Opportunity Knocks?

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Winston Churchill

For most of my professional life, I have tried to follow Winston Churchill’s lead and be an optimist who sees opportunity in challenges. Indeed, some of my proudest moments in my career have occurred when the team I was on was able to take what seemed to be an intractable challenge and turn in it to a new way of providing services that had better outcomes for those we serve.

I will admit, however, that there are some days when it is more challenging to recognize the opportunities than others. With our current uncertain environment, it has been especially difficult to see the glass as half full. I say this not because I have been slowly morphing into a hopeless curmudgeon, but rather to celebrate and reward ourselves for being the recipient of a new challenge.

At Imagine!, we don't go to the extreme celebration as denoted in the fraternity initiation in Animal House: “Thank you sir, may I have another?”
 

Can’t see the video? Click here.

We do, however, engage in our own celebration of contributing a dollar for each difficulty that comes our way that meets this very strict criteria: a member of our Executive Team utters the words “you have got to be kidding me” in response to the new difficulty. The dollars are kept in a sacred cup. When the collection of dollars reaches a point where we cannot squeeze another dollar in the cup, then we will engage in a full celebration with beverages, music, and dancing.

I am still an optimist in that I believe many of the difficulties we face will be addressed at some point. I even believe that how those challenges are addressed may well result (down the road – waaaay down the road) in improved outcomes for some of our most vulnerable citizens. But for now, the provider community is engaged in a continual game of “Where’s Waldo?” when it comes to finding the opportunities. They are there, they just don’t immediately stand out.

Still, among the plethora of difficulties, there is opportunity. We must continue our pursuit of the opportunities.

In the meantime, break out the beverages and cue the music.

Then again, what do I know?