In today’s newsletter, I’m sharing:
✓ How slowing down saved us weeks of rework (with the exact framework we used)
✓ The liberating art of the quick “no” (featuring wisdom from Dr. Dan Mullarkey – Medical Director at Skin Analytics)
✓ Why uncertainty might be your secret weapon (new podcast episode)
No fluff. Just real experiences and practical tools from the trenches of healthcare leadership.
The Case for Slowing Down When Everything Feels Urgent
At THC Primary Care, we are currently going through the accreditation process for one of our courses, and this week, my EA, Valentina and I got the feedback from our first submission… and there was a lot of it, which felt pretty overwhelming to be honest.
So… this was our approach:
🛑 Step 1: We slowed down
In the past, this kind of thing would have stressed us both out, and we’d have been scrambling to get through it all as quickly as possible. But we’ve got better at this stuff.
Valentina read the email four times. I actually printed the whole thing off, removed any distractions and went through it point by point.
✂️ Step 2: We divided up the tasks
After we’d both had a proper look, we worked out what Valentina could tackle and what was for me. I thought I’d be able to get through one of my tasks in about 2.5 hours.
😫I was mistaken!!!
🔄 Step 3: Revert back to step 1 again and slow down
As time went on, I’m getting overwhelmed, I’m rushing, and I just want to get through it, unintentionally cutting corners, as I hadn’t planned on this landing on my desk that morning.
After a few deep breaths, I thought, if I carry on like this, we might solve one bit of feedback, but we’re potentially going to create more feedback and work for ourselves because I’m trying to rush.
🔎 Step 4: Get clear
So I went back and really looked at what the feedback was actually saying and how I could understand what they were asking us.
🗓️Step 5: Plan properly with realistic timelines
Having spent quite a lot of time on this task and trying to tackle it, Valentina and I got together in our weekly planning meeting, and we talked it through.
Looking at my diary, I realised – we’ve got loads going on (which I’m really pleased about), but I don’t have massive blocks of time to give this the attention it needs.
So we agreed on a deadline – three weeks from now for me to get the information over to her. We’ve got the stuff we need; it’s just about getting it organised.
I was also really clear with Valentina not to start her tasks until I have finished mine, to prevent her from working on the wrong version.
What I learned
Haste doesn’t always make waste.
That 2.5 hours, which I initially thought was a waste of time, was actually super valuable. Now I know what’s required, how much time I need to allocate to it, what framework I need to build. And I can prevent Valentina from potentially doing loads more work than she needs to. It was actually time well spent 😀.
It’s ok to just say no!
Dr. Dan Mullarkey, the Medical Director at Skin Analytics, stopped by the Business of Healthcare podcast the other day.
While the full episode won’t be released for a while, I wanted to share this quick excerpt because it really struck a chord with me.
Dan shared something so simple yet profound about dealing with the endless stream of vendor pitches and innovation proposals in healthcare. He said “quick no’s are underused” and honestly? He’s right.
Why does saying no feel so hard? It really doesn’t need to be.
Dan put it perfectly – when something isn’t the right fit, just give a quick no. Let people move on. Time is precious for everyone involved. He even joked about how he’d handle it: “Just a quick no, so that we can… okay, fine, I will go elsewhere.”
Sometimes a no isn’t the start of a conversation – it’s the end of one. And that’s completely fine. No is a complete sentence.
For those of us drowning in pitches and proposals, Dan’s advice is liberating. And for innovators? A fast no means you can quickly redirect your energy to opportunities that actually have potential.
Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is be direct. Save everyone’s time. Say no quickly when you mean no.Play
But feedback is always nice. So I might add:
- “Thanks so much for thinking of me, but now isn’t the right time.”
- “Thanks for getting in touch. This isn’t something I’d be interested in.”
- “Thanks so much. This isn’t something we’ve got the capacity to deliver on at the moment.
Latest Podcast Episode: Managing Uncertainty
We have been receiving such lovely feedback on our most recent solo episode, where Im talking about managing uncertainty
This isn’t me preaching from a mountaintop. After 10 years in business, I still have wobbles. I still call friends asking “what am I doing?” But I’ve learned some tools and strategies that help me move through those moments.
The Business of Healthcare Podcast
If you’re feeling the pressure of constant change, wondering about your future in healthcare, or just need a reminder of your own expertise and value, this episode is for you.
Listen to the episode here:https://bit.ly/THCNavigatingUnvertainty
