Due diligence can mean difference between good plan, bad plan

Putting It In View By Dianna E. Graves, COMT, BS Ed

“A plan that can’t be changed is a bad plan.”

Herm Edwards was not only a coach in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, he also played professional football with the Philadelphia Eagles, LA Rams, and the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, he is a football analyst for ESPN.

He is also known for his “Herman-isms.” To say he is a passionate speaker, and vocalizer of his thoughts, is an understatement.

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I was listening to my favorite sports station the other day-while thinking of some of the conundrums I was having to figure out-when all of a sudden Herm shouted through the radio speaker with the above Herman-ism.

During the commercial break, my mind raced to a conversation I had with the chief of the clinic: How could we increase visual fields in our seven sites to decrease waiting times for patient appointments-without buying more visual field machines or increasing staff?

More from Dianna: (Eavesdropping at a major medical meeting)

Though his idea had merit, it wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it seem. It was going to involve flipping the diagnostic flow, as well as clinic flow, upside down to some degree. Each plan to make it work had merit, but definitely had pitfalls attached as well.

I have always lived by the motto: “If this, then that.”

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Some have said this method of planning is an easy way out if you don’t want to continue with the plan, or want an excuse not to do the plan. I side with Herm and say: Every plan needs an escape route so you can get out of a failed plan and ensure there is minimal damage. If you do not have this contingency plan, you will be roped into a failed endeavor that will sink all those around you.

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