Rick Lee: The Innovators Innovator

John Lennon said, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”  When I asked Rick Lee, the CEO of Healthrageous, where his entrepreneurial roots came from, he did not give an expected answer.  When I asked him about healthcare and innovation, again, he did not give an expected answer.  This is why I am certain that his company is going to make a distinctive difference – he was not imitating someone else or their philosophy.Fond psychédélique Rather than quell innovation by a passive acceptance of the status quo, his eloquent ease with questioning  authority has resulted in innovation that provides a unique experience for healthcare consumers.  You will enjoy this interview, because while Lee acknowledges his roots from the 60′s, he clearly has crafted a well thought out company that has responded to the changing and unmet needs of the healthcare consumer.

RickLee32011The full post of my interview with Rick Lee can be found on Innovation Excellence, but here is a teaser…” He contends that we, as consumers, have more skin in the game and are in a rapidly moving groundswell – “just as corporate America can no longer afford pensions to their workers, we are rapidly approaching a time where corporate America can no longer provide healthcare to its workers.”  Lee is correct and interestingly, within the healthcare landscape this awareness has morphed thousands of medical devices, app solutions, and investment dollars into the groundswell.  Now that consumers are in the mix, product innovation, differentiation, and creativity will leave old paradigms in the dust….”

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Healthcare Entrepreneur, Thomas M. Lee

Biz Stone said, “timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” This quote is a perfect description of Tom Lee, who shared with our listeners that his roots in healthcare business began in high school while washing dishes in an acute care facility - the business equivalent of starting in the mail room. He shares that when he was presented with the task of creating a facility from the ground up, he saw an opportunity to differentiate care delivery.  Innovation appears to be in his DNA as well.

social network structureOver time Tom has developed an unparalleled reputation for both timing and recognizing business entry points.  As we explored the impact of social media within the healthcare landscape, he emphasized that we have moved from discussions debating the benefit of an online presence, to how that presence is controlled. Tom describes the new obligations of providers to facilitate credible information and ultimately this realization gave way to the The Hashtag Project and his current venture, Symplur.  You will be inspired by listening to Tom not only as he talks about his new ventures, but the why’s behind his innovations. He 

TomLee

mentions more than once how important it is to be nimble because healthcare is a dynamic playing field. One last observation, you can always recognize leaders because they take the time to mention those who have had a role in their success. I was not the least bit surprised by those he gave a shout out to because they are kindred spirits and will never be mistaken as shy.  I know you’ll enjoy time with Tom, I did!


“…I was excited to be a part of change.”

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Who Says That The Government Cannot Innovate?

Whether based on the economy, health care legislation, or changes in purchaser mindset, it may be the perfect time for health care companies to step back from their BHAG’s in order to gain some innovation perspective. Have the big questions changed? Here is a question that may raise eyebrows: What does health care need? Health care needs a healthy dose of innovation.

Recently, I became aware and involved with the Investing in Innovation (i2) initiative, created by the Office of the National Coordinator, which is the first federal program to operate under the authority of the America COMPETES reauthorization Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama in January of this year. Essentially, this program awards prizes for participants that provide solutions to health IT problems. These challenges are managed by Health2.0 specifically, by Jean-Luc Neptune, MD, MBA, who has deep roots in innovation.
The program has two parts: (1) competition, in which teams are formed to tackle health information challenges and (2) community, where innovators and practitioners work together to solve problems with public data. Many in health care may not be aware that data from Federal sources has been made available for research.
Dr. Neptune explained that there has been tremendous interest in the challenges from many different business sectors, and providing new tools and knowledge for stakeholders will be the basis for health care transformation, advancement, and sustainability. Further, this convergence of innovators, data, government, and technology creates a transparent and open community of innovation for public health promotion and prevention.

I am fully aware of the argument that spending on technology does not necessarily translate into value or better health outcomes, however from my perspective, initiatives that result in stakeholders revisiting business models and physicians leading more innovation projects are a catalyst for creating relevant insight and value. Health care has been relentless in evaluating gaps in care, outcome improvement, and cost reduction, but unfortunately, we have been unable to drive meaningful change in health care. I would suggest that we have been concentrating on the right issues but without a new framework of thinking.

Converting the success of this highly visible initiative into real opportunity will be obvious to health care entrepreneurs because there is minimal risk. Additionally, there has never been a time in health care with this type of unprecedented access to government data for innovation. The right innovator will see this as the perfect storm to navigate.

The good news is that there are still challenges waiting for innovators. The market benefit of these challenges is that they will serve to spark greater innovation in a broader context and impact the way companies leverage innovation to improve health care. To answer the original question, what does health care need? Health care needs to start innovating.

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The Creativity of Dr. Steven Eisenberg

Where does creativity come from?  According to Ken Robinson’s Out of Our Minds, some people have strong abilities in many areas, music, mathematics, verbal reasoning, visual thinking and so on, and typically think of such people as Renaissance type figures.  And while he explains that high ability in one area does not entail in others, he also frames creativity as not only a matter of inspiration, but that skill is involved as well.  There could not be a better description of Dr. Steven Eisenberg, a board certified doctor of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, who connects with his patients  beyond their diagnosis of cancer, by creating and singing music for them.

musicYesterday, I had the great privilege of interviewing Steven about his creative approach and he shared what he calls sailing the #7C’s: Caring, Connection, Collaboration, Creativity, Compassion, Community and Communication.  Steven believes in possibilities and passes on hope and a strong sense of well-being to his patients.  He shares how music can trigger positive emotional and physiologic reactions, and that those with cancer can have quality of life, even should they physically decline.

Of course, I asked of the Twitterverse, if creativity could be learned, and of course, @Ken_Rosen was the first to respond with a resounding yes.  Ken Robinson agrees with Ken, or vice versa.  I would have to agree – in this context, music therapy has been around since ancient times and in Western medicine since the 1950′s; Dr. Steven Eisenberg decided to use his gift by picking up his guitar and his stethoscope to change lives.  I hope that you enjoy this unplugged interview…I did!


steven1EnlightenMed, LLC and Lyrical Life were founded by Dr. Steven Eisenberg, a board certified doctor of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology. He is a founding member of Pacific Oncology and Hematology Associates in greater San Diego. Dr. Eisenberg uses music, humor and heart to transform his patients’ journeys through the minefield of cancer.

@drseisenberg on Twitter

Aesop’s Fables – The Swan and the Goose A CERTAIN rich man bought in the market a Goose and a Swan. He fed the one for his table and kept the other for the sake of its song. When the time came for killing the Goose, the cook went to get him at night, when it was dark, and he was not able to distinguish one bird from the other. By mistake he caught the Swan instead of the Goose. The Swan, threatened with death, burst forth into song and thus made himself known by his voice, and preserved his life by his melody.

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Business Communication with Baron Hanson

  Tom Peters said, If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”
There is an abundance of information on how to run or launch a successful business, but when it comes to turning around a business, the thinking elevates to an entirely new level.  Yesterday, I had the privilege of interviewing Baron Hanson, the lead consultant for Red Baron Consulting on the mindset and communication skills necessary for implementing successful business turnarounds – they have 220 successful turnarounds under their belt.flag

 Many of us are all too familiar with businesses that have fallen on hard times in this uncertain economy, and find ourselves cheering for the innovators and entrepreneurs who are determined to finish strong.  Like many, I have become fascinated with the skill set of the elusive turnaround artist – whether innovation breakdowns, operational inefficiencies, or talent shortage, chances are, they are the bearer of the wake up call.
Baron shares his formula for meaningful first meetings with potential clients, and what he describes as the four C’s of turnaround management: Cost, Customer, Competition, and Consensus.  When I asked if most CEO’s are cognizant that they need help, he responded with genuine insight on what keeps the C-suite and employees up at night.  I think that you will find this interview full of useful and rich content, please listen and enjoy!

Guess which Presidential candidate is known for successful turnarounds…

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Finding ‘Flow’ In Social Media

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, defines flow as “…being fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of activity,” in other words, optimal experience, engagement and skill.  I have observed that the most effective communicators in social media are those that have a ‘flow’ mindset – Brian Solis, says it well, “continuity, cadence, and a voice that readers can connect with.”  There is a fair amount of creativity that is being shared and responded to with genuine curiosity, but what I find the most fascinating, however, are the individuals that have found their unique voice in all the noise.

Fresh bamboo leaves over waterFinding the appropriate communities where one can leverage involvement and focus requires consistency, planning and intent. It’s time to start taking note of the business relationships that stem from online conversations.For relationships to flow, you need to invest some time in relevant conversations. For instance, yesterday, four ladies that I interact with on a weekly basis, finally scheduled some Skype time, #cafefab (stay tuned) – beyond amazing is that all of us commented immediately on how our voices represented our online personas: extrovert, grace, calm, and insightful. The warmth and generosity of spirit, as one of our gals described, was our fifth guest; because we had invested time and skill in cultivating an optimal experience.  Mihaly was right – the energy and flow was meaningful.

So the question is can you engage in social media without causing disruption in your life? Yes.  When I engage with new clients, I ask three questions before creating an action plan:

  1. Do you have a voice?  People want to hear your voice.
  2. Have you identified your strategic goals for engaging online?
  3. Are you ready to meet some serious thought leaders? Think intention.

The technical skills will come; but, to achieve a flow that will benefit you personally requires focus and strategy. In my BlogTalkRadio show this morning, I interviewed, communication expert, Jill Royston, on how she discovered the meaning of flow in a very unexpected adventure while in London.  Please listen to Jill’s amazing story as she encourages all of us to challenge our boundaries, be intentional and to open up to flow…

* For those who are wondering who extrovert, gracious, calm, and insightful, might be – girlfriends never tell, but if you follow us online, you’ll know who we are!

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How To Be An Influencer

           The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority, Kenneth Blanchard

In my second interview with executive coach and communication expert, Jill Royston, we explore influence from the perspective of leadership communication.  Jill points out that formulating what you want to achieve when first engaging, is a basic communication skill that acknowledges intention – ‘it’s unlikely, that if you cannot formulate, you’ll be able to influence.”  She agreed with Gunter Wessels, a healthcare executive,  that getting a commitment for continued dialogue,  is a result of prep work.abstract art - hand painted

Jill shared three key points on how to become an influencer:

  1. ‘Influence’ is something that you can develop- and that it is a leadership skill.
  2. Test your views with the other persons, do not keep repeating the same point – make sure that you know where the other person is in the conversation.
  3. At the end of a conversation, evaluate to see if value was created or if the intended outcome happened.

Trust and authenticity is a topic that is often discussed online and one way that Jill suggests to look at trust is, as a pattern over time – a track record!    Thank you for tuning in!

The best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray – Jill and I lived this today! Jill lost her phone and found it seconds after we went on air – and I did not go on air until 5 seconds before and lost my notes! We love Friday morning interviews! Next…

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Navigating Around The Noise Of Health Reform

John Powell said that, ‘communication works for those who work at it.

Man jumpIn my blogtalkradio show this week, I had the privilege of interviewing Gunter Wessels, Ph.D., MBA, B.Sc., Partner and Health Care Practice Principal at The Total Innovation Group.  He shares his communication template for navigating around emotional issues, like healthcare reform, to ultimately accomplish business goals.  Gunter’s strategic approach begins with understanding the mission, discerning the success metrics, follow up, and then matching up the same framework to the potential client before a conversation takes place.  He provides examples of recent conversations where current legislation had the potential to disrupt the business process and how he used knowledge and expertise to redirect.  I invite you to listen to a respected industry pro and thought leader provide insight on getting to the other side of the conversation.

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Uncommon Communication, pt. 1

This morning, I had the pleasure of interviewing communication expert, Jill Royston, on the art of communication and authentic listening.  Jill shares three key perspectives that will yield positive outcomes when communicating:

  1. bluerocksEffective communication, begins with intent.  People choose to listen, because they care about what  is being said and have interest in what will happen next. Listeners look for information that is relevant, interesting or useful.
  2. It is important during conversations to ‘match up pictures’ and test assumptions by asking questions, to understand the other persons point of view.
  3. Communicating to share a viewpoint is not influence; influence begins when ‘creating’ together, in order to surface information and choices that point to a positive outcome.

This interview with Jill is the first in a three part series. Our next discussion will focus on what influence looks like. Thank you!

 ”To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well”   John Marshall

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Social Media Listening

I recently had the privilege to listen to Jan Molino, the managing director of Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson, speak at a CryerHealth and Levik Strategic Communications HBA, breakfast, where she spoke to listening, as the most critical aspect of communication. Similarly, I have observed, that the most effective social media tribe builders and influencers are those individuals who listen as a means and purpose to engage.  Meaning that, their online contribution is not just a path to a business deal or broadcasting, but to support and invest in thought leadership and communities.

According to Madelyn Burley-Allen, in her book, Listening: The Forgotten Skill: A Self-Teaching Guide,  listening involves a more sophisticated mental process than hearing and has a responsibility to the communication process.  Her definition of “listening is (a) taking in information from speakers, other people or ourselves, while remaining nonjudgmental and empathetic; (b) acknowledging the talker in a way that invites the communication to continue; and (c) providing limited, but encouraging, input to the talker’s response, carrying the person’s idea one step forward.”

articulate1After I read this definition, I immediately thought of Drew Marshall, the founder and Principal of Primed Associates, and the bar that he sets for genuinely listening and then driving an idea or conversation to the next potential.  In 140 characters or less, he captures meaning by not letting the words or information drift off.  I believe that the  transformative capability of social media will be from the consistent involvement and support of savvy listeners and generous communicators, like Drew.  Interacting with appropriate Twitter chats will provide an environment for creative and strategic thinking from multiple viewpoints, perspectives and backgrounds; resources not readily available  to tap, otherwise.  The more you interact online, you’ll be able to identify those who just hear information and post rapid fire tweets, rather than extend what is important to the group.  Another strong resemblance to real life communication, is mindfulness of online body language and focused listening will provide you with a solid return for your time.

One last thought: listening can provide you with that one thought, insight, or vision of where you want and need to be. Circling back to Jan Molino, she emphasized that if you listen carefully, you’ll find that people often share information and nuggets that will help you to the next level.  Who doesn’t need that, right?

It is the province of knowledge to speak.  And it is the privilege of wisdom to

listen.  Oliver Wendell Holmes

I’ll be interviewing communication expert, Jill Royston on BlogTalkRadio ~ coming soon! 

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