In.

Usually I'm not the first nor the last, but somewhere in the middle. When I'm ready, I'm ready, I tell myself.

And when I’m ready, I wade into the water.

We all have friends and family that are the first in the pool or lake. Some cannonball, others shout at you to watch as they attempt some risky move, and still others don’t really care. They’re so excited to be there they won’t even take a breath before jumping in. These early birds even planned ahead with sunscreen. Some already decided on what to do with their towels and belongings. They knew they’d be first in, never really caring about anything but the party in the water.

And then we all have friends and family who take their time. They want to pick out the right spot to place their belongings. They want extra time with the sunscreen. “Is the water too cold?” they ask, secretly hoping that if a second guess appears an excuse will pop up right alongside.

The exciting part of the lake or pool party is not in cooling off, or the ease and movement in water. It’s not the relaxation that comes from the association of holiday or vacation time. It’s that everyone at the party joins in, because everyone was ready and each arrived on his or her own time.

Everyone is together.

My entire career in healthcare has been navigating, anticipating, learning from and encouraging change. In fact, my entire career in healthcare has been accompanied by change management literature, lectures, education, and organization leadership rally cries.

But change management, like anything else, is only realized in the real world, with real world operations among real world stress and real world complications. And change management, like anything else, takes everyone in the real world.

Change management itself is a fluid, flexible, constant stream that will never appear the same in later time. So change in healthcare is fluid too. It is constant but never the same. It should be anticipated, but not cemented by academic philosophy. It should be planned like any other plans of special importance: with strategy and dedication, and with the heart to flex these plans should reshaping be needed to meet the mission.

We’re ready. We’ve been ready, we continue to shape change and we’re still ready now. We can jump in, dip our toes in the water or watch peers go get that extra snack before they wade in. There’ll be some fun we plan, and some moments we didn’t plan on, and who knows what the evening will bring.

I’m ready. And I think you are too. Take time, or jump in ahead of me, or be the last as you wait out any temporary exemptions.

We’re all invited. And sooner or later, we’re all going to end up in that water together. Not because it’s a predicament. Because it’s a party.

One thing stands true over time in that lake, in that pool party: everyone invited comes in. It just happens, and it always will. It’s nice to be together, and sooner or later we find ourselves part of the fun.

I’m in.

It’s nice to be with everyone else when redesigning healthcare. It feels good because there is no one industry that can solve every aspect alone. It affects us all, it affects every person in every job, and most jobs are tied to health in one way or another. And all have health on their minds, even and especially at work. Even and especially at pool and lake parties.

The best lake and pool parties invite everyone. Yes, everyone. Even those who we’ve had a rocky past with. Even those who’ve hurt us. I remember times when a friend upset me, or created a dramatic past with me. And when they didn’t show up to the party right away, I thought it would be weird if they weren’t invited.

Pool parties are meant to include. Lakes are designed for everyone in mind. It’s nice to be together.

The moment we’re in, when we decide we’re ready, is the perfect time for each and collectively.

And if a friend encourages by pushing? Don’t get upset - remember that you’re lucky. You were invited to jump in the water, and everyone there couldn’t wait to be with you.

Now I’m not going to push you, by any means. And change may or may not always be fun. But change is a constant, and healthcare change is necessary to better the world, and we all know it. And we’ve all been here together for quite some time.

And honestly, I can’t wait to be with you. I hope you feel the same.

The important thing is we jump in when we’re ready.

We start that new job after education or training, when we’re ready. We have an idea and may jump, getting ready along the way. We go out on that special date after we’ve put on that best dress and hair (for some of us, this may take “just five more minutes”), and eventually we’ll be ready.

A caregiver may forgo their own plans. They may help a person out of bed, shower, dress, into equipment like a wheelchair or walker, into a car. And then they’ll help one up some steps to a building. But that incredible caregiver will be ready too.

A medical scientist, philanthropist or someone with an incurable disease may lose hope. And then they look in the mirror. And maybe they’ll remember a few encouraging words. And maybe they’ll take another look at our invitation.

It’s a pool or lake party. Everyone’s invited. They’ll be there when they are ready. Discouragement is no match for us together anyway.

We have friends who take their time dipping their toes in, we have friends who stall until the last minute. We have family who show up late, and others who need to borrow a suit.

A few friends may want their bonding time and go off for awhile, checking out and picking apart one of their latest gadgets or inventions. Let them have their excited, enthusiastic minutes together. They’ll be back, announcing it with a teasing splash our way.

We have sweethearts who may hop out and grab us a drink, or a towel to dry off for a minute. We may even want to get ready to showcase our guac and chips for everyone (it always feels good to share with the crowd, doesn’t it?)

And we have sweethearts who bring the volleyball into the pool, prepared to be that champion.

The truth of the matter is that we can’t have a pool party without one another there. However long it takes to get ready. Even if we aren’t sure that we’ll ever be totally set. It’s time to accept the invite or extend the hand or both.

I’ll even pick out and bring a special inner tube to the lake.

We can talk about the weather all day long, but the truth is that pool and lake parties can happen anytime.

And this one is just picking right back up where we left off.

I’m in, are you?