By Justin Eberly, BS, EMT, EMS-I, CEDI
Kenneth Robinson, a globally recognized author and educationalist, claimed in his TED Talk, “How schools kill creativity” that American schools foster a culture of conformity, compliance, and standardization. Robinson states that children are naturally creatively gifted with abundant imaginations. Only after being consumed by the current system of education, originally developed to meet the needs of the industrial revolution, is this natural ability of creativity is hindered, he said.
Conformity, compliance, and standardization are familiar terms in emergency services. For example, NREMT certification examinations, state licensure requirements, local protocols, agency medical director directives, and standard operating guidelines. Are we killing creativity in service delivery and efficiency?
Generation Y flooding into the workforce
While these concepts may insinuate that creativity is lost, natural creativity is embraced by Generation-Y through social expression. With greater accessibility to tools employed to “create” in the collaborative sandbox, their internet usage is unlike any previous generation. As Generation-Y floods into the workforce, their creative thinking is antagonizing traditional instructional and management approaches.
The uncontested ability of Generation-Y’ers to create, digest, and share information has transformed classrooms and workplaces throughout the 21st Century world. Recently, I was discussing this with a near-retirement graduate-level professor that reflected on when he was recognized as a visionary for publishing homework assignments online. Now knowing that entire degree programs are now available completely online, he said that he was astonished by the power that technology can provide for users, in which Generation-Y’ers grow up embracing this power, building upon it.
“It’s the way we’ve always done it” is rarely acceptable to these youthful progressivists. Data has, and will continue to, assume a greater significance both clinically and managerially. Because innovation and creativity is held above conformity and compliance, accepting norms, not supported by data or evidence, is not the norm for Generation-Y.
If similar complacency occurred in the evolution of resuscitation, where would we be today? Recommending mouth-to-mouth without regard for pathogens? Defibrillation being excluded from the dictionary? Certainly not record-breaking resuscitation survival rates as high as 62 percent reported by King County, Wash. in 2013.
Ask ‘why’ many times to find root cause
Six Sigma is a set of techniques and tools for efficiency and process improvement used by many companies, especially those in the production industry. One of the techniques used in Six Sigma is the “Five Why’s” which was originated by Sakichi Toyoda and utilized by the Toyota Motor Corporation during the evolution of its manufacturing systems.
By repeatedly asking the question “Why” (five is a good rule of thumb), you can peel away the layers of symptoms which can lead to the root cause of a problem. Very often the ostensible reason for a problem will lead you to another question. Although this technique is called “Five-Why’s”, you may find that you will need to ask the question fewer or more times than five before you find the issue related to a problem.
The behavior of Generation-Y’ers, or “Generation-WHY’er?,” is simply mirroring the internationally recognized, well-vetted, and effective strategy for success from Six Sigma.
For example:
1. Why is an employee violating a policy?
…because the employee did not receive the policy manual
2. Why didn’t the employee receive the policy?
…because the employee could not access the computer system
3. Why couldn’t provider access the computer system?
…because the employee did not receive his/her login credentials
4. Why didn’t the employee receive his/her login credentials?
…because a supervisor did not provide login credentials
5. Why didn’t the supervisor give the employee login credentials?
…because the supervisor assumed that the human resource department distributed login credentials.
Keep asking “why?”
An American poet, Edward Hodnett said, “If you don’t ask the right questions, you don’t get the right answers … only the inquiring mind solves problems.” The foundation of problem solving in the future is inquisition, deconstructing complacency to assemble comprehensive solutions.
To leaders, consider utilizing the valuable potential Generation-WHY brings to the table. To Generation-WHY, keep asking.
About the author
Justin Eberly, BS, EMT, EMS-I, CEDI, is an educational technologist by passion and an IT professional by vocation. He is a volunteer assistant chief and training officer for a combination volunteer/career basic life support service in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. As a young EMS educator, he brings a multitude of valuable perspectives to foster an environment, conducive to learner engagement, through the utilization of technology in EMS Education.