“At the same time, due to my lack of experience in 2002, I definitely made some mistakes,” he said of the undertaking. Among them was failing to recognize just how resistant people can be to change. “I thought [the plan] was so brilliant that everyone would see that and get in line behind me,” he said. “Then I had a rude awakening that not everyone sees things the same way I do. I was completely taken aback by the resistance.”
Even though the existing system left a lot to be desired, the doctors were comfortable with it, Dr. McIlraith explained, stressing that implementing change requires the buy-in of team members.
If he could do it over again, he would follow the eight-step “Road Map for Change” as outlined by Jeffrey Glasheen, MD, SFHM, during the Society of Hospital Medicine’s Leadership Academy, Dr. McIlraith said.
Dr. Glasheen’s road map emphasizes team engagement and motivation, as well as the importance of creating a “burning platform” (the imperative for change).
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