Transforming healthcare, a Complex Adaptive System (CAS), is a huge undertaking for sure. Yet, there are many healthcare professionals of all disciplines as well as patients and families who yearn for a system that is safer, kinder, equitable, affordable, accessible, and more compassionate.
One where the emphasis on care is care.
In order to go from where we are now to such ideals, we need a good enough vision of what we want healthcare to be and and to understand that the agents, (e.g. people or birds) of a Complex Adaptive System, (e.g. healthcare or a flock) operate by following a few ‘simple’ rules or properties. These include; self-organizing, the butterfly effect (aka non linearity), adaptability, diversity, emergent behavior, and flexibility. What do these properties have in common?
They are relational!
It stands to reason that the healthier the relationships are in a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) the healthier the outcomes of that system will be. (The links between properties and healthcare outcomes is discussed in this 2018 Healthecareers article.)
Now let’s delve into a little bit about what a vision might look like and how “YES AND” fits in.
Thinking about a Vision
One great Vision Statement comes from Dr. Athena Hall, MD who is also the founder of ZNA Health Network . She recently facilitated an event called “From Stories to Solutions” which I was happy to participate in! (You’ll also hear stories from Courtney Mansbridge RNBN, Althea Miller RN, BSN, OCN, Judy Berry, and Mike!) You can watch it on Youtube. Please share, comment, and like!).
Vision Statement
A human centered healthcare system that prioritizes connection, one that advocates for the people working within the system, as well as our communities that are trying to access care, and a system that looks at the whole person. -Athena Hall, MD for ZNA
What do you think about this statement? Is there anything you’d want to add or change? You can easily join us at ZNA and share your thoughts or feel free to comment in this blogpost.
The Role of “YES AND”
“YES AND” is an incredibly nuanced tool or philosophy that is at the core of Medical Improv, Applied Improv, and Improv Comedy! In a nutshell, is means that you agree to accept what one person offers (the “YES”) and build upon it with something of your own (the “AND”). There are hundreds of activities that can be facilitated based on this principle.
What I mean by being incredibly nuanced is that with the right combination of facilitation skills, improv experience, and expertise in organizational behavior you can use is it as a tool to promote all sorts of essential learning in fun, engaging ways! Here are a few glimpses of such possibilities:
Range of Relational Skill Development
All activities are interactive and include opportunities to develop emotional intelligence (e.g. self-awareness, confidence, and empathy), listening, assertiveness, team and leadership skills. These kinds of skills are fundamental for other important competencies such as navigating conflict, asking for help, and giving and receiving constructive feedback.
Different People Learn Different Skills in the Same Moment
One of my favorite things in teaching Medical Improv is watching how people learn from and teach each other. You can think of it as one person practicing listening is actually helping teach another to speak up. You can see how this plays out in a simple activity called, “Word at a Time” Story! Notice what’s going on as my friend, Liz Korabek-Emerson, MFA and I spontaneously tell a story about a wise woman and some eggs! Because each person is expected to add a word there is a subtle and consistent sharing of power that is often new to people. Some might be practicing letting go of power while others are stepping up and taking on more.
Yes And No
Many people think that “YES AND” teaches us only to agree on everything. They may even be resistant to Medical Improv because of this belief. Yet, it is far from true. The “And” actually promotes confidence and sharing of ideas that are fundamental to being able to delegate tasks, set limits or hold boundaries, share concerns or ideas, or even when necessary, say “No”!
You can read about “YES AND” as a powerful leadership and teaching tool, yet it is best understood by experiencing it. Please join Ellen Schur, DTM, CP and I for our 12th (I think) Free “YES AND” 101 for Health Care & Mental Health Care Visionaries on 9/12/25 from 1-2:30 pm EST. (Learn more and register here.)
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