Why do we keep doing what doesn't work?

We have all seen it.

• The team is understaffed even though there is enough money to recruit

• Underutilised staff who could benefit from some training/mentorship

• Inefficient systems and processes

• When leaders fail to listen to the chorus

“If you always do what you’ve done, you’ll will always get what you have always got”

Henry Ford

Why people and teams stay stuck

We have all been there, yes things can be improved but there simply isn’t enough will, desire, execution or acceptance of the consequences to make the change happen or to make the change stick. Especially when:

• The change requires investment of time and money which we are not prepared to make

• We don’t fully understand the benefits

• The reward isn’t big enough

• Some believe that just because it worked for someone else, the circumstance is too different, and the proposition could not work for us

• The change presents a threat to our status

• The change is too hard to implement

• The current status is not bad enough to try and make things better

• We don’t see money as a mechanism for investment

• We want to preserve the status quo

So…. As facilitators of change, what do we do?

We take the time to really understand the change which is being proposed, to weigh up the pros and cons so we can be balanced in our approach.

We break it down and start small. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We break it down into manageable and digestible pieces.

We provide options linked to a compelling vision and help people to see that if we stay here doing what we have always done we will never get there.

We lead by example and we walk our talk. We do not facilitate others to make change while staying small and safe ourselves.

We use tools and techniques to help us. There are so many resources out there to help us and to help us see situations from a variety of points of view

We ask pertinent questions and we will constructively challenge.

From this list, what element could you utilise today to help progress an initiative / change you are working on?

Why your organisation needs radical candour on the Business of Healthcare Podcast

How to stop stress impacting your communications

Tara Humphrey is the founder of THC Primary Care, a leading healthcare consultancy specialising in workforce transformation and the host of the Business of Healthcare Podcast.

Tara and her team also work with GP federations supporting the implementation of clinical services.

Tara has over 20 years of project management and business development experience across the private and public sector and has an MBA in Leadership and Management in Healthcare, is published in the London Journal of Primary Care and is the author of over 150 blogs

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