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This was a good beginning. All the outmoded rules of the hospital were broken. Minds which had been tied down by subservience to foreign experience were now set in motion. People began to speak, to think and to act boldly. A new world opened in front of them. They knew that what they were doing now was something unprecedented which doctors in capitalist countries had not been able to do. They were engaged in a battle to save lives and as the scope of the battle became wider an increasing number of people were drawn in. Later on when a difficulty occurred in the course of treatment they solicited the opinions of many doctors both within and without the hospital, depending on the wisdom of the many to tide over one crisis after another.

Ba Jin#21

HealthWorkCollaborationInnovationProgressRules

About this quote

What does it mean?
Breaking outmoded rules led to bold action and collective wisdom in the hospital.
In plain terms
New methods allowed the team to act boldly and solve problems.
What can you take from it?
Breaking outdated rules can enable innovation.

Where it applies

  • hospital management
  • problem solving
  • reform

Putting it to work

  • challenge norms
  • collaborate
  • trust collective wisdom

Questions to consider

  • When should you break the rules?
  • How does collaboration improve results?

Another view

Not all traditional rules are useless or outdated.

More from Ba Jin

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  3. When alone he secretly shook his head. But suddenly he recalled the analysis made by the Party secretary regarding 'two kinds of social system, two attitudes, …

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