Are your preconceived notions getting in the way?
From the Career Opportunities Archives…
As I was sitting by my father’s hospital bed earlier this month, I received a direct lesson on the the problems that can be caused by preconceived notions in almost any situation. Sure, we rely on preconceptions to help make it though our day without being crushed by all the information we face, but when we let our preconceptions take the place of active thought, we can do a disservice to ourselves and everyone around us.
The first day I was in the hospital, one of the nurse’s asked a very telling question that shocked me into action. She asked how long my father had been in a wheelchair prior to his surgery. The fact is, he had been up and walking and even working on his small business of small engine repair before he was admitted. I realized immediately that this nurse, not knowing his pre-history was treating him as if he had been an invalid for years. They weren’t pushing him as hard to do things for himself, assuming that he had been incapable of those things before he ever arrived at the hospital.
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