Don’t Limp Over The Start Line

In last month’s editorial I expressed my concern that many of the finest innovators in MSK are perhaps not innovating in the right areas. Lots in education and CPD, a few in clinical practice, increasingly we have some dabbling in technology and whilst these are all laudable and important areas, will they shift operational policy? Can we also incentivise innovation in service design, policy reform and the excessively broad but important category often known as ‘project work?’

Project work is happening in every department, business, professional network and special interest group. It’s taking an idea and making it a resource, a system, a scheme, a flowchart, a product or another three projects! It’s sometimes a solo person, often a team, sometimes even a whole network acting on their assessment of a problem and their proposed solution.

What makes ‘project work’ stand out and be defined as such is that it is commonly work that is outside of the normal operating practices and priorities of a department, business or team. For example it’s revamping the patient education leaflets, engaging with a local community group or starting a magazine rather than ‘just’ seeing patients.

Some folk love project work and it’s interesting to spot those who are massively into it because of the subject matter, those who are keen for a bit of variety in their work and those who are hiding from the core day job! Recognise this?

SHOCK HORROR: Therapist always looking for opportunities to close clinics to deliver junior training and create teaching materials hands in notice to join local University faculty!

Of course I’m not knocking any motivation to get stuck into project work, but it’s worth noting and discussing such factors as they will often affect the project scope and timeline.

So I put out this kind of ‘call to arms’ in last month’s mag and then realised that two of our ‘Chewing It Over’ podcasts were celebrations of exactly the innovation I think we need! Check out what Sussex MSK are up to with their community assessment days and what Adam Dobson is up to with BackTracks. Great projects, great leaders. However, instead of being inundated with examples that would counter my points I was greeted with widespread agreement as well as a great number of colleagues admitting to a graveyard of unfinished projects!

I much prefer receiving abuse than compliments but some praise that I am happy to accept is regarding seeing projects through. We at Physio Matters have a decent track record of not just being ‘all talk and no action’. We follow through. So these observations/compliments preceded questions such as: ‘How do you make sure things stay on track?’, ‘How do you keep spirits up?’ How do you keep the goal in view?’, ‘How do you manage expectations of stakeholders?’. All decent and common questions that I’ll perhaps ponder in a podcast or future article but for now I’m going to focus on a rarer question that especially stood out:

‘How do you deliver the outcomes of a project when, by the time it’s delivered, the momentum, energy and interest has faded?’

I only know of one way of mitigating this very common risk; to anticipate it and plan for it. I call this not ‘limping over the start line’. It’s reasonable and sometimes necessary to limp over a finish line having completely emptied the tank. But if you limp over the start line, even the most wonderful project will fail if all the energy is spent pre-launch. Set the timeline out properly and don’t rush it. Underestimate your comms and marketing (yes even local, internal projects need comms and marketing!) at your peril!

Back to the latest iteration of this project! MSKMag Issue 4 is another belter and I’m delighted to announce that we are not limping over the start line! Stuart Butler tackles the pain in the arse that is proximal hamstring tendinopathy, Catherine Quinn reflects on her wild ride leading the British Chiropractic Association, Katrina Lake challenges the necessity of scoliosis surgery, Bradley Neal insists that we mustn’t wait and see when it comes to knee cap pain and Chris Fernandes gives us a valuable outsider’s insight into Physio’s tech-cynicism.

Fascinating takes from brilliant people whose work it is an absolute pleasure to edit and promote. Hope you enjoy it, keep your lovely feedback, suggestions and questions coming and if you’re embarking on a project right now, don’t limp over the start line.

Jack Chew

Editor in Chief