Five Tips for Success from Dr. Gregory House's Eccentric Practices

Dr. House is a fictional character from the television series, “House, M.D”, played by one of the most phenomenal actors, Hugh Laurie. I fell in love with this character and you will too if you are a fan of sarcasm. Before we talk about how his practices can benefit your business, let me explain his character.

Dr. House is a medical marvel who leads a team of diagnosticians at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (fictional) in New Jersey. Anti-social, witty, and a bank of sarcastic comments, House is loathed by almost the entire hospital for his inability to act with compassion. His character has a philosophy that very few appreciate. It may be difficult to see that such a character could have anything to teach that could augment your business, but he does. Let me spell it out for you!

Everybody lies.

This is the most commonly used phrase by Gregory House in the show. The eccentric character believes that everybody lies including his patients who are on the verge of death and swear that they are telling the truth. He never trusts his patients with even nugatory things such as the quality of food. Similarly, when you meet a salesperson who promises you to convert your users into buyers, don’t blindly trust them. Experiment by changing the targets to find out their potential. The same applies to product designers who promise to deliver a design in a super short amount of time, developers who claim to be great coders, and senior managers who promise to keep an open mind. Everybody lies. As a business owner you must seek the truth.

Exchange of ideas results in inspiration.

The most intriguing thing about House’s diagnostics technique was that he never came to a conclusion on his own. Differential diagnosis was the technique wherein his teammates would discuss possibilities. During these discussions he would get an idea that lead him to the root of the disease. You can apply this technique to achieve relevant solutions for your business problems. Do not let advisors advise you. You will have “n” number of ideas from “n” number of advisors. If you want results, let them discuss their views in front of you. Let them debate with each other and strive to prove their points. You will find the best solution from such a discussion.

Introspect to perceive your company’s strong suit.

House took only unusual cases which had the probability of satisfying his puzzle-solving instincts. These were cases which nobody else could correctly diagnose. Such medical puzzles were solved by House and this became the hospital’s forte. A company without any unique service or product cannot survive the tight competition in the market and will always remain mediocre in sales and profit.

One of my friend’s Inc Verified content marketing company, Write Right, is reputable only because the founder Bhavik Sarkhedi, an author of “The Weak Point Dealer”, believes in giving clients the one thing that other firms can’t which is his personal final touch.  You must have something that your adversaries do not offer or are not skilled at to boost your organization’s business.

Taking risks brings you one step closer to your goal.

This might seem risky, but Greg House often treated patients without testing. Time being the most crucial factor in diagnostically impossible cases, House found tests to be useless. There are a number of instances when he risked his career to execute what he thought was right to save a patient’s life. In business we cannot usually go to this extinct, but taking too long to make a critical decision can harm your business. Take risks and learn from your mistakes, because fear of failure can make your business stagnant.

Bust your stress to release your creativity.

When nothing seemed to fit and nothing had worked, House preferred to sit alone, stare at the wall, play with his cane, and use his “ball” to play and think. Stress is an issue for every business owner but it can be turned around. Engage your mind in an activity that you love and ditch the pressure. Stress-busting has often led business tycoons to come up with novel approaches for their issues.

These examples of House’s practices can change your business. Integrate them and enjoy the benefit to your business.

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