About a week and a half ago, I got married. It was a beautiful ceremony held at the Jersey shore in the town where my husband grew up. So naturally, I’ve heard a lot during the past few months about what constitutes a successful marriage, and I’ve received a lot of advice (some helpful, some of the “don’t do it!” nature) about how to make it work.
The most common sentiment I heard is that a marriage is, above all, a partnership. The two people involved should be on the same page — at least when it comes to the really important issues. Most importantly, they need to be able to work through differences of opinion.
It reminded me quite a bit of a recent interview I had with two key players from Hackensack University Medical Center, CIO Lex Ferrauiola and CTO Ben Bordonaro. When I asked Ben whether he and Lex see eye-to-eye on most issues, he surprised me by saying that, in fact, they do not. However, they both strongly feel that their differences in philosophy make them stronger as a team. Ben went as far as to say that if they were always on the same track, they’d likely fail on a lot of projects. The key is they’re always willing to hash out their differences. In the five years in which they’ve worked together, Lex and Ben have mastered the art of sitting down and discussing their opposing views and coming up with a solution that’s best for the organization. (The full article will be published in the December issue of Healthcare Informatics).
In Lex and Ben’s case, two heads are better than one, even if they have different ways of thinking — or maybe, because they have different ways of thinking.
My husband and I certainly see many things differently. He’s detail-oriented, great with numbers, even better with budgets, and is a Jets fan. I’m more of a creative type who tends to see the “big picture” but also spends money like it’s on fire — and I love the Giants. But, as with the executives at Hackensack, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I definitely feel that our differences make us better as a team.
And while there’s no way of knowing for sure whether that will always be the case, I’m willing to take a Gamble. (By the way, my new husband’s name is Dan Gamble).
