Innovation-Driven Bean Soup Dinners

Every once in a while, someone shares a story, and even when doing some research, there’s not enough readily available history to prove its authenticity. This is one of those examples, but the story was too good not to share…

The way the story was shared with me, in the early days of the Mayo Clinic, the staff doctors would share a Sunday night dinner of bean soup. The purpose, as shared, was for those doctors to compare notes, learn from one another, and innovate together as they built what has become one of the most revered hospitals on the planet.

Again, I have no idea if this story is true or if it’s simply the kind of folklore that grows over 100+ years. It could be either, but here’s what I know is true… Mayo Clinic developed and implemented the concept of integrated, multi-specialty group practice of medicine. Their doctors performed the first series of open-heart surgeries, and they introduced the first CT scanner in North America. They developed a system for grading cancer on a numerical basis, one that has been adopted worldwide.

They did something right. Did bean soup drive this?

It may have been. Even if it was not, the concept of these bean soup dinners is powerful. There’s something about breaking bread with one another. In the spirit of a true mastermind, the idea behind sitting together alongside one another to share ideas and experiences is what leads to growth. It’s a natural outcome of proximity.

When we’re intentional about connecting, sharing, and learning with each other, we grow. We get better. We change the trajectory of our businesses, leaders, and teams. We accelerate progress, avoid mistakes, and challenge one another to improve.

Call-to-Action
It’s time for us to share some bean soup with our teams, and with other leaders.