I was explaining the whole 2024 “ocean” theme for Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics to a speaker yesterday and was talking about “the ocean of possibilities,” … then I got a cold chill. I don’t know about all of you – but the vastness of the ocean just plain freaks me out. I love being on boats; I don’t get seasick … I like the water – my fear is one of awe and respect. Oceans are vast and boundless - kind of like the future.
The speaker and I had some conversation about our recent strategic planning. I said that the strategic horizon (potential future of ISH) is in view, but it is very unfocused and needs structure. Insurance companies, federal and state regulations, relationships, changes in how healthcare is delivered/treated/conducted … everything affects everything. Hence, my chill. Who can predict all that’s going to happen?*
The best we can do is respect our ocean. Appreciate its vastness and be humble when faced with adversity. In the grand scheme, we won’t overpower the might of the sea … but we can work with it and create beautiful harmonies.
*Someone in a healthcare system once told me that they are better than we are because they are playing chess (referencing their ability to strategically map the future … like chess, I guess), and we are playing checkers. A. That’s a stupid reference, and B. They tend to generally suck, so checkers is the better game to play.
