As any CIO knows, any organizational change, badly managed, can lead to whining and revolt. However, as shown in our earlier post, “How the Healthcare CIO Saves Lives” the benefits of successfully implementing IT initiatives like Business Process Management can be profound. In many cases we are talking about the difference between life and death. However, before we implement these life-saving IT initiatives we must first discuss how to successfully lead the charge for change.
A recent article from Information Week provided some thoughts on instituting change that would not cause doctors and nurses to revolt. In this article Anthony Guerra recommended: 1) developing a team that involves all key players in planning this organizational change, and 2) having one point of contact on that team that end users can reach out to when they are having issues.
This idea of creating a team to lead the charge is a great one. Here are some tips:
Do Not Lead with an Army of One
Managing change without a team is failure waiting to happen. Instead, create a cross-functional, multi-level team of stakeholders. Pick key “ambassadors” from across the organization that work directly with the processes under scrutiny. By working with these ambassadors from across the organization you will get a good feel of the barriers in your way. Positive water cooler conversations from these ambassadors can also help prepare the larger organization for change.
Recruit C-Level Support
Unfortunately, the CIO cannot move this mountain alone. It is important to recruit C-level sponsorship via executive membership across the organization. Obviously, selecting those executives that manage the portions of the organization most impacted by the change is ideal.
Do Not Make Decisions in a Vacuum:
This team needs to have a clear understanding of the business processes, information processes, and data needs of the organization. Proactively seek outside information. This not only helps evade group think, but can aid in increased adoption of policies and processes as well.
Have a Single Point of Contact
Make sure that end users know the individual that they need to contact if they are having issues. If the end user does not know who to turn to, then they will turn to everyone they know in the organization with their problem. This increase of negative sentiment could lead your initiative towards failure.
Communicate the Change 7 Different Times in 7 Different Ways
Effecting successful change requires the team to coordinate how these change efforts will be communicated effectively across the organization so that everyone is on board. Sending out one corporate-wide email often won’t cut it. The “7 times/7 ways” method is very effective. Communicate this new change in different formats: townhall, email, workshops, signage, etc. Seeing these repeated messages will aid the organization in navigating this change.
