Cardiologists who performed Coronary by-pass surgery were studied in hospitals across the US. The normal fatality rate is 3% and researchers wanted to find out if some doctors were safer than others.
It was found that it wasn’t so much the doctor as much as it was the doctor’s familiarity with the hospital. The more the doctor operated with a certain team and thus understood their strengths and weaknesses, the safer he became. And these abilities were not portable. The moment the doctor moved hospitals and teams, he became as un-safe as any other.
Wall street analysts also exhibited similar teething troubles. When top analysts were hired by new firms, it turned out to be a lose-lose if they didn’t bring their team with them – the firm never got the “star” they wanted while the analyst never ended up giving a star performance.
So, when we set out hiring stars, let’s keep an eye out for their team members. And, of course, when going for important surgeries, look for doctors who are familiar with the hospital’s set up.
Surgeons didn’t get better with practice. They only got better at the specific hospital where they practiced.
Image of a Coronary Bypass Surgery team – Source
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Source and thanks to: Give and Take by Adam Grant
A Learning a Day 
