Lean in Alaska

I had to think about what phrase to use in the title of this post-do we acquire enemies or detractors. Some people really do dislike us as we disrupt their world with our movements forward. I wrote in the past about the wholesale resignation by our medical staff when they objected to change. Today, our health care delivery system is wonderful and efficient.

I have not written before about the anonymous messages I received when I started to change another department.

A few years ago, I received a photocopy of a “Sally Forth” cartoon. Sally’s boss, Ralph, was, as stated in Wikipedia, “a caricature of incompetent and self-centered business leadership.” Ralph was eventually fired and ended up working in a fast food restaurant. In the photocopy, I was Ralph, and Sally was held up as the type of boss I should be.

After the comic strip, I received a box without a return address. In it was a Fred Flintstone doll together with a Betty Boop doll. I was clearly the Neanderthal Fred, and one of my female Executives, both wonderful bosses, was supposed to be Betty. Why I don’t know. Maybe she was supposed to be the blind follower of the incompetent neanderthal Fred (me).

Finally, a written multi page criticism of me was faxed from a fax machine in one of our villages to me and our board members. I was accused of destroying this department through my meddling and interference.

Today, the department I was working to transform consists of all new staff who have become a model for delivering caring and compassionate services–wonderful professionals working together for the benefit of Chugachmiut customers. I can’t claim that the harassment didn’t bother me. It did. And it had an impact on some of our board and staff. But the change was necessary, and extremely beneficial.