Change is difficult and change efforts often fall short. Numerous statistics have underscored this in change management consulting for the past three decades.
The claim that 70% of change initiatives fail originates from the 1993 book “Reengineering the Corporation.” In many ways, this is a self-reinforcing statistic, but there is a reason most leaders believe that number despite no definitive studies behind it. We’ve all experienced change efforts that fell flat, from poor leadership support to employees not adopting new policies or procedures. Embracing change in healthcare isn’t easy. We cling to the status quo, but change is inevitable and necessary in order to best serve our patients.
When change is necessary and departments need to transition from one management group to another, for instance, effective transition management is key. It starts with a phased, tailored approach that fits your organization’s needs, ensuring a smooth process with minimal disruption to patient care.
When looking at clinician staffing changes, patient volume fluctuations, practice management changes or transition from an outsourced to an insourced model, we need to take a three-phased approach to create a successful strategy.
Step 1: Consulting and Onsite Evaluation—Starting with a thorough analysis of existing programs and operational efficiency is vital. Before implementing change, we must assess our current state and the risks involved. In clinician staffing, this means prioritizing patients while ensuring strong clinician support.
Step 2: Short-term Clinician Coverage—During change implementation, we need to ensure that the immediate needs of our patients are met and that we can deliver care without disruption. In some cases, this means maintaining current staffing levels through new hires or short-term use of contingent labor.
Step 3: Long-term Recruitment—The ultimate goal of change is long-term stability. Once operations are stabilized for the short-term, we can look ahead. A permanent recruitment strategy that addresses the need for flexibility and value while taking into account the unique situation of each organization will drive a sustainable future and successful change implementation.
These three steps lay the foundation for mastering change and transition management in healthcare. However, success depends on having an experienced, trusted partner to guide both strategy and implementation through each phase of the process. Need help implementing a change? Venn is here to help.