PacifiCare Executive Receives 2003 Innovators Award

Ho gives straightforward, common sense advice for other executives at large organizations who want to be innovators.

One of his principles is that innovators should understand poet William Blakes statement that "Execution is the chariot of genius."

"Its not good enough just to have good ideas," Ho says.

A second principle is that, when an organization is trying to weigh the interests of different constituencies, in most cases it should do what it believes to be in the best interest of the consumer.

A third principle is that innovators must recognize the importance of reaching out to others.

Ho has only a handful of people working directly on his projects at any given time, but he enlisted many other people at PacifiCare to help, and the company has organized focus groups that involved hundreds of employers, consumers, benefits brokers and benefits consultants to discuss programs such as the QUALITY INDEX profiles.

But Ho also warns against "analysis paralysis" and letting the perfect get away with killing the good.

At some point, an organization should simply launch a program and remember it can come back later to address any problems that crop up, Ho says.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Life & Health/Financial Services Edition, November 26, 2003. Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.