In order to continually learn and improve, our Medical Solutions sales team started a reading group this year. We each picked a book to read and shared what we learned. With a little luck I landed on Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game. Even at the risk of the blog entry sounding like a book report, the implications from this book apply directly to healthcare staffing. Maybe they can help you see a bigger and clearer picture, as I now do.
In the book, Sinek provides examples of people who have decided to take on challenges with either an infinite or finite approach. With a finite approach, these individuals are constantly trying to win, beat their competitors, and ensure that at the end of the day they are on top. There is a scoreboard. There is a start and a finish. With an infinite approach, there is no end. The focus becomes securing the opportunity to continue because being able to continue is winning. There are no limits.
While reading this book, I couldn’t help but see the implications for the healthcare staffing industry. In such a competitive industry, companies too often focus on wins and losses – booked interviews and filled requisitions – and how their company can “take it to” their competition. Often with this finite mindset, the focus becomes more about internal gratification instead of how your effort can affect your client and their patients.
Now consider healthcare staffing from an infinite mindset. Instead of some arbitrary limit caused by focusing on our competitor, we can put the focus on the client and how to best support their healthcare staffing goals and the quality of their patient care. Adopting this mindset creates the true opportunity to “win” as you’re investing in others and creating continuous opportunity.
Successfully executing this approach will require you to remove a defined finish line. So it can take a little adjusting and significant amount of patience. Doing the right thing doesn’t always bring immediate gratification. But by approaching with with an infinite mindset, you’ll become valuable to your client, identifying ways to help them improve and better the services you provide.
Rory Audino
With more than 15 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry, Rory has quickly become an asset to the Medical Solutions Plus team. As the National Account Executive, he educates potential MSP Clients on Medical Solutions’ existing services, and provides customized staffing solutions to current MSP Clients. Rory earned his BS in Psychology from Creighton University.