Change Management in a Large Hospital: What Are the Best Techniques and Threats to Consider?

I am working as an HR Officer and also a student of HR. I want to know some practical and generic change management techniques that are in practice globally and accepted by HR consultants. Our firm has almost 2100+ employees, and it's a hospital. When changing the culture or molding their behaviors, what are the possible threats and techniques to handle them? Thanks.

It is better to ask your current employees rather than asking others because they are the best source from which you can learn about the kind of changes required for organizational development.

Dear Nabeel, As I conduct a review, let me add my two cents in addition to what Mrunal has suggested. You cannot have change for the sake of it. You need to do a strategic audit of your organization. Based on the report of the strategic audit, you need to make a strategic plan. Implementation of this plan would require change.

Change Management

Change management is generally a domain of the very top management and is out of the purview of lower-level management. Secondly, many times people confuse personal change and organizational change. Both are absolutely different.

On YouTube, you will find a very good lecture series of videos on change management. Click the following link to refer to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWOR...BHbbKVLF7FhHmp

All the best!

Regards, Dinesh Divekar

Dear Nabeel,

As per my suggestion, you should conduct brainstorming sessions involving all employees. This will lead to the generation of diverse ideas, following which you can proceed with the SWOT Analysis.

Thanks & regards,

Mamta
Principal Consultant
Quid-Pro-Quo Consulting Service

Dear Nabeel, others have given you sound advice. I am not an HR person; however, I know how to search for information. My sincere request to bloggers like you is to search the web and come up with answers to the doubts that you may have and post them, and experts will help clear any misconceptions you may have.

Useful Resources for Change Management

I found a good article at Managing Change in Healthcare related to a hospital setting. More links at https://www.google.co.uk/#q=change+m...+in+a+hospital

Regards

Dear Mamta, To bring change in the organization, brainstorming sessions with the employees help only to the extent of bringing internal change. Employees generally give their suggestions on improving the systems and processes, fostering collaboration among the departments, and introducing new welfare measures, etc. Nevertheless, generally, employees are institutionalized with the company's culture, and when they start thinking, they do so keeping the company's culture in mind. Therefore, to bring about strategic change, brainstorming with the employees is one means, but it is not adequate.

I have facilitated change management sessions wherein I have used brainstorming, and I am aware of the limitations of this tool.

Strategic Planning for Change

In contrast, when making a strategic plan, it demands scanning the external environment, conducting a SWOT analysis of the organization, and using other tools like Michael Porter's 5 Forces or McKinsey's 7S. Moreover, you have mentioned that SWOT Analysis is based on employee suggestions. This is a grossly mistaken view of an organization's SWOT Analysis.

Take Infosys, for example. When Vishal Sikka became CEO, he identified that though Infosys had superb manpower, what they lacked was "Design Thinking" ability. Infosys, for more than three decades, remained a service company. No one considered designing a product that redefined the rules of the game, not even Mr. NR Narayanamurthy. In his second stint from 2013-14, when he could not turn the company around, Vishal Sikka was brought in.

When Mr. NR Narayan Murthy returned to Infosys in 2013, there was press criticism of Infosys's failure to develop leaders internally. Infosys established its Leadership Development Institute in 2001 at a cost of 270 Crore. However, after almost a decade, when a leadership crisis emerged, not a single leader could be appointed as CEO. Infosys had to bring back a retired person in the form of Mr. Murthy. When this experienced leader also failed to grasp the changing market dynamics, Vishal Sikka was brought in. Can there be a better example of the limitations of relying solely on employees for strategic insights?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Nabeel, Based on my suggestion, you should conduct brainstorming sessions among all employees to gather a variety of ideas before performing the SWOT Analysis.

Thanks & Regards,

Mamta Principal Consultant Quid-Pro-Quo Consulting Service

Understanding the Need for Change in Organizations

The need for change arises in any organization due to crises, performance gaps, new technology, new opportunities, reactions to internal pressures, and sometimes simply for the sake of change.

As a hospital, you need to identify if there has been any crisis, such as increased mortality among patients or a declining clientele.

The medical field is one area where research constantly introduces new findings, technology, and drugs.

New opportunities keep emerging, like attracting foreign patients. Our healthcare systems in renowned hospitals are almost world-class and can attract foreigners who receive excellent treatment at a much lower cost.

Are there any internal pressures, such as trade unions or good staff leaving for better opportunities, higher pay, or a lack of professional growth?

Change for the sake of change is not advisable. When considering change, start with deep thought and examination of the reasons, results, procedures, and impact on the organization. This requires extensive study.

Sometimes, in-house study and analysis do not work out due to inherent biases. This is where the need for an independent consultant arises—someone known in the field, with previous experience in change management, and honest enough to tell whether the proposed change is necessary in the present circumstances.

Change is always resisted by some, but to embrace change, one must be able to see how much it benefits themselves and their work.

Questions to Consider Before Implementing Change

What do you want to change? Is it your mission and values, technology, or organizational culture/structure?

Remember, change in one area will also impact others. Change in technology will affect systems, training, people, patients, and employees.

The need for change requires deep analysis. How does your organization work, and in what manner do you want the work to proceed now, and why?

Just because someone else is changing does not mean you need to change.

Challenges to Change

The biggest challenge to change is misunderstanding the need for change or when the reason for the change is unclear. If your employees and stakeholders do not understand the need for change, you can expect resistance.

Fear of the unknown is one of the most common reasons for resistance.

Definitely consider introducing change, but with clear study, objectives, and goals.

Use internal brainstorming with all sections of staff, and then consider external inputs and examination of the basis on which you want to proceed with change.

It is far easier to change our own behaviors than to change other people's behaviors. Changing our own behaviors is nearly impossible for most of us without the desire to change and without help. Telling and insisting that others change is a fool's errand and is a cause of employee disengagement.