For any architectural firm delivering healthcare design, effective change management can mean the difference between success and failure.
To build a highly complex building like a hospital, several disciplines need to work in unison with the same goal.
It can be challenging at the best of times, but particularly during times of resource scarcity, budget restrictions and changing market conditions.
LIMITATIONS OF BUSINESS AS USUAL
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” business-as-usual mindset has its benefits. Established processes that any organization follows in its day-to-day operations are important to create resource efficiency in the short term.
However, this adage does not actively seek to enhance such processes. This reluctance to change is focused on prioritizing short-term goals over long-term strategic planning. The risk of maintaining status-quo can result in the inability to adapt to new technological advancements or changing end-user preferences.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – charles darwin
Healthcare Architects are today’s trusted partners for Healthcare Organizations to achieve increased cost and resource efficiency. With proactive optimization and transformation, we can curate innovative solutions. Innovation is necessary to navigate today’s resource-strapped economy and re-imagine healthcare design delivery.
As graphically represented by the McLeamy Curve, effective management of healthcare projects seeks to front-load all the critical decisions for stakeholder buy-in early on to save costs and time as the project progresses.
Fundamentally being in a service business, the way Healthcare Architects communicate with the end-users at the hospitals also directly affects internal process efficiency.
innovative solutions and active management of risks
While Innovation can drive significant improvements, it also introduces uncertainty and potential pitfalls. It is important for all stakeholders to be aware of the risks of such innovative solutions and actively manage them to embrace a culture of continuous improvement.
Early Engagement of Stakeholders:
- Resistance to change often stems from fear of the unknown. Engaging all stakeholders early in the process of change fosters trust and encourages collaboration. Healthcare Architects play a crucial role in transparent communication, addressing concerns about workflow disruptions and highlighting the benefits of the change.
Proactive Management of Resistance:
- Resistance to change is natural, but it can be managed effectively. Understanding the root cause of resistance—whether it’s fear of workflow inefficiencies, lack of clarity, or concerns about safety is important so that Healthcare Architects can address it through dialogue, reassurance, and inclusion in decision-making.
Effective Communication:
- Clear and consistent communication is vital in change management for healthcare design. Messaging needs to be tailored to different audiences, to ensure clarity and relevance.
COnclusion:
Implementing change is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. Regular check-ins, feedback loops, and performance metrics help track progress.
If challenges arise, being flexible and making necessary adjustments ensures sustained success. Change management in healthcare design needs a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and facilities from a current state to a desired future state.
Pro-active management of the established structure is vital to ensure that the weak strands are identified early enough to avoid a catastrophic failure.
key takeaways:
At Clover Architects, as Stakeholder Alignment Facilitation Experts (S.A.F.E.), we advise selective actions to be taken to translate the needs of healthcare organizations into architecture so they can make the right decisions for their projects.