Open letter to Mr. Levy:
How is it that you have the time to blog while running a hospital? Have you run into any negative reactions from the faculty or others within the hospital? It would seem fairly high risk when attempting to gain and retain respect with employees, peers, and others who inevitably may be affected or left with an impression by your musings. As a member of senior management in an investment firm in the private sector, I can undoubtedly state that the reaction to my taking the time to be on the Internet each day would be perceived as unacceptable by my colleagues, my Board, and by shareholders. Indeed, I can't even risk writing my full name here. Sharing one's thoughts within one's own organization is vital and important, but opining in stream-of-consciousness fashion on all things publicly seems somewhat reckless and is easily (mis?)interpretable as narcissism. Have you encountered this opinion before from your colleagues or others and what has been your response/ explanation? It's fascinating to me that you would feel the compulsion to do it.
Kind regards,
Dave
Dear Dave,
Here are some specific answers to your questions.
How is it that you have the time to blog while running a hospital? If you note, most of my posts are filed early in the morning or late at night, when I am at home. The real question should be, "How is is that you have time to blog when you should be doing the laundry?"
Have you run into any negative reactions from the faculty or others within the hospital? Not once. Our place celebrates diversity of opinion.
It would seem fairly high risk when attempting to gain and retain respect with employees, peers, and others who inevitably may be affected or left with an impression by your musings. Musings!? These are rigorously supported conclusions, arrived at after years of scientific inquiry. After all, I work in an academic medical center, where everything I post has been subject to peer review.
I can't even risk writing my full name here. That may be the saddest thing you have written, saying much more about your life and place of employment than mine.
Sharing one's thoughts within one's own organization is vital and important, but opining in stream-of-consciousness fashion on all things publicly seems somewhat reckless and is easily (mis?)interpretable as narcissism. Blogs are inherently narcissistic. I admitted that from the start. As for "stream-of-consciousness", please read the posts more carefully. As for "reckless," you don't know me personally, but those who do know that I say the same kinds of things in person.
Have you encountered this opinion before from your colleagues or others and what has been your response/ explanation? This blog is subject to disdain by my colleagues in some other hospitals. Really. You can see it on their faces when the topic is raised in their presence. They are deeply offended by it and think it unacceptable for the CEO of a Harvard hospital. Of course, they have never said anything to me directly. Then, they would have to admit that they read it.
It's fascinating to me that you would feel the compulsion to do it. It is fun. Apparently, too, it is informative and interesting to others, and shouldn't it be part of my job to inform people about the many issues facing hospitals? Who else is better equipped to explain what we do, how we do it, what makes it hard, and what makes it rewarding? CEOs give interviews to reporters, who then filter the information and put it through the wringer of an editor who wasn't even at the interview. Is that a better way to tell the world what happens in a hospital? Similarly, when was the last time you actually read the letter from the CEO in a corporate annual report?
Dave, at latest count, there are 71 million blogs out there. At least a few are posted by CEOs of large organizations. The reason to write a blog is that you think you have something worthwhile to say. The market test is whether people read it.
If you go to the very bottom of this blog, you will see a number: That is the number of "unique visitors" who have chosen to drop by since I plugged into StatCounter in October. Also, click on "blogs that link here" to see who else refers people to this site. Both are not huge numbers by blogosphere standards, but, as you know, my readers are very high quality people.
Many thanks for taking the time to write,
Paul
