Head and neck cancer, the importance of big business thinking.
The side effects call for being quick to ‘read and act on signals of change’.
Housekeeping
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Analyse Anticipate and Adapt – The DNA of social activity after HNC treatment
Being adaptive means being quick to ‘read and act on signals of change’.
(Harvard Business Review 2011)
Healing after head and neck cancer treatment requires a mindset of big business.
Working out how to experiment frequently and economically with processes, strategies and products.
You need to display adaptive characteristics, be ready and willing to try, experiment and most importantly have a plan in place to succeed and be able to work out where you are (analyse). Work out where you want to be (anticipate) and have the strategies to implement based on changes (adapt).
It’s a BIG undertaking healing and eating following head and neck cancer treatment, and you need to tackle it with a mindset of BIG business.
And guess what, that never stops, you my friend have just become the CEO of the biggest business in the world - your life going forward!
Show up, every day and work at it like your very life depends on it, because it does.
GRIT: The Resilient Road to Recovery
Enduring the aftermath of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment demands a formidable trait—grit. Drawing from the Harvard Business Review's insight that being adaptive involves swift responses to signals of change, individuals navigating post-treatment challenges must embody resilience. Grit becomes the cornerstone, reflecting the tenacity required to weather the storms of recovery. Embracing a mindset akin to big business, one must be willing to experiment with processes, strategies, and products. The journey to healing necessitates a gritty determination to face uncertainties, try new approaches, and persist in the face of setbacks.
Setbacks will be plenty, and they keep coming, just when you think you have successfully navigated one thing another rises to challenge the day.
It is through this resilience that you can navigate the complexities of recovery with unwavering determination, and you MUST be determined. If I have learnt nothing else in this process you have to be determined, no matter what stage you are at. Every single day.
GAIN: Strategic Experimentation for Progress
In the realm of post-HNC treatment, the pursuit of healing adopts the strategic maneuvers characteristic of big business operations. To gain ground in the recovery process, it is imperative to adopt a mindset that values experimentation as a tool for progress. Much like a successful corporation that consistently experiments with processes, strategies, and products, individuals in this context must find ways to experiment frequently and economically.
By this I mean with food, eating out, navigating activities with others, how to exercise, what to do at work, when out shopping, travelling, weekends away, attending major family or otherwise events… you name it.
The food waste in the early part of my healing journey was incredible. I had to keep experimenting and what my head said I could likely manage my physical capabilities said otherwise. It became a repetitive learning process, the trick is to train your mind to stay experimental. Don’t cut yourself off from trying something just because you were advised not to. For the most part, any advice I was given I took it on board and then did what I felt was right for me.
It was scary, I had no idea what I was doing, how to use a Peg Tube, how to feed myself, how to transition back to oral eating, how to shop for food, what to shop for - the list was endless.
Seriously, don’t always follow text book advice, you follow for the betterment of your food life and life generally, as they say “you do you”, experiment and see what might be possible for you. Is it risky ? yes it can be, but you don’t gain anything worthwhile staying in your comfort zone. Now more than ever it’s imperative to get your game face on and do things and try things to push the limits of what you can do.
This strategic approach is not just about trying different paths but about gaining valuable insights through these experiments. Recognising that the road to recovery is multifaceted, a proactive pursuit of knowledge and tailored approaches is crucial for gaining ground and making meaningful progress.
Which brings me nicely to…
GRIN: Succeeding Through Analysis, Anticipation, and Adaptation