"Be Bold": CIO Daniel Barchi on How Moving Quickly Can Increase Control

Contrary to popular (and long-standing) belief, the cautious approach of taking time to evaluate and weigh options is not always the best approach. In this piece, CIO Daniel Barchi shares how he applied lessons learned in the Navy to a massive EMR implementation. We are accustomed to believe that going slowly is the cautious approach; and by taking time to evaluate and weigh options, we reduce risks. I do not think so. In my career, I have found that a willingness to take risks, to jump into the unknown, to accept responsibility without asking too many questions, and to move rapidly, dramatically augments the achievement of that goal. I learned this lesson first as a 23-year-old officer at the helm of a 600-ft-long US Navy guided missile cruiser. I was one of three officers on a 24-hour watch rotation responsible for “driving” the ship as we circumnavigated South America and then patrolled the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Bosnia.