HJBR Jan/Feb 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JAN / FEB 2020 55 Heath Veuleman­ Senior Advisor and Principal The Veuleman Group DISRUPTION and transformation require differentiation, and do not be afraid that the differentiation required must be some gran- diose product or service. Actually, the most captivating and disruptive solutions in any industry share three alliterative characteris- tics: they are surprising, sublime, and simple. Ultimately, the question to contemplate, both personally and professionally is, am I differ- ent?Are you part of the homogenous going along to get along, or do you stand out? The motivation to remain part of the group, not upsetting the proverbial apple cart, and obeying the greatest Southern commandment of being seen but unheard, is a pervasive and pathological fear of fail- ure, and from that failure, being isolated from the group. It is certainly an evolu- tionary response that helps us create and sustain symbiotic relationships, but it is the learned pathology over time that resigns us to a toxic intransigence. The stark and un- avoidable irony is that by remaining static, immobile, and moored to the group, failure is inevitable. This year, more people will die from healthcare errors than from stroke and diabetes combined. This year, individuals under the age of 34 face suicide as the sec- ond leading cause of death. This year we will spend $3 trillion on healthcare, and our out- comes are worsening, our delivery systems are more fragmented, and our financing sys- tems are more misaligned and disincentiv- ized. It’s time to be different. What surprising, sublime, and simple so- lution is it that you and your organization can deploy to maximize reimbursement, minimize costs, mitigate risks, and achieve meaningful outcomes? How are you and your organization different? What actions are you and your organization taking to stand out from the crowd, to curate an im- pactful and agile culture that is consumer- centric and care-forward? Is your differen- tiation visible, palpable, tangible? You are more likely to find our experi- ence and engagement team at colleges and universities, community associations, large corporations in various industries, or festi- vals and events, rather than hospital or other healthcare industry associations today. We work with healthcare providers, corpora- tions, and governments to be different, and that requires us to go beyond our own in- dustry. We are currently hiring executives from the hospitality industry and the con- sumer technology industry, and now even data scientists. Because the problems we face are multi-factoral, complicated, and demand solutions that create sudden, not incremental, change, we are becoming more andmore equipped to solve those problems by leveraging a diverse set of tools from a variety of industries and individuals with unique backgrounds, disciplines, educations, and skill-sets. Now, the easiest and cheapest, most sur- prising, sublime, and simple solution that will disrupt and transform any business or industry? Be yourself. You are unique; accept it. Be yourself—with all of your pec- cadilloes, idiosyncrasies, foibles, and ec- centricities—and you will change your or- ganization. It will be different. And let me help you out here; you are absolutely right in what you are thinking right now—you will not fit some places. They may invite you to leave the group. That is a great thing. That means there’s a group out there, somewhere, looking to be different, and they cannot do it without you. The most surprising, sublime, and simple solution that will disrupt and transform your personal and professional life, and your organization, and the lives of the individuals we are privileged to serve, is to be different. Be yourself. n “What surprising, sublime, and simple solution is it that you and your organization can deploy to maximize reimbursement, minimize costs, mitigate risks, and achieve meaningful outcomes? How are you and your organization different?”