This is why you would not hire yourself in 5 years
Technological progress is happening. And it is happening fast. Today’s opportunities and choices were not even imaginable a few years ago. This development is in such a state of flux that science fiction writers can predict the future just as well (if not better) than scientists can.
Our healthcare systems and companies were built in a world where it was both possible and preferable to define clear expectations and build complex and robust systems addressing everyone. Standardization and reliability were key concepts. This process enabled and promoted the creation of large organizations and systems with safe and solid processes based on efficiency, safety and reliability. Healthcare has always been about getting things reliably right and consistently delivered according to standards and requirements.
But how are these systems, organizations and individuals matched with technological progress that is always in a state of flux?
It is like catching up with a movie by visualizing a handful of snapshots and analyzing them for 30 minutes each. Steady state perfection coping with endless fast-paced evolution. It is paramount for healthcare to always keep patient safety as a first priority. How do we do that in a world where each individual has the freedom of interacting with endless possibilities on a daily basis?
Healthcare is built around the constant strive for perfect and fully comprehensive information and systems. The challenge with that is that too little focus has been put onto timeliness and accuracy. A perfect system built on yesterday’s knowledge of patient experience, expectations, and technological capabilities is pointless. Today is different from yesterday. And change is happening on a shortening scale.
Our picture of what healthcare and clinical trials look like today is not valid or relevant in a few years. All the information and knowledge built today to take a decision needs to be used within a few months to be relevant. Bill Gates used to say that Microsoft is always 18 months from failure. That applies also to ourselves and our knowledge. We need to constantly build, test, evaluate and learn to remain relevant. Constant evolution is the new normal. You, as of today, will not be relevant for your job in just a few years.
And that’s exciting!
These new challenges together with the deep purpose of healthcare are attracting unprecedented talent and pushing ourselves to become the best we can be. Success will come from exploring the unknown, securing patient’s safety and getting it roughly right on the rest. Striking the right balance will require unprecedented collaborations and efforts. Talents from different fields and areas joining to create a better future for mankind. More progress will be done in the next few years than in the last 100 years.
What is your take on this? Have you experienced it in your daily work? I would love to discuss it with you in the comments.