Business Change Management

“Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.”—Thomas Edison

Much of the first 15 years of my career was spent implementing brand new initiatives and cleaning up existing operations. Whether it was improving a department’s effectiveness, implementing new software or combining departments following a merger or purchase, I wanted to lead the process, or at least play a significant part. In other words, I am a self-proclaimed change agent, easily bored by doing the same thing over and over.

“The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind.”
—G.K. Chesterton, Author

Your emotional health is as important as your physical health, if not more

Most leaders I work with are aware of the importance of their physical health, particularly the importance of eating nutritious foods, exercising and treating their physical injuries and ailments. Most of them, however, pay little attention at all to their emotional health.

Do you assume today's doctors, nurses and medical staff are satisfied with their work, dedicated to the medical field and confident that they are fulfilling their "calling"? Boy, are you ever wrong. I urge you to read my latest blog published by FierceHealthcare which has already generated an enormous number of comments, signaling that we've touched a nerve here. The real question is whether or not healthcare can see the challenge and respond to it quickly. As we conducted our interviews and research we found some common themes:

• This isn't the type of job i thought i was going to have?
• This EMR is painful and not something i am comfortable doing?
• What happened to the compassion in caring?
• Where did this volume-driven "move them through" the system come from?

It didn't matter if it was a doctor or a nurse. There is widespread pain in healthcare.