Healthcare Lecture Series: Initiating, Leading and Managing Change
Only healthcare organizations that consistently deliver quality and strong margins will survive in the changing landscape, according to Dean Cinkins, Senior Client Director for GE Healthcare. The Wake Forest University Schools of Business Healthcare Club invited him to campus on Nov. 4 to present “Initiating, Leading and Managing Change.”
“The human aspect to all of this is so important and not to be underestimated,” said Cikins as he outlined GE’s Change Acceleration Process (CAP) and Work-Out technique for problem solving. “The status quo is just not going to cut it anymore. There are work processes that need to be redesigned, budget cuts everywhere, relocating teams, and redesigning organizational structures.”
Cikins stressed that management and leadership are quite different. “Managing is the planning, budgeting, staffing, and the problem solving. It’s about maintaining that status quo, but leadership is about establishing direction and empowering people to bring solutions forward.” He said GE’s (CAP) model focuses on managing solutions while leading the people. The CAP model includes creating a shared need, shaping a vision, mobilizing commitment, making change last and monitoring progress.
While his presentation focused on the (CAP) model, Cikins stressed that successful change initiatives require strong, committed leadership throughout the entire initiative cycle. GE’s “Work-Out” tool is a process of concentrated team-based decision making used to resolve issues and improve processes. He said when used effectively, the (CAP) model and “Work Out” tool can help an organization improve patient satisfaction, lower costs and improve employee engagement.