After a while, staff realize he’s different than past directors.

He helps by looking at things differently, disrupting the status quo, and breaking through traditional bureaucracy. We hear this term “disruption” at DFCI. What is it? At its heart, it stems from critical thinking, creativity, thinking outside the box, or not doing things the way we’ve always done them.

Perhaps the disruptive solutions Dr. Goodwin implements are not easily done in real life, and some may cross an ethical line. Doctors are wonderful, noble patient advocates, and hospitals are caring places of healing. New Amsterdam is a TV show, not real life. But what I love about it is the disruption. Each time Dr. Goodwin suggests something, it’s a surprise. A situation goes from impossible to possible because he looks at it through another lens, and without boundaries.

How can they save the hospital $ from a homeless man who is constantly admitted but isn’t sick, just lonely? How do they retain the talent of a surgeon who can no longer operate? What can they do with employees in obsolete jobs? Is there an alternative to selling off medical debt? Can they help staff with their commute time? Can they treat patients remotely? Their answers are new ideas, and never the way they currently do things.

How can I do this more at work? As suggested by one of the Top 5 for Thrive, a program which embodies innovation and disruption, can I shorten my meetings? Does everyone invited need to attend? Are the reports I run necessary, or just something I’ve always done? Am I looking for the right skills in job candidates who will be working at DFCI as we evolve in the coming years?

How can I do this more in my personal life? What do I do just because I’ve always done it? Are those actions adding value or wasting time? I have recently been mocked for balancing my checkbook. Apparently, this practice is generational, and no one does it anymore. Have I ever found a mistake in my bank statement? Nope. But I’ve always done it. (Admission: After the mocking, I tried for a month not to do it; habits are hard to break!)

What things can you do differently? Do you read? Read a book outside your normal genre. Do you read hard covers? Try a Kindle or listen to a book on CD in the car. (Another admission: My new car doesn’t have a CD player. I PANICKED. Then the town librarian told me about Libby, a library app!) Do you travel? Consider a different destination or way to get there. Do you grocery shop the same way – as in how you do it and/or what you buy? Mix it up. How do you commute? Go a different route or mode of transportation. Do you raise your kids the way you were raised? Traditions and morals are priceless, but some of the things my mother believed and did… ha!

Bottom line, looking at things through a new lens will open us up to a view not previously seen. The process can be eye opening, disruptive, and potentially life-changing.