Back by popular demand, a layperson’s top 6 New Year’s resolutions for physicians for 2024.

Remember when Fleetwood Mac sang, “Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, don't stop, it'll soon be here”? Well, that day is here and AI is a big part of it. What’s more, it’s not going anywhere and it’s only going to get better. While you might approach it from a place of fear, there are a ton of opportunities too.

The pressure for employers to have a good reputation continues to mount – in good times and in bad. It’s no longer enough for employers to keep their employees happy while they work there; they must also keep them happy on their way out too. Fired or laid-off employees can take to social media to spill the tea. Managing legal and reputation risks must go hand-in-hand.

John Dalton - the character played by Patrick Swayze in Road House - unknowingly provided some guidance on how companies can treat their employees during the layoff process. The famous cooler had a simple ethos that can easily be implemented outside the Double Deuce.

As a new year begins, we’re filled with renewal, optimism and hope. But those things seem in short-supply in healthcare these days. Patients are feeling the frustration and hope things get better. To that end, here’s a layperson’s list of New Year’s Resolutions for physicians.

Many pediatricians and governments says family doctors should handle primary care for kids. How is that possible if there aren’t enough family doctors? Who will care for kids and ensure they get the care they need?

What exactly is AgTech? What can it do? Who will it actually help? Will it change the culture of farming? Is it investable? In this series, we dive into these subjects to help make them easy to understand.

Burnout among physicians and other healthcare workers is, by many accounts, at an all-time high and only expected to get worse. The National Physician Survey from 2021 showed levels of burnout never seen before. In fact, physician wellness is at such dire levels that research now suggests suicide has become an occupational hazard. What can we do to solve this problem? How can physicians themselves help change the culture of medicine?

Branding is all the rage these days – and justifiably so. Proper branding can set a company on a path toward an effective and desirable reputation with key stakeholders. So why do so many companies get it wrong?

The Edelman Trust Barometer of Canadians for 2022 was just released. Companies, governments, NGOs, media and other institutions should take note of some interesting changes and trends. Do people trust social media? What about traditional media? Do Canadians trust their CEO or their politicians?

A media investigation revealed that Instacart was allegedly using 'hidden markups' on groceries purchased by customers. In its defence, Instacart basically referred people to the fine print in their terms and conditions, saying it was all there. Many websites and apps impose terms and conditions on users that are often long and filled with legalese. There is an art to doing it right in an audience-friendly way, and not all lawyers are artists! Be honest, do you scroll through them all, ponder what each means and then only click submit once you’re in full agreement?

The CRTC now requires cell phone companies to use new technology to block all those annoying fake calls from scammers. Let’s break it down so we understand what it all means. How are they doing to do this? What’s the point? How’s it all going to work (or not work)? Will this cost you more? And what does this have to do with James Bond? And who even makes phone calls anymore?

What is a non-compete? What does this new legislation do? What’s so bad about a non-compete agreement anyway? Was all this necessary? What happens outside Ontario? What else can employers do now?

What exactly does ‘disconnecting’ mean? Can an employee be completely off the grid until work begins the next day? How about over the weekend? Are some types of workers exempt? What are the repercussions to employers who disregard the right to disconnect? What about employees who have a company-owned phone?

Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood atop the medal podium while their own national anthem played, bowed their head and each put one black-gloved fist in the air. It was a profound and infamous moment from the 1968 Summer Olympics. The IOC promptly expelled them from the Games for what they deemed “a deliberate and violent breach of the fundamental principles of the Olympic spirit.” 53 years later, not much has changed in the Olympic Spirit.

I spend a lot of time preparing witnesses before I start a trial or arbitration hearing. So much turns on their testimony that I want it to be presented in a best possible way – truthful, accurate and authentic. Litigation lawyers know very well how to prepare a witness to achieve these goals, while also reducing the anxiety that goes along with testifying in court.

Even though Canadian bishops have apologized, as have Pope Benedict XVI, the Oblates, the Jesuits, Archbishop Miller, why hasn’t Pope Francis apologized after the gruesome discovery at Kamloops? Why is it so difficult to extract these meaningful words?

When we see a forest, we see the beautiful trees, animals and environmental wonder. When a firefighter sees a forest, she sees the possibility of a forest fire.

We see wonder, the firefighter sees risk. But we don’t allow firefighters to go around mowing down forests in order to eliminate that risk.

So why in a business setting do we allow lawyers to pursue a no-risk scenario? Why do we allow them to metaphorically mow down forests?

It’s been about a decade that medical associations around the world have been beating the drum of physician wellness. For good reason. Statistics and studies from the Canadian Medical Association and others show that physicians have higher rates of suicide, suicidal ideation, depression and other mental health conditions than the general population.

Quality of life, well-being and personal satisfaction are new metrics that organizations should consider, not just because they drive an organization’s ultimate success – financial and otherwise – but because they contribute to the world around them. They solidify an organization’s place in the culture in which it operates and expand its social license. It’s beyond corporate social responsibility. It’s about having a meaningful relationship with those that contribute to your success and your future. It helps creates a community that can contribute to an organization’s ongoing success.