In the past few hours, there has been much talk about Ben Stiller's funny bit at the Oscars, including an analysis of how it is a good material to learn about messaging and using emotions. As he prepared to present the Oscar for Best Production Design, the elaborate stage he stood on malfunctioned—an intentional part of the comedic skit. As Stiller wryly put it, “Production designers bring the visual world of a screenplay to life. It is a field where the slightest miscalculation could lose the trust of the audience and humiliate the performers on screen.”
Behind every film that we see on the screens is an army of diverse talents doing their dedicated part seamlessly in a massive machinery. Beyond the commonly recognized cast and crew, there are the scriptwriters crafting compelling narratives, visual effects artists bringing magic to life, stunt coordinators ensuring safety during action sequences, and legal teams that ensure the Deadpool production does not get sued by N'SYNC for this brilliant opening scene. The sum is greater than all the parts combined.
Similarly in healthcare, patients and the public typically see only the clinical team: physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals, along with a few visible administrative and support staff. Much like the behind-the-scenes professionals in film, it takes many unsung contributors to make sure things run smoothly. Yet it takes a falling ceiling panel, a flickering light, a broken operating table, or a malfunctioning ultrasound machine to lose the trust of patients and humiliate even the most competent clinician.
Such moments of failure should be rare, provided we are all doing our jobs effectively. But when they do arise, we face a choice. We can choose to react in ways that undermine our fellow colleagues, through shouting or thinly veiled sarcasm, perhaps faulting others as a means to bond with patients over shared frustration. Alternatively, we can maintain our composure, keeping an air of professionalism that assures patients their care remains the top priority despite setbacks.
This latter approach mirrors the principles of Safety-II, a framework that emphasizes human adaptability and resilience over the traditional focus on error prevention. In a complex, ever-changing system like healthcare, success often depends on people’s ability to adjust and respond to real-world conditions. Rather than solely focusing on who failed, Safety-II highlights how professionals use judgment, experience, and collaboration to fill in the gaps when standard procedures falter. Machines, systems, and protocols are fallible, but people, with our flexibility, creativity, and quick thinking, often act as the system's most reliable safeguard.
So to our patient-facing colleagues: when a fumble, a botch, or a miscalculation occurs, don’t lose your cool and resort to aggression like Jeremy Clarkson. Go ahead and save the day by first being still like water: calm, composed, and adaptable. Be like Ben (Stiller), who turned the moment into an opportunity for grace and maybe a little humor, even if it's just for show.
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