Monopoly: Healthcare Edition (Part 3)
Consider the following excerpt from an article in Inc. quoting Simon Sinek: "A Worthy Rival can push us in a way that few others can -- not even our coaches, mentors or advisors," he contends. "Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning; a Worthy Rival inspires us to take on an attitude of improvement. The former focuses our attention on the outcome; the latter focuses our attention on process."
Sports are finite games. Starting points and endpoints are defined. There are guiding rules and regulations. The players and their roles are understood. There are winners and losers. Business is an infinite game. There isn’t necessarily a defined endpoint. The rules are fluid. Players come and go. It isn’t about winning and losing as much as about progress and regress.
Sinek’s point is a good one. In business, taking on the conquistador mindset is in essence trying to play an infinite game by finite rules, which leads to imbalanced priorities and stifling of growth. To quote Sinek, “Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning; a Worthy Rival inspires us to take on an attitude of improvement.” Seeking out a suitable, strong Worthy Rival promotes improvement, honestly, and humility. Choosing a weak rival just to boost your ego is not beneficial. Your Worthy Rival should challenge you and encourage you to put forth your best.
What examples of Worthy Rivals come to your mind?
Following are a few examples. As I think about it, I find it interesting that some of these seem to be applying infinite rules to finite games. It works when you look at it through the lens of life or the long game, rather than a specific match, event or battle.
Batman and the Joker
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird
The Powerpuff Girls and Mojo Jojo
Neo and Agent Smith
Peter Pan and Captain Hook
Obi-Wan Kenobi (or Luke Skywalker) and Darth Vader
Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed
Harry Potter and Voldemort
Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Mark Cuban and Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner
The list could go on and on, but the common thread is that having worthy competition creates an impetus for self improvement. It makes both or all parties involved better if they are willing to meaningfully engage.
A monopoly is a business that has had an extremely successful run of playing the infinite game by the finite rules. They came. They saw. They kicked some ass. Checks and balances have been eliminated. They are ultimately accountable to no one, because they have the ability to make and change the rules whenever they find it suitable. They have maneuvered themselves into the position of being peerless. They have no Worthy Rival. As it turns out, it is in fact lonely at the top.
Healthcare organizations are (or are supposed to be) service businesses. Taking into consideration all of the moving parts, it is a multi-trillion dollar industry. The stakes are high. Literally life and death at times. They have immense power over the individuals and the communities in their sphere of influence. Service and profitability have to be balanced. As much or more than anyone else, healthcare organizations need worthy rivals to keep them honest, humble, in touch, and innovative.
Here are a few examples of how competition between healthcare organizations can be beneficial:
Competition for employees can result in better wages and better working conditions. Better wages can lead to improvements in employee satisfaction, which in turn can lead to increased efficiency, improved patient care, and better patient experiences / satisfaction scores. Employee satisfaction creates loyal ambassadors of the institution.
Competition for patients / market share can result in earnest efforts for more connectedness to the community in order to better understand the local needs and the desires of the populace. These efforts can build trust and offer guidance for new services to offer the community. The dividends of these efforts can be improved capture of market share.
Competition for profit can stimulate innovation and encourage cost saving measures. When trying to cut cost, it is crucial not to compromise on the quality if the product, which often results from decreasing wages, creating staffing shortages, and forcing staff to work harder with fewer resources.
Do you think that it is important for healthcare systems to have a Worthy Rival?
Are there other benefits not mentioned above to encouraging fair competition in the business of healthcare?
“What would the world be like without Captain Hook?”
- Dustin Hoffman (from Hook)
“I don’t, I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, No, No! No. You… You… Complete me Batman.”
- Heath Ledger (As The Joker)
Sources:
Stillman, Jessica. “Simon Sinek: Here’s Why Everyone Should Have a Work Rival.” Inc., 22 October 2019, www.inc.com.
Sinek, Simon. “How having the right kind of rival can help you thrive in a changing world.” TED, 15 October 2019, ideas.ted.com.
