The College of Medicine’s Culture Conversation is a series of video interviews, material and other items designed to help leaders, faculty, staff and students of the college build their professional toolbox and strengthen the college’s workplace and educational culture.
Each month, the Culture Conversation focuses on a new topic. In March, we look at the subject of “Blue Chips.”
Much of the time, we go through the day working on items that bring little value to the larger picture. These are the white chips, such as emails and “low hanging fruit,” tasks we do just to get them off our plates.
Blue chips are the things that, if given attention, will bring value in folds. These can be tangible projects or people. The “blue chips” are why we do what we do and where we need to focus our attention. Blue chips can be different from person to person or day to day.
So, we use this “blue chip” as a symbol of conversation to share with our team or even keep ourselves on track for what is important and needs our undivided attention. Yes, some emails are included, but not the dozens that we receive every day.
Using the phrase “This is a blue chip for me” is a way to say to each other, “I see this as valuable and need to be focused.” It is a way to delineate what needs attention at the moment and what can really wait.
The monthly Culture Conversation is part of Nebraska Medicine and the College of Medicine “Be Extraordinary Together” effort, an effort to further tie the organizational culture to our shared ITEACH values.
Here is information on “blue chips” and some conversation starters.