The Three A’s: Able - Affable - Available

Years ago, I was blessed to be around a great professional and even better human being.  At the time, Dr. Andrew C von Eschenbach was the Director of Urological Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center where I worked.  Andy went on to other senior roles and later headed the National Cancer Institute and FDA under President George W Bush.  Most important, he was a great friend and confident - someone you'd 'go to war with' and trust with your life - literally.

We were talking about how to evaluate physician capability and the qualities of the best.  The comment that stayed with me was (paraphrasing) ....the best surgeons are ones that are Able, Affable and Available.

I've since found articles in JAMA* debating that you needed more than the three A's to be a great surgeon - and another from 'The Nomadic Pediatrician' that added two more "A's" - Aggressiveness and Adaptability.  But, I've held onto those initial three criteria as I've thought about myself and my teams....and ways to improve.

By the way, you need all three.  For example, if you are Able and Affable but not Available, it doesn't matter much.  If you are Able and Available but not Affable.....well - think of a few, accomplished but difficult people, you've worked with.   You would have taken the Able if they weren't so Available!

Think about a person you work with - be they a colleague, direct report or a key advisor of yours.  Go ahead and visualize your own definition for each "A" in the absence of mine. 

Where can you and your team improve?  How can you use it to coach others?  What more would you ask of your advisor/consultant/outsourcing partner to be better?

Tell me what you think in a message......

Be your Best - Expect the Best

Henry

* JAMA - Journal of The American Medical Society