Many people that watched the trial of Dr Conrad Murray who has now been sentenced to four years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson would have been appalled by the truly inadequate care that he meted out for the frail singer. There were times that I felt a twinge of sympathy for the defence lawyers who were trying to defend the indefensible. However, although it’s easy to be highly critical of Murray and think that in similar circumstances you would never act as he did (which I’m sure is true) there are some useful lessons to be learnt or to be reminded of.

Don’t be dazzled by big prizes

Who doesn’t want a larger salary or some of the perks that can be obtained from particular jobs? There’s nothing wrong in taking a job that offers you a lot, as long as you don’t get dazzled by the money or the perks alone. Make sure that you share the organisation vision and core values. Dr Murray was caught up in glamour of being with the singing superstar and clearly forgot he was supposed to be a doctor.

Keep your professional knowledge up to date

Whatever your field is – make sure that you keep your professional knowledge up to date, whether through reading, training ,attending conferences, researching and other professional development activities. It was quite clear that Dr Murray hadn’t.

Be truthful to yourself

Be aware of your strengths and your limitations. It’s okay to be confident in your own abilities and long as that confidence isn’t misplaced. Although Dr Murray never spoke at the trial it was clear from the police recordings and the way he subsequently acted when he found Michael Jackson had gone into respiratory arrest that he had an inflated view of his own skill and abilities.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressurised into something you know is wrong

In Conrad Murray’s trial the defence argued that the doctor had been unable to resist Michael Jackson’s please for drugs to help him sleep. Whether he really did or not no one will ever know, but the fact is that as a doctor he knew what he was doing was wrong. Sometimes in a work situation you may find yourself in a position where you’re being pressured into doing something that you know is wrong. Try to resist that pressure.

Stay focussed

It’s very easy when you have multiple things that require your attention to get distracted. However, few people are adept at multitasking and it’s important to minimise interruptions and distractions and stay focussed. In Dr Murray’s case being constantly distracted by his mobile phone cost Michael Jackson his life. You may never be faced with such an extreme situation, but it’s still a useful reminder of the important of remaining in the moment.

Take responsibility

Nobody likes admitting that they got something wrong, but there’s nothing worse than trying to shift the blame onto someone else. It was quite clear from the television interview that was screened with Conrad Murray after the trial that he had no sense of personal responsibility. If you get it wrong be big enough to say so.

Summary

These are some of the key lessons that can be learnt from the tragedy of Michael Jackson’s death and the incompetence and negligence of Dr Conrad Murray. They can act as useful reminders of things to do or not do if faced with similar dilemmas in an entirely different context. Ultimately it is a tragic tale of a singing superstar who deserved so much better.