Meeting Medical Business Changes Pro-actively
A common reaction to change in business is uncertainty and resistance.
Since change is inevitable from practice setup to sale, it is wise to develop a strategic attitude to buffer against the many variables of operating a health business.
A commitment to continuous improvement can build an environment where everyone acclimates to change for the better.
A Methodology For Change Management
One methodology for organisations to achieve progressive improvements while monitoring their impact is Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA).
The PDCA cycle aims to solve problems, methodically implement change and avoid recurring mistakes or errors in operations.
The ‘plan’ should incorporate a deadline and criteria to determine the success of changes to systems, procedures and working practices.
PDCA is a continuous loop, yet restarts when an element implemented in the change cycle is proven ineffective or impractical.
For the loop to remain practical, the ‘do’ part of the cycle is tested first on a small scale or a specific area to minimise cost, time and resources.
We can leverage data from practice management software to ‘check’ and show if the potential solutions we have implemented are effective.
From this information, we can ‘act’ by adjusting an area within the cycle or expanding its scope when we achieve a desired goal.
Although the PDCA cycle can methodically implement change, it relies heavily on other aspects of a healthy business environment.
Initiatives To Guide Change
One facet crucial to the success of implementing methodologies and executing business initiatives is team development.
Just as PDCA is a never-ending cycle of improvement, ongoing staff training can ensure the development of skill sets that cope with change.
A minor organisational method to encourage positive change could be the promotion of the two-minute rule:
“If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.”
Coined by David Allen in ‘Getting Things Done’, this rule can take away the stress that builds with the accumulation of many smaller tasks.
Offering a starting point to avoid unnecessary stress is an adjunct to broader operational improvements and supports practice management initiatives.
Exposing staff to these methods to test during the working day allows them to experience the benefits first-hand and take ownership of positive changes within a workplace.
Filling The Gaps With External Support
Team environments will see these and other methodologies come to fruition over the long term.
In the short term, a business may engage with external services to fill the gap in these areas of development.
Nicky has provided this role in various medical clinics in rural and urban environments across Australia over the last decade.
Having set up and managed medical practices, she can provide insight and assist goal setting, utilising a range of industry professionals.
To learn more about how Nicky Jardine Health Business Solutions can take your medical practices to the next level, please email nicky@nickyjardine.com or call 1300 798 831.