I'm at a conference in Orlando, done by the Lean Enterprise Institute on Healthcare Transformation. You may have heard by now, there's a few problems with our healthcare system, and this is a gathering of folks who share my passion for problem solving through a management system that can be used to improve just about anything. Loyal blog followers (all 15 of you) may remember earlier posts about my use of the Lean concepts (Hoshin Kanri) to identify the value added activities that I believed would lead to "Peace of Mind" in 2009. I certainly learned a lot from the exercise, and my "day job" is to help a hospital solve problems slightly more complex than "How do I make sure I attend enough concerts this year?"
In attendance at this conference are a number of friends and coworkers from my prior job at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. Those close to me know that I've struggled at times with my current position, and I'd be lying if I don't miss the feeling of coming to a great place to work every day. But as I've mentioned before, I cannot prioritize my career over other areas of my life, and those other areas are excellent these days.
So for those looking for the highlights of late....here ya go:
- Delta Whiskey now has a girlfriend. We'll call her Romeo Sierra for now to protect her identity. She's bright, creative, caring, spontaneous and attractive....and she finds me moderately amusing. Who knows, maybe we'll get a "guest post" from her one of these days???
- My pops hung up the stethoscope for good a few weeks ago. Those of you who know my dad are aware of his commitment to serving patients for 30+ years as a neurologist. I've had the honor to shadow him with patients and staff and know that he worked his butt off to take care of as many as he could (while playing nice) during his time in medicine. And his work provided a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my mouth, medications for me when I was sick, and countless other things. But most importantly his work showed me what hard work, discipline, quality, and integrity look like....so thanks Dad! He also turns 67 on June 10, so happy birthday pops!!
- Retirement sounds a long way away for myself, and work has been a bit of a grind. From a development standpoint, I'm learning a ton...although I loved the structure, discipline, and shared vision at Group Health I'm also seeing first hand the challenges I'll face bringing Lean to others. Experience has always been my best teacher, but learning can be painful.
- Annie (the dog) still barks a LOT. This can be somewhat problematic with guests at my apartment, particularly when Romeo Sierra and her canine companion come to visit. Anyone with suggestions that SOLVE (defined as no barking when a stranger enters my apartment) the barking problem will be handsomely rewarded with an item from the Delta Whiskey Gift Catalog.
- THE BLACKHAWKS - not going to comment any further. This playoff run has been a blast, and I may not be the longest tenured fan but I like these guys and they're not going anywhere for a while.
- The Bulls - I like the new coach they've hired from the Celtics. I think he's a hard working, intelligent, hungry guy who knows how to engage players in playing defense. Get the Bulls a Free Agent and my dad and I will have a fantastic winter in 2010-2011. And although I think Lebron James WILL leave the Cavaliers, I would be shocked if he wore a Bulls uniform next year. Believe me, I've thought about emailing the new coach to see if he needs an assistant on the bench with two full seasons of Junior High Head Coaching experience.
- Golf game is back on track - I've played a few rounds with buddies but do NOT anticipate eclipsing last year's 46 rounds. If I play 14 times I'd be a happy guy, and honestly could care less about what I shoot.
- Upcoming Summer Concerts, Sporting Events, and Street Parties....the summer in any city is great, so I'm not going to list the reasons why Chicago summers are my favorite. But I'm psyched the summer is here and hope you are too....get out and have some fun!
