Roz Savage – Ocean Rower – “I Am What I Am”

roz_mainI became aware of Roz Savage about 12 months ago. To describe her as an adventurer hardly does her justice. In 2005 she left her job as a management consultant and started a new life by rowing across the Atlantic. She has followed that by starting a row across the Pacific and last year she made the first leg from San Francisco to Hawaii. In May 2009 she set off in her boat, Brocade, to cross the remainder going from East to West. Her final destination is unknown as she relies on winds and tides to carry her.

You can follow her progress on her blog, twitter or podcast.

Without doubt she is a one-off and an example to all of getting out of your comfort zone. (This piece was first published in the Sunday Times, 23 April 2006.)

I Am What I Am

“The thoughts and philosophies of Roz Savage, an impressive ocean-rowing adventurer.

  • Don’t waste mental energy asking yourself if you CAN do something. Just do it. You’ll surprise yourself. I did.
  • Be clear about your objectives. Ignore others, stay true to yourself and measure success only against your own criteria. I was last to finish the race – big deal. I went out there to learn about myself, and I did.
  • The only constant in life is change. So don’t get depressed by the bad times, and don’t get over-excited by good ones. Accept that things are exactly as they are, and even bad times have something to teach us.
  • Life can be magical, but magic only gets you so far. Then you need discipline, determination and dedication to see it through.
  • Hope can hurt. The danger is that you hope for too much and set yourself up for disappointment. Be optimistic but realistic. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you expect it to be.
  • Be mindful of the link between present action and desired future outcome. Ask yourself: if I repeat today’s actions 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?
  • Decision-making: act in faith, not fear, and don’t worry about making a ‘wrong’ decision – the way you implement it is more important than the decision itself.
  • Be your own best friend. The more you rely on other people, the less control you have over your destiny.
  • Be proud of your own obituary: a few years ago I wrote two versions of my obituary, the one I wanted and the one I was heading for. They were very different. I realized I needed to make some big changes if I was going to look back and be proud of my life. I am making those changes, and now I have a life worth living.”

Why is the NHS so?

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I have an eye infection, I became a ware that the upper lid of my left eye was swollen on Monday evening. I rinsed it with Optrex on Monday and yesterday (Tuesday) but the lid stayed red, swollen and sore and overnight it worsened.

So this morning I rang “MY” medical practice at 8.35 to be answered by a voice which assured me that my call was valuable, that they were aware that I was waiting, that someone would deal with my call as soon as possible and I was 4th, 3rd then 2nd in the queue. Finally top of the list after 6 minutes and the message changed; now I had to make a choice between wanting to make an appointment with a doctor or speak to a nurse. Button 1 pressed for the doctor; progress at last.

Not so fast Rees, it’s another message and I’m at the back of another queue. This time I was fifth in line but I was equally valued, the music was the same, the message still anodyne. Slowly but steadily I climbed the list and this time I got a human being. Only 11 minutes spent there then.

“Good morning this is Alun Rees; I think I have an eye infection, would it be possible to see a doctor today please?”

“You can’t make an appointment to see a doctor, give me your number and the triage doctor will call you back within half an hour.”

After the queueing system another wait, is it any surprise that people get frustrated with medical staff.

Sure enough at 8.55 the call came, quick chat with the doctor, symptoms, history & good follow up questions. “Can you come down straight away?” asked the medic, so off I went. On arrival at the practice it was time to lock horns with the guardian of the gate who had been kept out of the loop by her boss.

“Hello I’m Alun Rees I spoke to Dr Fab a few minutes ago and he told me to come straight down.” I reported with a smile. Big mistake, and as it happens a complete waste of a smile, because at no time did she look at my face let alone make eye contact.

“Have you got an appointment?”

“Well Dr Fab told me to come straight down when I spoke to him 5 minutes ago.”

“What was your name?” from between tight lips.

“Alun Rees” recalling the last time I was called and asked to come as soon as possible only to be kept waiting the early half hour and then another half an hour past my original appointment time.

“Take a seat on the left.”

“Thank you so much.” (Think Basil Fawlty)

After a wait of maybe 3 minutes I was greeted by Dr Fab, taken into his room, examined, diagnosed, prescribed and my thanks given.

Time between calling surgery and getting to speak to doc 30 minutes. Time between speaking to doc and leaving practice with prescription 15 minutes.

Next comes the pharmacy experience. Hand in prescription, do I pay? yes I do. Well it’s £7.20 for the ointment as an NHS item but £5.55 if you buy it as a private item. Funny I don’t remember it being that easy to sell private treatment v NHS treatment in dental practice but I have no doubt that it will happen soon enough with the NHS in such a deep financial mire.

OK, is it me or could that all have been done more logically?

Get Everything Done – Mark Forster

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It seems to be the bane of everyone’s life at some stage and has had more books written about it than anything elase I can think of – wassat? “Time Mangement”.

Mark Forster has devoted a lot of time wrestling with his and everyone else’s time management and personal organisation problems and has written three books on the subject.

His most recent scheme is the Autofocus System. Alrady translated into 16 languages this is worth a look if you’re struggling with personal management issues.

Complete instructions on Mark’s Website.

Seth Godin – You Matter

Another great blog post from Seth Godin.

You matter

  • When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.
  • When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.
  • When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.
  • When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.
  • When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.
  • When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.
  • When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
  • When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
  • When you inspire a Nobel prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.
  • When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.
  • And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.

The Monday Morning Quote #45

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

DR. Seuss

Read on Paul Newton’s Performance Coaching blog last week.

W.H.S. – Bring back choice.

I have a soft spot for W.H.Smith & Son, they were my father’s first employers and he worked for them from 1938 through until 1953. Had he not he would not have moved from South Wales to Gloucester, would not have visited his boss, a man with the improbable name of Arthur Austritch, and would not have met the woman who became my mother. Their opening encounter was not entirely smooth as she told him in no uncertain terms to not sit on a patient’s bed. I think one could have described the then staff nurse West as feisty.

Dad continued to do business with WHS until he retired from his next employer 34 years later. I became familiar with their stores during business trips with him through the Welsh valleys whilst I was on school holidays. My first Saturday job was with John Menzies whose profile was very similar to WHS but and I always felt was marginally inferior and a “copy”.

I fell out with them when they wouldn’t stock Private Eye for a few years (although as a subscriber, it affected them less than me). Now I am peeved that they have decided to limit the travel books they stock to those published by Penguin. Remember that W.H.Smith are the only bookseller in many travel locations like railway stations and airport terminals. Without doubt it’s good business for Penguin who publish a mere 18% of all travel books sold last year by WHS; but it effectively removes the remaining 82% as a choice for potential purchasers.

It’s not just me, Michael Palin is pretty cross too.

Lonely Planet are potentially one of the publishers who will suffer, and they are surprisingly measured in their response.

So take a look at Waterstones or Amazon or BookBrain when you’re doing your planning and exercise choice.

The Weekend Read – The Scientific Basis of Oral Health Education

product-j41Now in its sixth edition this slim volume by Ronnie Levine and Catherine Stillman-Lowe was released during the last couple of months.

Described as “an essential document for all those involved in providing oral health education to the public” I cannot praise it enough. During my visits to dental practices and conversations with teams I am surprised by how many old (and new) “wives tales” are taken as fact and passed on without question.

The contents of this book should be required knowledge to everyone who deals with dental patients in any role whatsoever, it is compact enough and its 12 chapters brief enough to make them the starting point for a string of topics during staff meetings. Let’s face it if you and your team aren’t familiar with the nuts and bolts of disease control and prevention how will you be able to be at one convincing your patients of the benefits of treatment?

It’s available online from the BDA shop www.bda.org/shop/index.aspx

Swine Flu Pandemic – The GDC issues guidelines

Lifted from Tony Kilcoyne‘s posting on GDPUK

“Information for registrants in the event of an influenza pandemic
This statement explains your responsibilities as a registered dental professional in the event of an influenza pandemic
Dental and other health services
The Departments of Health and local organisations which commission health services have made arrangements for the delivery of healthcare during a pandemic. For information about national guidance on service delivery and related topics please keep in touch with your local NHS authorities and check relevant websites
Department of Health, England www.dh.gov.uk
Department of Health, Scotland www.scotland.gov.uk
Department for Health and Social Services, Wales www.wales.gov.uk/
Department of Health and Personal Social Services Northern Ireland www.dhsspsni.gov.uk

Your professional responsibilities

You may be asked to provide treatment at specialist centres, to continue providing treatment to non-symptomatic patients in your practice and/or to take part in other forms of healthcare delivery. As a healthcare professional, you should act ethically in this difficult situation. GDC guidance emphasises your professional duty to put patients’ interests first, taking account of your health and safety commitments to your teams.
If you are asked to do something which is outside your normal area of practice, you need to be sure that you are competent to do it and check that you are covered by indemnity.

Your health
As health professionals you should not let your own state of health put patients at risk. If you become unwell you should follow appropriate advice including any local measures which may be in place.
Other sources of information

NHS Direct England 0845 4647 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
NHS 24 Scotland 08454 24 24 24 www.nhs24.com
NHS Direct Wales 0845 4647 www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
NHS Northern Ireland www.hscni.net
Health Protection Agency www.hpa.org.uk “

Social Media from Despair.com

Loved this from site.despair.com/socialmediatee/smjpg

Paddi Lund – “Transforming the Experience®”

paddi-lundTwo years after his last UK visit which many thought would be his last Paddi Lund will be back in UK & Ireland in October.

He’s doing a couple of gigs with Chris Barrow “Transforming The Experience” in Dublin on October 10th and in York on October 15th. To follow on he’s also presenting “Getting to “Yes”…in One Visit” on October 17th in Wakefield at The Academy of Clinical Excellence. This course is for previous attendees.

I spent a three-day weekend doing these courses last time around, was it worth it? Most definitely yes!! I’ll see you in Wakefield.

For booking details take a look here.