Changing the Way We Do Business
People talk about change today. Everyone is concerned about it. Some people feel it is a negative, but they forget change can bring diversity, innovation, and transformation.
What is change?
It is:
- new way of thinking.
- A difference in the way that people and organizations use to produce goods and services.
- How decisions are made and by whom.
- How work is organized.
- A shift in values and priorities.
- Everyone relating to a common mission.
Change is more than a process. It also means individuals will be asked to value some things more highly than they did before and to value other things less.
Many people believe that not changing keeps them solid and secure. Deep down we want our lives to be stable, and some people believe that in order to have stability we should never change.
To make the transition to new ideas we first have to challenge our perceptions and thought processes¾i.e., open up our minds.
Thinking “outside the box” is not only a challenge but also absolutely necessary to keeping up in the medical world today.
How can we change?
- Decide what is really important to do and how much resource to devote to doing it.
- Realistically define the results we want.
- Figure out how to measure results, or at least interim indicators of those results.
- Regularly review and track results.
- Keep an open mind, no matter how difficult it seems (this is the biggest challenge.)
HELP!! (Why Is Change So Difficult?)
You are probably already leading or participating in change activities. If so, you know how difficult and complex it is to change behaviors.
Because of the difficulty, try not to be involved in a change effort unless you are really serious about getting results.
Changing behaviors is a difficult challenge for anyone. In the beginning, change requires almost constant attention to stopping old behaviors and substituting new behaviors.
Changing what we do is not enough. We must also change the way we think. For example, we can change a mental message that says, “There are too many changes going on!” to a thought that says, “How can I be more open to things going on?”
Change takes a lot of energy, attention, discipline, external reinforcement and, above all, a very strong desire to achieve the ultimate result. It also requires we be sensitive to other people’s struggles.
Image how many individuals there are within your organization that have to change their daily habits of behavior and thinking. You’re not the only one struggling. (Doesn’t that help you feel better?)
Age appears to be factor in coping with change. It must be hardening of the mental arteries. As we age, we’re less open to changes in our lives. We get stuck in familiar ways of behavior. Our comfort level shrinks. The good news is that people are living longer, so theoretically we should be more open to change as we age. No one wants to be thought of as old. So why act old by fighting change?
Fear is another factor. A billing clerk didn’t like the new software program he had to learn. He talked about how much easier the old system was to run. He wasn’t even finished being trained on the new system, and he predicted it would never fly.
After he was told that the new system was 40% more efficient than the old system, he reluctantly admitted the new system frightened him and he was afraid he would be fired if he didn’t do well on it.
His supervisor took great pains to explain that he would have plenty of time to get up to speed. It was fear of the unknown, fear that he would get left behind, fear that would lose his job, fear that he would look bad in front of his peers, that kept him form changing. What’s keeping you from changing?
Do You Really Want To Change?
You say you’re open to change? You want to set good example for the troops? Okay, rate yourself. No one’s looking so be truthful. What is your normal response to making changes?
110% - I did even more than was expected!
100% - I did it!
95% - Nothing will stop me.
90% - I will.
80% - I can.
70% - I think I can.
60% - I might.
50% - I think I might.
40% - I wish I could.
30% - I’ll think about it.
20% - I don’t know how.
10% - I can’t
0% - I won’t.
If you’re above 60%, you’re a good candidate for handling change.
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