It's Been a While!

As life has evolved over the past few months, I've often thought about the blog and had fleeting moments of wanting to hop on for a chance to reflect and share what's been going on. I don't really know where to start, but I figured I'd think back to other methods/tools I've used to reflect on where things stand across the board. For me, "across the board" involves five major components: my heath, my relationships, my career, my finances, and my hobbies. Some of those components make for interesting blog fodder, others don't. I've used this blog over time to reflect on something in those categories, so I'll stick to that for today.

My health - things are pretty stable on the health front, which is a blessing I forget all too often. It was around this time of the year back in 2006 when I thought life as I knew it was going to be permanently miserable as doctors advised me to have my colon removed. I fought that idea tooth and nail for years and thought life was going to be awful if that happened. One thing led to another and on April of this year it'll be six years since the procedure. It wasn't an easy road to stability, but I've gotten comfortable enough both physically and mentally to be OK with it. My little buddy isn't going anywhere in the near future, and there's still an option out there that would involve some significant time away from work and enjoying life. I have set monthly goals with robin around workouts (8 rigorous sessions per month), which may sound easy to some of you...but when I describe my work situation you will understand why. Let's not let perfect be the enemy of good people!

My relationships - first and foremost, I've moved in with miss romeo sierra. We've been cohabitating for the past few months and the transition has been great...even the dogs are getting along just swimmingly! More important than the logistics has been knowing we can peacefully coexist and have fun doing it. Romeo turns 32 on Monday and we've got lots of fun plans to get her year off to a good start!

Still see plenty of my parents, siblings and their kiddos and am extremely pumped to be taking my nephew to his first Blackhawks game in a few weeks. I wish I saw buddies and friends more often, but all of us have busy and complex lives so that isn't so easy....but I will say that Super Bowl sunday this year was one of the best I've had (and I've seen my fair share of Las Vegas sportsbooks on the big day).

My career has been a wild ride, to say the least. All of the activity has challenged me, but in a really good way. After leaving the lab, I joined a medical clinic in a role that had some parameters but would be a new position for them. As things within the organization evolved (people moving to different jobs) I've been taking on a pretty significant amount of responsibility for the organization's process improvement/lean efforts. This work is mentally, physically, and even emotionally challenging but I'm pushing myself in new ways that are exciting and fun. I would say the work/life balance has not been great--I drive a total of 84 miles a day which means there are less hours for those other things I'd like to do. Like spending time with romeo sierra, exercising, seeing friends, reading, you get the idea.

My hobbies - As the demands for time increase, its not as easy to find the time for the fun stuff, but when possible I'm getting to shows (Megdaeth/Motorhead last week!), plays (American Idiot), and sporting events. I wish I had more time to blog about the bulls and my thoughts on this year's squad. In a nutshell; I'm very grateful to Tom Thibodeoau for his commitment to making the Bulls the most prepared, disciplined team in basketball. Rose is great, and he's a huge part of their success, but this is a team full of B players with the best record in basketball. I've only been to one game this year (the fighting Kardashians), but the bulls haven't been home much and I'm not the only guy who likes a bulls game. Travel-wise, Romeo and I were out in California in January and it was great to get away from it all for a few days. There's a trip to new orleans on my horizon for my cousin's bachelor party (he's getting married to one of romeo's best friends) and I'm certain Romeo and I will find some time to get away for a weekend down the road. On the arts and sciences front, I will give a quick movie plug to a film we watched last night called The Interrupters. If you can find it via netflix or your local movie theater you should check it out. The community engagement around a shared problem (murder of youth in chicago's worst neighborhoods) really had me thinking about our reward system for those who are discharged from facilities/jails following bad crimes. I ended the film and turned to Robin and asked: What if we paid these guys based on their ability to prevent gun-related deaths in a geographic area/zip code? We could calculate the cost for all of the healthcare that is provided to those kids who have been shot and put this in a shared account. If they perform well in their area, they're eligible to receive a payment out of this shared account. Yes, we'd have to think through parameters and ways to gather good data, but if these guys can't get jobs working IN the system they can work to help the system. I'll get off my soapbox, but think about it people.....would we rather pay to keep folks in jail and kids killed???

Finances - some of the above requires money, as do other things. I wish I had more cash, but who doesn't. I can live comfortably and that is a blessing in this economy. Watching that film last night gave me a smack in the face that I live very comfortably. I can help with my time and/or cash more than I have been.

So that brings me full circle to the blog, which is one of those activities I lump under "hobbies." I like to write and I like to reflect about what is working well and what could be better. Writing for some kind of public consumption helps me step back and see the big picture. I would LOVE to write as a profession at some point, and the blog is an outlet for me to see how I like it. It's hard for me to find the time to do it, so when there are small windows of time (like this morning), I'll try to hop on Romeo's computer with an opinion, an update, or a thought or two!

The August Newsflash

The past few months have been great, and frankly, writing on the blog isn't at the top of the list of things to do. While I enjoy hopping on here to blast out the occasional update or social commentary, I've spent my time and energy elsewhere. But I'm in one of those moods where I'm feeling the need to put down on paper (or the web) what's going on, so here's the August update/news flash/public journal for those interested in hearing what's what.

Back in July, my little sister got married out in Colorado, giving myself, my girlfriend, and family an excuse to head west for some rest and relaxation. My sister's wedding was full of fun and great reminders about the importance of family and how lucky I've been to be able to spend quality time with the people who matter most since leaving Seattle. After the wedding, Romeo and I got lost in the Rocky Mountains for a week and it was a much-needed break from the pace of life. No schedules, no meeting requests, no emails, no events to attend; just the two of us, a piece of crap rental car, and the amazing state of Colorado. It reminded me of my trip eastward from Seattle several years ago; and no offense to Annie (my dog), but Romeo is a way better travel companion. We did the usual Colorado things--hiking in mountains, riding bikes, enjoying scenery, etc., and it gave both of us a chance to turn off the work side of our brains and appreciate each other, where we're at in life, and the great things we're able to enjoy together.

For me, the break came at an ideal time. I had been feeling uneasy at work--not in the sense that my job was in jeopardy, but that I wasn't entirely sure the fit was there. I'm paid to help teams and leaders improve how their work is done, but that relationship can be delicate. For the system to improve, it requires a shared acknowledgment that something isn't working well in the eyes of the customer and better ways of working are essential. This isn't to say the work wasn't effective--I worked with a number of leaders and teams that were enthusiastic about 'getting better' and had some great results to boot. But I had been feeling a bit squeamish about my effectiveness in helping us get better.

So Colorado gave me a chance to step back from it all, take a deep breath, and gain some perspective on things. A few weeks after returning from Colorado I was approached about a similar position to what I do now with an organization that provides outpatient medical care. There's kind of a funny story behind how they knew I existed, which I'll tell another day. Let's just say it involved quite possibly the most embarrassing thing I've ever had to do in front of an audience. Anyhow, back to the job--they do everything from primary care to advanced specialty care, and provide the range of services you and I experience when we're not feeling well. The work would involve advancing quality improvement in both familiar areas (lab) as well as some not-so-familiar ones (surgery center). The opportunity for learning would be great, and I'd be closer to the work that 'touches' patients on their journey from illness to health (and preventive care too). But the work was only part of the equation, and I knew from prior experience that the setting needed to be right if I was going to consider a switch.

I went out to visit with their leaders to learn a bit more about them, as well as help them learn a bit about me, and the more I heard the more I felt inspired and upbeat about joining a group with similar enthusiasm, curiosity, and discipline related to quality. By no means are they a 'perfect' company (i'm not sure one exists), but for my kind of work there is strong commitment, infrastructure, and leadership to make a difference in the care we provide patients. This is what I experienced working out in Seattle, and is something that is hard to quantify, but it matters. My work gets far easier when there's a unified team supporting it, and I'm confident I'll have what's needed to make a difference.

There were a few other variables to weigh, but ultimately I decided to accept the job, which will start the Tuesday after Labor Day. It'll be a challenge, and it'll push me in new ways, but I'm optimistic that I'll learn while making a difference. As folks at my current job have found out about my decision, the conversations have been enlightening. It's been humbling to see and hear many of the compliments, and I am grateful for the relationships I've built and learning I've acquired over the past year. Most folks understand my passion for improving healthcare and why its important to me, and after they hear about the work I'm doing most have wished me well. And those that haven't said much or been lukewarm, well, you can't make 'em all happy. And I can understand how my quick stint may not be seen by all as something good for the company.

But ultimately, I own my career and how I choose to make a living. And I'm comfortable with the decisions I've made, how I've handled myself, and where I'm heading, which is ultimately what matters. I'll have a few weeks in between jobs to clear the head a bit and catch up with people I don't see enough, ramble on my blog, hit the golf course, exercise, and recharge the batteries.

So stay tuned, and wherever you are, enjoy the summer while we've got it!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Being a Fan

As a kid, I was irate when sports teams I followed closely lost important games. I have no idea why I got so fired up, but whether it was the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Hawks, or Blue Demons (and a sprinkle of Miami football) I got really fired up when teams I liked lost. I'd get violent (literally throwing/breaking stuff), pouty, and couldn't stomach my Eggo's while I checked out the Tribune sports page, painfully pouring over the carnage from the night before. Over time, I got a little less emotional and dramatic about sports, and learned some important lessons about being a fan--like avoiding the internet/TV/radio sports content after losses. But at the end of the day, I like it when the teams I follow do well and put on my grumpypants when things go south.

So after last night's bulls loss, it really got me thinking about the impact of sports on my mood. Part of my job entails asking people 'Why' problems exist, and with my mood somewhere between grumpy and shitty this past 96 hours I turned the mirror on myself to ask: 'Why Delta, Why do you care so much about the outcome of a sporting event?'

The short answers as why I think I'm impacted so much by sports comes down to:

-I enjoy the sense of Shared Community Interest/Pride

-Sports allow me to spend time (both in person and via email/text) with the people I'd like to be around (family/friends)

-I'm pretty shallow when it comes down to what entertains me and sports teams are just as dramatic as any soap opera, sitcom, or reality show you follow on TV. Its not the only thing I do for entertainment, just tends to pre-occupy my time more than other activities when teams are doing well.

One of sports' upside (for me) is the Human Contact it encourages. Its a great feeling to leap on your feet as part of a crowd that erupts at a big moment in a game. Although you have no idea who the other 23,000 screaming idiots are, you've all shared that moment and acknowledged it together--something that doesn't happen very often in your daily life. That experience of being part of a shared public event is something I thrive on--whether its a concert, a sporting event, or a party...I'm a guy who likes to be around others. (An ENFP if you're familiar with Myers Briggs Personality Profiles). And I enjoy those events even better when I share it with someone I know--my father, brother, cousin, niece/nephew or friend (even girlfriend this past week) who enjoy the Bulls like I do. Make no mistake about it, the bulls give me an outlet to spend time with all of those people, and sad as it sounds, it binds us together. Maybe not with my girlfriend, but you get the idea.

And on the flipside of those highs are the devastating lows after a tough loss. I've lived through a bunch of them in my lifetime. The Bears in multiple playoff runs, the Cubs in every series they've ever played, the Bulls in the late 80s before they got their legs underneath them (and this week), Depaul choking a game when they began to get a shred of credibility from folks other than the 19 loyal fans...You get the idea, I've been let down as a fan of Chicago teams I spend my spare time following. I think part of the reason I get so angry is the feeling that I had invested all of that emotional energy, time, cash, and brainpower only to result in a crappy outcome. (As an interesting aside, I just loosely defined waste, a concept I use to help folks examine how they do their work to deliver a consistent service/outcome). In addition to the feeling that it was a waste of time to care in the first place, there's also a sense of inadequacy that comes with supporting a losing team. Almost as if it that loss reflects back on me and makes me a loser. Yes, I realize that sounds ridiculous, but why else would people feel so pissed about a random 12 people losing in a sporting event?!?

As far as this year's Bulls team goes, I've written ad nauseum about my appreciation for what they've done, even took time to thank them. I tend to be a pretty "glass half full" kinda guy about things--sports included, so when I step back from the table and look at the glass from this season it is close to the brim. Last July, I was one of many Bulls faithful wallowing at the thought of another mediocre Bulls season after they lost out on Lebron James and other free agents. But over the past 12 months the Bulls have proved me and every other fan into believers wrong by playing basketball in its purest form--relentless effort, discipline, teamwork, and defense. And although the outcome wasn't what I hoped for, I can't get too down on them--I'm proud to be a fan of a team that plays together, works hard, and genuinely wants to continuously improve. But the Bulls success is only half the reason why the cup is nearly full--I had nearly 8 months of great entertainment, abundant time with family and friends, and that sense of community I enjoy...