A struggle for the Payer/Provider Industry is how to prepare the next generation of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Now more than ever you need the experienced Medical Directors, Clinicians, and Non-Clinicians on your multiple #1 initiatives. Are you preparing your next generation of SMEs? Yes, you do need the 20-25 years EE on the project team; however, you need the next generation of SMEs on your initiatives to be provided not just responsibility, but authority and VISIABILITY to the leadership team. If you are placing all the responsibility on the well deserving EEs (which I say I am not worthy of them) who are eligible for retirement in the near future, you are missing the opportunity to establish, mentor, and enable the next generation of SMEs. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage knowledge transfer from Direct/Manager to Lead. It is not easy for the experienced leads have to deliver on multiple #1 initiatives in reduced time frames with new technology and often do not have time to complete knowledge transfer (HINT: Ask for Help and Delegate).
The solution: Now more than ever CTI/CIO/CEO needs to make sure that experienced EE SMEs are aligned with the next generation of EE SMEs. They both need to be part of the team. This will assist the experienced EE to delegate leadership of one or more #1 initiatives. The next generation of EE SMEs needs the opportunity to present the status of their projects to leadership. It is a learning process to document and present strategic vs. tactical updates to leadership in a concise time frame. Staying up with technology and what is or isn’t working for the Healthcare industry really needs to be placed with IT and off of the business. Even though businesses expect that SMEs are all knowledgeable of IT, it is just too much for any single business person to adequately cover business and IT in this rapidly changing environment. What could happen is you may have a very experienced EE SME who has gone from being a Business SME to a Business/IT Generalist. Has this happened to your team? Are you on a team that has transformed the SME to IT/Business Generalist?
If you feel you are in this situation (i.e., low utilization of next generation of SMEs and overload of IT on a Business SME), then here is how you could leverage a Healthcare Consulting Practice.
Bring in a Business Solutions Architect
- Sits on the business side and reports to the business
- Healthcare (i.e., Payer/Provider experience) and IT experience (e.g., IT Architect)
- Responsible for staying up on all IT industry best practices and changes in Healthcare
- Responsible for delivering #1 business initiatives into a detailed architectural Road Map with the Payer/Provider IT practices (e.g., Enterprise Architect)
- Responsible for transferring business and IT knowledge to the next generation of SMEs. This could mean actual one hour per week sessions for planned knowledge transfer
- Bring in a Healthcare Business Analyst that can flex to Systems Analyst
- Sits on the business side and reports to the business/IT
- Healthcare and Business Analyst experience working with System Analysts in translate the business “what” to system “how”
- Responsible for capturing Business Requirements in a new BPM Methodology (e.g., Agile w/iRise BPM Methodology)
- Responsible for transferring knowledge to the next generation of SMEs and Business Analysts
- Bring in a Healthcare Systems Analyst to flex to the Business Analyst
- Sits on the IT side and reports to business/IT
- Healthcare and IT Systems Analyst experience working with Business Analysts in translation of business “what” and system “how”
- Responsible for capturing System Requirements in new BPM Methodology
- Responsible for transferring knowledge to the next generation of System Analysts
- Bring in a Healthcare Project Manager to ensure the a detailed Business/IT workplan is completed and managed (NOTE: Avoid the high-level milestone plan to record IT hours only)
- Sits on the business side and reports to business/IT
- Healthcare and Project Management Experience (i.e., packaged solutions, business transformation, legacy systems, release management, etc.)
- Responsible for PM of issues, change requests, and action items are following the client’s methodology/system (NOTE: Client PMs have portfolio responsibilities and are unable to stay on top of day-to-day PM)
- Responsible for transferring knowledge to the next generation of Project Managers
Now you have a single team with clear responsibilities, reporting and transferring of knowledge to the next generation of SMES and taking the load of the IT industry knowledge off the shoulders of the well deserving EEs who are driving multiple #1 initiatives.
