The Wisdom of Change Management Strategy in Health Care Organisation - Consultecca
The Secret of Change is to Focus all of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New.
Socrates
Supporting clients in implementation of valuable and efficient changes in health care system.
Every day we are witnessing the increasing speed of change management, especially in medicine. However, sometimes it seems that is not the same speed of the change management in the hospital organisation vs the speed of medicine progress. The wisdom of change management is a fundamental competency for managers and supervisors, employees and leaders and include special knowledge and skills. The base of change management is strategy. Strategy can be separated to the two different parts: strategy planning and strategy managing. The both part are very close in the practice and they both really depend on each other. The questions are: what is wisdom and why needs wisdom for strategy?
Wisdom
Wisdom is combination of knowledge and also rational intellectual practice and mental process.1 Humans are trying to make sense to the world around them with limited knowledge. (McKenna and David, 2005). In classical times, wisdom was listed among the four principal virtues: justice, moderation or self- control, courage and wisdom. (Rowley, 2006; Rowley and Slack, 2008)1 However, the focus is on the wisdom in leadership. Leadership´s wisdom have four attitudes. Wise leader must be capable in complex environments of cognitive complexity and coping with complex events.The leader must deeply and rational think, understand questions and situation. He/she should be capable for creative thinking, to discover and to use logic, make decision rely to instinct, non-rational process in judgment. Finally, the leader have to have capacity for a long-term vision, long-term prosperity for humanity. (McKenna, 2009)1
Change Management
Change Management is the term that is used to refer to the change or transitioning people, groups, companies and projects from one status to another. For success, it is important to have strategy plan, which includes suitable plan of action. Change management is process and takes time, needs expertise, dedication and a lot of effort in implementation. It requires the involvement professional expert, commitment management, executive staff and enthusiastic staff, which can being affected by changes too. The important thing is that organisation and people must figure out why it needs the change management approach and how will the changes benefit it.2,3 Organisational change management are divided into three smaller stages: unfreeze, change and refreeze according to Lewin’s model. Management and organization must unfreeze current situation, be aware that change needs and make decision to go forward in new process. The teamwork approach is necessary, because with these can be avoided some obstacle or challenges. Time to implement changes is next step. Effective change requires clear and constant communication across all affected channels and organisational level. Finally step is refreeze. After continues evaluation and modification some steps in the change process and achievement strategic goals. Teams and organizations need to move away from an old to new one organisational model or process. 2,3
Lewin’s Change Management Model
It is very simple to understanding Kurt Lewin’s Change Management Model: Unfreeze – Change – Refreeze (Lewin, 1940). If you have a large cube of ice (figure organization model/process) it must to make amenable to change (unfreeze). The iced water you must mold to shape you want (change). The last stage is to solidify the new shape (refreeze). 4,5
Figure 1.Lewin’s Change Model5
Strategy
Strategy includes two part, strategic planningand strategic management. Each effective change management have to include the strategy planning process.
Strategy planning
Strategy planning includes vision and mission, goals and objectives.
For develop new strategy must have SWAT analyse of the old process. The SWAT analyse should use for new planning and new goals. To help in process strategy planning is important to have answer on the questions below:
- Where are we?
– Situation analysing of strategic assessment including internal and external analysis - Where should we be?
– Possible future situation - Where do we want to go?
– Future vision 2 to 5 years. Consider SMART goals - How do we get there?
– Strategies - How do we get there?
– Implementation and tactics - Are we getting there?
– Assessment and metrics
Strategy management
To accept the strategy management helps to plan strategy and new organisation future. There are three parts: organising, leading and controlling.
Organising
The organising engaged by strategic management includes incorporative organisation design, organisational culture and networking, effective communication.
Organisational culture
From some recent research we can find different definition of organisational culture. Organisational culture includes an organisation’s expectations, experiences, philosophy, as well as the values that guide member behaviour, and is expressed in member self-image, inner workings, interactions with the outside world, and future expectations. 6,7 Culture is based on shared attitudes, beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed over time and are considered valid (The Business Dictionary).6,7 Culture also includes the organization’s vision, values, norms, systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs, and habits (Needle, 2004).6,7 To summarize important of this part is to be aware of the facts that organisational culture can influence on the outcomes such as productivity, employee engagement and commitment. To care and to establish corporative culture is essence of effective change management process.6,7
Leading
Implementing and using leadership methods for leading change process are predict of success. To lead, to be a part of teamwork, to respect other partners in evolution process can result with positive outcome. Clearly and open communication and behaviour that encourages different opinion and innovation predict a healthy culture at the workplace. Using organizational culture to inspire and to motivate employees can be very effective in the whole process of change management. 8,9
Controlling
Continuous evaluation and annual SWOT analysing process is Condicio sine qua non10 for success. Evaluation and modification some actions if the results of SWOT analysis is needed to achieve goals. Measuring and analysing all process lead to valid results and achieving strategic goals.This is controlling and the last part of strategic management.
If you need help to identify exactly what the problem is, and to prescribe strategy to solve the problem, help in the process of strategy change management, not theoretical solution, but solution based on the experience and practical skills and knowledge, contact us.
Key words:
Wisdom, Change management, Lewin, Strategy, Strategy planning, Management Strategy , Organizational culture
Reference:
1. Aslı Küçü kaslan Ekmekçi et al. (2014) Wisdom and management: a conceptual study on wisdom management, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences150:1199 – 1204
2. Lucidchart Content Team (2018), 4 Fundamental Change Management Models https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/four-fundamental-change-management-models
3. Cleverism, Anastasia (2015), Major Approaches & Models of Change Management https://www.cleverism.com/major-approaches-models-of-change-management/
4. Lewin’s Change Management Model, Understanding the Three Stages of Change https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm
5. Lewin’s Change Model PowerPoint Template https://slidemodel.com/templates/lewins-change-model-powerpoint-template/
6. What is Organizational Culture? Organizational Culture Definition and Characteristics, https://gothamculture.com/what-is-organizational-culture-definition/
7. Martins E.C. (2013) Building organisational culture that stimulates creativity and innovation https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/14601060310456337
8. Prachi Juneja, MSG Content (2019) Role of Communication and Relationship for a Healthy Organization Culture, https://www.managementstudyguide.com/setbacks-of-organization-culture.htm
9. Alex Malouf A. (2017) Why Organizational Culture (And Employee Communications) Should Matter To You https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/294820
10. Cambridge University Press https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sine-qua-non
