when your best isn't good enough

In my last post, We Do Our Best,  I wrote about how we should remember that everyone is trying to do the best that they can .  To approach life in a positive cooperative way.  Sometimes, even when people are doing the best that they can, their efforts are destructive. 

A practical example of this comes from the early 1800s in the tragic story of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis.  Dr Semmelweis worked in the maternity clinic of the Vienna General Hospital where there was an extraordinary level of "child bed fever".  1 in 10 women giving birth in the clinic ended up not going home.  The folklore around this story has women giving birth in the street outside the hospital in preference to going inside.

This perplexing issue was of great concern to Semmelweis.  He worked hard to find the answer.  As Vienna General was a teaching hospital there were a large number of autopsies carried out.  In those days people were not aware of germs and how they were transmitted.  Germ theory was postulated by Louis Pasteur years after Semmelweis' death.  Despite this Semmelweis introduced the practice of hand washing with chlorinated lime solutions.  Remarkably, this produced a 10 fold decrease in the number of deaths in the maternity clinic. Clearly he was on to something. 

Not many people agreed with him at the time. How could the act of hand washing be the saviour of these women?  Semmelweis was ridiculed for his theory by the medical establishment of the day.  So much so that he was forced from his position at the hospital and ended up in a mental asylum where he died shortly after being immured.  Some say he was beaten to death by the guards.

In the immortal words of Phil Gould: "Wow". 

Here is someone who got it right but no one agreed with him.  He had done his best- but it wasn't good enough.  History shows us that Semmelweis was correct but the experts of the day couldn't see it.  People will believe what they want to believe, what they are conditioned to believe or what the majority of others believe.  It is their reality.  For centuries people believed that the Earth was flat.  Their belief didn't make it so.

The point here isn't about the cruelty or sadness of Semmelweis' life but the fact that he tried his best and it wasn't good enough.  He was a passionate and skilful obstetrician but a significant number of women died while under his care.  This is the crux of the discussion.  Despite his best efforts, the end results were unacceptable.  He knew this and strove to, and did, find the answer. 

In reflection on this we need to look to the results of our labour to show us if we are doing the right things.  It is not the inputs that count - it is the outputs.  If the results don't reflect the outcomes that we are looking for then, like Semmelweis, we need to examine what we are doing and adjust it until we get it right.  Even though he was ridiculed when he found the answer, Semmelweis continued the practice of hand washing which gave him the results he (and the women of Vienna - his clients) desired.

Are you getting the results that you want in your life?

Simient is a growing and vital company with a loyal client base. We work in industries that make a difference with clients who are passionate... we feel the same about the services we deliver. We are always looking for great consultants to join our team. Contact us at info@simient.com. Follow us on Twitter @Simient. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Simient/. Join our group on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Friends-Simient-1977403