# Did we survive the last Braver Talk?
Canonical source: [https://www.braver.net/en/blog/did-we-survive-the-last-braver-talk/]()
The Braver journal
This past Monday was the second edition of our Braver Talks. Naturally, we'd like to talk to you about it, but in what way? Well, we have roughly two options, either to present this evening to you through our glasses and our emotions, or to present the facts to you in an analytical way. For our first comeback, we'll take you through our experience of this event. We will then present the analytical version (in which Mathieu will be more involved! 🤓) in a few days.
![Marie-Lou Gagnon]()
Marie-Lou Gagnon November 9, 2019
![Did we survive the last Braver Talk?]()
So, let's first go back in time; it's September, we feel brave and we are not afraid of failure. We write to Pierre Lavoie and invite him to be a speaker at Braver Talk. To our surprise, he responds to the invitation, chats with us for more than an hour and decides to jump right into the evening. Our first emotion is intense excitement. The second emotion, following very closely behind, is fear.
Then comes October, a month of preparation, marked by a mixture of flickering excitement and controlled nervousness. These collaborative development evenings are very meaningful to us and we work very hard to make them worthwhile for the people who participate in them. They are, in some ways, a form of embodiment of the virtual community that we are trying to connect. And so their full realization is not only very encouraging, but also a sort of confirmation that Braver has its place in the health ecosystem.
So here comes the big day when I leave the office with anxiety (again) and naively head out on the Champlain Parkway. I have a feeling of "we're good at getting ourselves into uncomfortable situations". At moments like that, it's as if I'm looking down on myself and I think it's funny to have such ideas of grandeur. It's a bit the same thing as when you go on a trip to the other side of the world: a month before, you're really excited, until the moment comes when you have to spend 24 hours on a plane. At that point, I always wonder why I didn't instead decide to relax at home.
So, I'm on the Champlain Parkway on my way to Braver Talk, and it's like I'm going to the other side of the world. I enter the room (that is, the plane that will carry me all evening and from which I won't be able to escape if something bad happens) and there I have a little bit of confidence in seeing the atmosphere of the place and the quality of the buffet we've chosen.
First notch of stress going down.
Then, the first professionals arrive. When I see them arriving in the room to take part in Braver Talk, it's as if they enter with a halo of light around them, accompanied by a music of victory full of hope. They enter one after the other and the sight of each one literally fills me with joy. They were all exhausted from their trips, but they are there (thank God): they are fulfilling their commitment to participate in an evening of co-creation. They all want to brainstorm together: how can we improve our healthcare system? Wow! I can' t tell you how grateful I am for this dedication. Because, in my opinion, time is the most precious resource that someone can offer us.
The second notch of stress going down.
Then we move on to the co-creation workshops that take place in the form of a series of round table discussions. Professionals are asked to put themselves in the shoes of a patient, then a healthcare professional and finally a decision maker in the healthcare system. For each of these stakeholders, they are asked to think about what they would gain from having a network of connected health professionals, such as Braver. The points that emerge are valuable, and hearing them from people other than ourselves is really exhilarating (I'm hardly exaggerating);
- consistency of care
- efficiency
- patient-focused service
- greater reliance
- better care
- enhanced guidance
These ideas make sweet music to our ears.
The workshop then continues with a reflection on the overall impact of such a network on our health system. And once again, the topics discussed are really interesting. What's great about the answers provided by health professionals is that the words used are different from ours. The ideas sometimes lead elsewhere. The links made are at other levels. This divergence leads us to deepen our understanding of the field. I had already heard that innovation is a kind a waltz of ideas from divergence to convergence. And the health professionals on Braver Talk are directly contributing to keeping that divergence in our path. This step aside forces us to change our glasses and greatly enriches Braver.
Next up is Pierre Lavoie. A good stress check that's on the rise.
I obviously want him to enjoy his time with us and make sure everything runs smoothly. But then again, like any good event, there must be something that comes unexpected. Ours is that the room's sound system is seemingly nonexistent. So, Mathieu leaves, at top speed, to look for speakers he thinks he's already spotted in our attic (!).
One more check mark on the stress meter.
I try to relax with my glass of wine, but it's only an illusion. My smile is like that of the stewardess who continues to serve coffee despite the huge turbulence that propels the passengers to the ceiling (this time I'm exaggerating a bit). The man of the moment, Mathieu, returns almost unnoticed and we finally get to Pierre's speech!
Pierre's message is powerful; we must change the culture of our schools regarding sport, we must take responsibility as individuals and as health professionals regarding health prevention. Pierre is a true fighter and he carries his message with heart and conviction. He succeeds in instilling profound ideas in us. He inspires me to take the idea further and to rally to his cause. We end the evening on this "high" of ideas. On the hope that things can and must change.
Did the stress level go down after the evening? I'll let you guess and we'll talk about it in person one of these days! 😉