‘Betterment is a perpetual labor. The world is chaotic, disoriented and vexing.’
Sage words from Atul Gawande, in “Better, A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance.”
(Disclaimer: Gawande’s previous book, “Complications,” was one of my favorites, so I am pre-disposed to want to hear what he has to say.)
This book of stories takes place where the practice of medicine occurs – in hospitals; and out in the field treating those wounded in war and fighting against 'preventable' diseases in under-developed countries.
What it prescribes is very tangible and practical, since we all can appreciate how serious it is to be sick enough to have to be hospitalized. Intellectually, we can also appreciate the rigors that must come with carrying the mantle of treating sick people.
But such truths aren’t limited to the field of medicine. What Gawande is providing is a framework for continual improvement in any endeavor that involves risk and responsibility.
He cites three core requirements for success in these realms – diligence, doing right and applying ingenuity, each of which is deceptive in the way the way it combines the ‘DUH’ with the ‘DEPTH.’
Diligence is the simple assertion that it is necessary to give sufficient attention to detail to avoid error and prevail against obstacles. As Atul underscores, ‘diligence is both central to performance and fiendishly hard.’
The second challenge is to do right. This just recognizes the reality of the human element and how it manifests on a bunch of levels.
The third requirement for success is ingenuity—thinking anew.
I think that Gawande’s articulation of ingenuity is plenty rich so let me just quote it verbatim:
‘Ingenuity is not a matter of superior intelligence but of character. It demands more than anything a willingness to recognize failure, to not paper over the cracks, and to change. It arises from deliberate, even obsessive reflection on failure and a constant searching for new solutions.’
In Tibetan Buddhism, they talk of things being 'workable,' which is very pragmatic, but at the same time they recognize the role that Crazy Wisdom plays in actually forging the path.
To a better place.