{"id":169,"date":"2019-12-13T14:19:07","date_gmt":"2019-12-13T20:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/knowyouraudience.net\/?p=169"},"modified":"2019-12-13T15:51:18","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T21:51:18","slug":"it-happened-in-stockholm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/knowyouraudience.net\/?p=169","title":{"rendered":"It Happened in Stockholm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Seventeen executives from and near Stockholm were invited to participate in a strategic meeting to reshape healthcare in Sweden.\u00a0\u00a0 As the so-called wise man from the West, I was invited to facilitate the three-day session.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the meet and greet session, I was comforted that most spoke clear English.\u00a0 My Swedish is limited to \u201cHello\u201d and \u201cThank You.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had prepared a \u201cGang Busters\u201d PowerPoint presentation on\nthe history of healthcare in America. In the session, however, I quickly learned\nthat was of little interest to the audience. \nAfter five minutes all heads were buried, and my outstanding lecture ignored.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was missing something. \nI stopped, pulled the plug on the projector, sat down, waited for all\neyes to open and enjoyed about a minute of absolute silence.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spoke slowly.  \u201cWhat\nis going on here?  What do you really\nwant to get out of this session?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An executive from the ministry of health spoke.  \u201cWe don\u2019t really know how to answer the\nquestion.  We don\u2019t even know each\nother.  This is the first time for such a\nmeeting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had neglected to pay attention to the first rule of\ncommunication, namely, KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. \n\u201cThen let\u2019s introduce ourselves.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 45 minutes, we learned names, positions, reasons for\nbeing selected to participate, and their concerns about the future of\nhealthcare in Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group was paired up for another 20 minutes to deal with\nthe actual meaning of the word RESPECT, which is \u201clook again,\u201d or get beneath\nsurface words and feelings.  It\nworked.  The group was totally\nengaged.  At the end of this exercise, I\nasked for a volunteer to be interviewed in the presence of the entire group;\nfive hands went up.  All five were\ninterviewed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the participants, five were from the ministry of\nhealth, six were representatives of the 33 county councils in the country,\nthree were directors of nursing, and three were hospital administrators;\nseventeen healthcare professionals and no physicians or physician assistants.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of ideas were shared as to the Swedish healthcare crisis\nand what could be done to \u2018cure\u2019 the financial and social disease impacting\nhealthcare delivery and the recruitment of top candidates for medical and\nnursing schools.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On day three, the group decided to find national and local\npartners to sponsor and support a pilot project in one of the thirty-three\ncounties.  I was asked to facilitate the\npilot project and rejected the invitation immediately.  \u201cThis needs to be a totally Swedish led,\nsponsored and supported project.  You\nhave the talent in this room to facilitate the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s what happened. \nThe facilitator chosen was the person who initiated this meeting.  The pilot project was a national success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnings \u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n