Knowledge and Culture

This chapter presents the abstract philosophical principles behind the methods presented in prior chapters. The unique culture and philosophy of Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T) Corporation is studied and presented with applications to clinical medicine. The knowledge of the organization is increasingly recognized as the wealth of corporations and wealth of nations. With increasing complexity of products, knowledge and innovation are increasingly a collaborative effort. Organizations that are unable to collaborate and create fail to synergize their talents into creating great products or services. This chapter looks at the genesis of knowledge in organizations. Vision, mission, and values give birth to knowledge. Knowledge gives birth to processes. Knowledge development leads to development of an organization’s identity and development of core competencies. This leads to a culture of excellence. Teamwork synergizes individual talents into a great product or service which is beyond the capability of any one individual alone. These principles are presented for forming a basis for successful outcomes in medicine. Case examples of poor outcomes from lack of teamwork and of immense success from successful teamwork are presented. Teamwork should not be seen as intellectual or professional altruism, but as a force and knowledge multiplication method. Features which guide successful teamwork are presented. The career of a physician goes through many seasons of evolution and development for which ongoing training, leadership, and development of strong institutional culture and loyalties are essential. Management concepts of mentorship, ownership, and collaborative responsibility are presented.