Adaptability

I have taken to mentioning at every turn that the willingness and ability to adapt to changing circumstances may pass raw intelligence as a survival and DNA-preserving strategy over the next 50 years.  That's not a clean split, as I have to think that there is some correlation, and it's not like raw candlepower is going to drop to tenth place or anything.  But being nimble, quick-on-one's-feet, willing to cut one's losses, and the implied humility of that will certainly rise in importance.

Just before the Battle of Britain, when there was very little good news in England, Winston Churchill, after a particularly demoralising briefing, is reported to have said "Gentlemen, I find it all rather inspiring." Yes that is the manic side of a bipolar drunk speaking, but it was the perfect word for the hour, eh?

Fun example from today.  I am covering for another social worker this week.  I thought it was going to be two others, but that changed at 8:15.  We met at 9, except we were delayed until 9:30 because we did not have a doctor.  I had bad sign-off notes.  When we all finally sat down at 10 we all tried to lean on the others who knew the patients better, because we all knew we ourselves were rather kiting the team-meeting experience today.

It turns out that none of us knew the patients (and some of us are dingbats, just sayin'). The covering psychiatrist had been notified of coverage at 7:55, on his way in; a rehab specialist who is per diem had never worked that unit but had good notes from the regular.  A nurse had covered over the weekend but had been out the previous two weeks.  I had covered on two of the patients on previous admissions in 2014.  And so forth.  It took almost half an hour for it to finally become clear that none of us knew anything.

And once we knew that, with 15 minutes left before the next team needed the room, we had wings. It is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. We all left with a full plate, but clarity.  I had twenty minutes left at the end of the day and did the bridge hand and chess problem in the newspaper with the others sitting around, chatting.

Tomorrow we catch up by noon and start reversing the things that others have done to make things worse over the last few weeks.