The Electronic Health Records (EHR) course was often complained about. “Why do we have to take this class?” Because it is important to understand what the market needs as administrators, developers, care providers, insurers, and policymakers if we are going to be working with real problems that need solutions.
When I was in my teens, a manager once asked me while I was up on top of a ladder thinning apples, “Do you think you’re just here to make money?” I remember saying, “Well, ya!” While thinking to myself, “Duh!”
Years later I found myself working in an industry that I loved being a part of and that question haunted me. I began to realize what the intention of his question was.
In our roles for what we do for a living, too frequently the phrase is heard, “I just want…” I feel like responding that this isn’t about what they want. What we do for a living is all about what other people need. We are providing goods and services. If we do not understand what others need then I have to agree with Simon Sinek’s sentiment that we do not understand business. Do we understand who our customers are and what communities we are serving? Are we more concerned about what we think and what we want or do we understand what our customers need?