Tell Me What You Think

I’m a homer for former Cubs manager Joe Maddon. He is quirky, hardworking, independent thinking, and the guy who helped lead the Cubs to their 1st World Series in over a century. I find his baseball wisdom to be applicable across life, and especially in healthcare.

Which is why reading The Book of Joe was so enjoyable for me. It was full of quotes and experience that I can and will take into my daily life and daily pharmacy practice. One such “Maddonism” stuck with me:

Tell me what you think, not what you’ve heard.

With this pillar, he is pushing back against the status quo in baseball. He is pushing back against the idea of “we’ve always done it that way.” He is pushing back against the pushback of thinking critically and independently.

And I think this has a perfect parallel to healthcare.

While I am very much for evidence based medicine, sometimes practices become so entrenched and routine that we forget that often time is not kind to what is considered “standard of care.” When I ask students, residents, and even other pharmacists and providers what they “think” it is often a regurgitation of what they have heard.

We are often scared of being different. I know that when I bring up an idea that is counter to normal practice, the reaction is often something like the “Independent Thought Alarm” from The Simpsons.

So take Joe’s advice. Tell people what you actually think. It may be wrong. It may face pushback. But it’s in moments of conflict that we actually are able to find new ideas, new connections, and new solutions to problems that seem entrenched.

Make a Good Day,

Cory