Tell HN: How doctors get up to speed and how to use it in your work
A few weeks back I had to go see many doctors with my kid with a semi-complicated cold diagnosis.
Basically:
• She started daycare and had 1 mild infection
• As soon as she got rid of that she got another one
• After that she had a problem walking (a common complication from the infection called coxitis)
• After that she got another infection (a strong one this time)
On top of that I had to get her blood and urine works multiple times and see different doctors every time.
What I found fascinating is how every doctor had the same way of getting up to speed.
Here’s how they do it and how I use it to solve work problems.
This is especially important for managers, because you often get contacted about problems without context.
All of the doctors (even though always in a hectic environment) followed this process:
1. Sat down and started asking questions from the beginning
2. All of them wrote the key points and timeline
3. All of them examined the kid for themselves after getting the anamnesis
4. Only after that thorough analysis they would give you the next step (whether it be more tests, or exams, and also what happens after that)
5. They established multiple checkpoints to check if things are getting better or if you need more attention
6. They’ve set up a clear exit point (how you know all is ok)
7. They’ve consulted with their higher up since it was a complicated diagnosis
In my line of work as an email marketing specialist in a big team, I often get to work on different tasks from the middle of it.
Lately, I’ve been using this approach and it’s been working great for me.
I feel less stressed
I feel motivated to make it happen
I jump into action quicker
Some pre-requisits that help me:
• Each task we have from our stakeholder is documented in a Asana like kanban board
• Each email goes through a QA checklist and multiple checkpoints (in order)
• All the colleagues are trained and understand the process
• Most of our stakeholders understand the process and adhere to it
I'd love more details if you use something similar or are an actual doctor.