4 Tactics to Combat Complacency with the Status Quo
Complacency or the lack of urgency to get things done is probably the biggest idea killer that we ALL experience in the supply chain. Just the other day a MM told me that when he showed his CFO a supply chain savings survey we performed for his hospital that documented 1.7 million dollars in savings, his CFO was too busy to think about it at this time.
What this CFO was really saying to this MM was that he was satisfied with the status quo; why rock the boat, take any risk or try to make things better. Change is never easy, but absolutely necessary if you want to keep your supply train on track, on time and moving forward. It is therefore essential for supply chain professionals to combat complacency by changing hearts and minds to get momentum moving again or you will run out of fuel to stoke your savings fire. The best way to do so is to employ these 4 proven and time-tested tactics:
•1. Never, Never, Ever Take “NO” for the Final Answer
The answer “no” is just a temporary setback for supply chain professionals who want to be wildly successful in their field. Your must always come back another day, week, month or year with a reconfigured proposal to get your way. Or, you will be left with the crumbs in your business life that are left over after all of the other big decisions are made by your management.
•2. Never, Never, Ever be Satisfied with the Status Quo
Never accept the way things are now, if you want to see things change for the better. Just because your hospital, system or IDN has done things the same way for many years doesn’t make this the best way to do things. Always be looking for new, different and better ways to improve what you are doing to make your healthcare organization a better place to work.
•3. Find champions to fight Your Battles with You
There are always one, two or three high level executives in your organization that will agree with your proposals and that can be convinced to become champions for your initiatives. Your job is to find them so that they can help fight your battles with you. Otherwise, you will be a voice crying in the wilderness that will never be heard over the chatter and noise that your management is hearing everyday from your peers.
•4. Create a Sense of Urgency that Can’t be Ignored
There is always a good reason why your organization should do things NOW! Prices will be going up NOW. Resources are available NOW to make it happen, but won’t be next month. Jim is on vacation next month, but is available NOW to get this project started. Get the picture? There is always a good reason that you can unearth to get your management to move NOW on your proposals as opposed to a later date. This is because any proposal has a way of becoming less attractive and less timely as time marches on. Do it now needs to be your mantra, if you really want to get things done around here.
There are certainly more things you can do to combat complacency with the status quo at your healthcare organization. However, these four tactics have been successful at any organization that has employed them. Why? Because they tap into the rational and emotional side of our brains to get us moving in the right direction….NOW!
Comments
Leave a Reply
