Everybody, Somebody, Anybody & Nobody

In healthcare, where I work, we revere IHI – The Institute for Healthcare Improvement. My boss sent me this slide from an IHI webinar she attended today:

Reliability Occurs by Design Not by Accident

This is a story about 4 people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.  Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.  It ends up that Everybody blames Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

This is so true. It can be true at work but it’s SO true of what’s been happening with me over the last few weeks. The everybody, somebody, anybody and nobody within me are all slackin’. They know what needs to be done. They all know what it feels like to do it right. They’ve got their fingers pointed every which direction – who can we blame for this? Whose fault is it that we’re backsliding? Can we pinpoint exactly when this started? It probably has nothing to do with ME – it’s everything else – co-workers, family, bills…the endless to-do list.

The bottom line is, just like it is with bosses, who cares? What bosses want to hear is: I apologize. I take accountability for what happened but it’s fixed and it won’t happen again. Period. The less explanation the better; the less headache for them.

I’ve tried a course correction for the slacking issue – and written about it a few times. It hasn’t stuck. I really need it to stick. It’s time for a concrete plan of action. It’s time to quit making excuses and decide to stick to the plan I’ve set before me – to let them work for me instead of pushing them away.

In order to get it right, I have to start small – sleep well, plan exercise, plan food, and write everything down. I need to rest if it’s required. Stop, take note and breathe, when I get overwhelmed. And focus on putting me first. I’ve done this poorly for a lot of years. It’s going to take a little time to get it right. I live in the confidence that I will get it right – so will everybody, somebody, anybody and nobody. 

A gift from my friend Sheri, on my bathroom sink to look at daily...