384- The Expert Blindspot That Cost Everything w/Bob Berbeco

Bob Berbeco is the Chief Information Officer at Mahaska Health, leading IT, data science, AI, cybersecurity, and informatics. He's been in healthcare technology for 27 years and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt.For most of that time, Bob operated the way many IT leaders do—shields up, knowledge expert, the guy who does all the talking.Then something shifted.When executives ask him something he doesn't know, the best answer isn't to fake it. It's four words: "I got the lead.""I may not have the answer. That's okay. I got the lead. I will run it to its endpoint, and I'll follow up to make sure it's done."That's all they need to know.In this episode, Bob breaks down his SBAR communication framework (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) that eliminates tech-speak. He shares how he presents 30-60-90 day roadmaps with SWOT analysis—then asks the question most IT leaders skip: "Is there a priority we should probably change?"We get into the label printer story. Nurses were hand-labeling surgical supplies. Printers across units were inconsistent with no standardization. One team member saw the problem, took ownership, talked to technical people, clinical people, providers, even people outside the organization—and got it done. Persistence won.Bob also unpacks why he hires for fire not credentials, how "what you permit, you promote" shapes culture, and why the beginner's mindset beats expertise every time.The biggest struggle for IT? Unlimited demand with limited resources. Bob's answer isn't to be the Department of No. It's to show executives what yes actually costs.