One summer, my parents dragged me around the United States, tracing the wagon routes of the Oregon Trail and the Civil War. I was a teenager and did not appreciate confinement in a Ford Granada. 

We visited national parks, battlefields and lots of dry, dusty fields. I remember standing in five-foot-deep ruts in a national park and the park ranger speaking of the multitudes of wagons following the route we were standing upon. He said there are 2,000 miles of trail ruts and traces of travelers in six states. The people who journeyed forward sacrificed, struggled and ultimately found their way to new lands.

I, as a teenager, could only appreciate the lack of showers and bathrooms and thought it would be disgusting back then to travel this way. Yes, I was missing the point.

Years later, I spoke with a colleague about my challenges in making changes. I complained about how difficult it was and how we struggled with the path forward. She softly told me, “The deeper the wheel entrenches, the harder it is to move the wagon to another road.” 

I was immediately transported back in time, standing in wagon ruts I could barely see above. At the time, I wondered why they would move toward such uncertainty. I remember thinking that at least they had a known pathway forward.

Today, if I were to stand in the ruts, I might think, “Is there a different pathway that could yield higher success?” Or would I? The deeply worn route is the path of least resistance. It is the easiest route to take and a known trail that can be followed. It is not without the occasional deep hole with the feeling that you are reeling over, but it is the easiest route when moving a wagon forward.

Her words rang in my head as I drove home that evening. “The deeper the wheel entrenches, the harder it is to move the wagon to another road …” 

I was trying to move the metaphorical wagon onto a new pathway. Did others see the ruts as I did? By allowing them to stay in the ruts, was I taking the path of what I felt was the easiest and the most self-limiting? Were the ruts OK to stay in?

I knew that staying in the ruts was not OK, but how to move the metaphorical wagon out of them was perplexing me.

After conferring with various team members, we decided to have a “climb out of the ruts” meeting. We drew on a large piece of paper a wagon with deeply trenched pathways in front of the wagon. We asked individuals to identify the processes and systems they felt were ruts keeping us from achieving our goals.

The activity opened more dialogue than previous meetings had solicited. Team members were eager to share their ruts and what was keeping them from doing their best job possible. By the end of the day, we had a plan of action and named it Wagons Ho!

Ruts develop over time when the same actions are repeated repeatedly. They may be good ruts, but many times, they are not. What ruts do you need or want to climb out of to move your organization onto new horizons?

Martie L. Moore, MAOM, RN, CPHQ, is the President/CEO of M2WL Consulting. She has been an executive healthcare leader for more than 25 years. She has served on advisory boards for the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel, American Nurses Association, Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Central Florida College of Nursing and Sigma, International Honor Society for Nursing. She was honored by Saint Martin’s University with an honorary doctorate degree for her service and accomplishments in advancing healthcare.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

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