What To Do When The Envelope Pushes Back

“We've always done it that way.”

That was the reaction I faced when I introduced a new dictation system to replace the existing practice into my department back in the mid 1980s. It was a voice-activated systemⁱ that could produce x-ray reports immediately without the delays resulting from sending out magnetic tapes to a transcribing service.ⁱⁱ Some people were averse to doing anything that required computers,ⁱⁱⁱ or didn't want to learn anything different from what they were doing. Whether because of laziness or fear however, whatever the reason, there were some who resisted the change. Fortunately I had the authority to implement the new procedure over their objections. And the hospital administration was enthusiastic about the new system because it would save money, and because they wouldn't have to participate in the changes. Except, of course, the savings.

Innovation isn't always easy. But it sometimes makes things better. Build a better mousetrap, and all that. However, while we may demand rapid, if not well thought out, change when there is some well-publicized or stylish problem or disease, we're most ready for such change when neither the problem nor the solution affects us directly; when someone else will have to deal with what we're doing for him. And we want immediate action. If there are unanticipated consequences we can deal with them by introducing a new change. If that doesn't work we can try again. But we can't leave things the way they are.

And not just any change will do. We have to push the envelope; we have to think outside the box. If we're told that we don't have to reinvent the wheel, we know that that it's not always a wheel we want. We have to be creative if we're going to solve the problem.

The usual response of those who are wedded to the present is “What problem?” “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” And, all too often, they're right. Our society is in a headlong rush to act. We celebrate change whether it solves an existing problem or not. “Don't just stand there, do something.” It doesn't matter what the change is, or whether it's likely to work, action is needed. In too many cases, however, the cure is worse than the disease, and the unintended consequences cause bigger problems than the ones they were designed to address.^iv But, as I noted, we can deal with those problems when we see what they are.^v In the meantime we've demonstrated our sensitivity to the underlying situation.^vi

Change, itself, is not bad as a means to solve problems, but it's not an end. That's where the difficulty arises. Nor is aversion to change an end. The proper balance lies in the willingness (and the ability) to understand all the implications of both the assumed problem and the proposed solution. Neither innovation nor obstruction, when used properly is bad; but we have a habit of misusing them. And that's when things start to get dicey.

It's hard not to see this as an indictment of our two political parties – one attempting to institute sweeping changes which it believes will benefit society, while the other is applying the breaks, in the belief that the changes are inappropriate. They'll hurt more than they'll help. Unfortunately neither is interested in understanding the position of the other. Or, at least, neither is interested in acknowledging any such understanding, and compromising. Too many votes are at stake.

The saving grace^vii is that the system provides for someone who is in a position to mediate the disputes and, when necessary, to override the stance of one or more of the disputants or find a way around it.^viii And if he misuses that position and authority, it can be taken from him.^ix The voice activation system refers to the voice of the voters.

Next episode: “Six Of One" – But I don't know how many of the other.
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I        The technology was in its infancy then, but the system worked, and it was better than the alternative.

ii       We didn't have typists on premises and the outside services weren't that reliable, so there were often long delays.

iii      We were in the early days of desk-top computers and many of the staff had never worked with them.

iv       Often the best approach is “Don't just do something, stand there.”

v       As Representative Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the House, said of the “Affordable Care Act,” “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” Understanding the implications of what we do before we do it apparently is not necessary, as long as we act.

vi       However we understand it.

vii      Or fatal flaw.

viii     Saving grace or fatal flaw once again.

ix       Though it may take a few years to do so. And if the next President is of the other party he'll likely withdraw the Presidential Order that violated the principles of his party or issue a contradictory order.