Good Faith, the Growth Mindset, and the Obsolescence of Blame

Patient and Process Outcomes and Effective Actions

Good Faith and the Growth Mindset:

Assuming Progress, and The Obsolescence of Blame

We recognized that whatever we did to supply the Team with psychological security was repaid in their willingness to experiment and endeavor to improve. To supply the psychological security necessary to be comfortable questioning each other and being questioned, it must be assumed until proven otherwise that everyone wants the practice to succeed for both self-interested and other-interested reasons, that everyone wants to do their best, and that everyone will try take steps that are shown to them to improve. Managers and mentors will need to make an obvious and consistent commitment to this, and renew that commitment as often as necessary.    

In this way, the ongoing nature of the EA method is helpful. The regular check-ins create regular opportunities for the Team to hear that, as long as they proceed in good faith participating in the full-team effort to give the best experience to their patients, they will always get support when it’s asked for. The regular discussions with peers and mentors also helps everyone feel comfortable discussing conflict and constrictions more constructively.

The support of the ongoing EA method helps in another way, too. Blame is how upset people ask for help. In a practice culture where everything is subject to improvement, there are better and more dependable ways to get help, and there is less of a need for blaming.