Team Building and Addressing Barriers to Planned Change

Planning and implementing change can be quite challenging, especially in a complex health care environment. No matter what kind of change is undertaken, there are likely to be some obstacles. Yet, wise leader-managers, and those with whom they work, recognize that change is necessary and revitalizing; they see that planned change can not only contribute to organizational sustainability but also promote high-quality care and positively impact patient outcomes. These leader-managers harness a larger vision and engage in forethought and analysis to minimize and address barriers to planned change.

Based on what you have learned about the change process and strategic planning, what barriers do you think may arise related to the change you are proposing through your Course Project? How would you cultivate stakeholder involvement and promote team building for your planned change?

As you think about these questions, consider the following statement: “The system will evolve based on changes in the behavior of the people in the system” (Nesse, Kutcher, Wood, & Rummans, 2010, p. 27).

Do you agree? Why or why not? How does this relate to the specifics of your strategic plan?

To prepare:

• Review the information presented in the Learning Resources, including Dr. Carol Huston’s comments on addressing barriers to implementing a strategic plan change. Consider insights related to change theory, common barriers to change, and strategies for addressing these barriers that relate to the implementation of your proposed change.
• Identify specific barriers you are likely to encounter with your proposed change, including resistance to change. Evaluate strategies that may be used to minimize or address these barriers.
• Think about the value of stakeholder involvement in planned change, as well as the specifics of stakeholder participation in your strategic plan to champion the change. Who should be involved in strategic planning and at what point? How could they serve as change champions?

By Day 3

Post an explanation of strategies you would use to minimize or address barriers, including resistance to change, related to your strategic plan. Explain how you would promote stakeholder involvement for your proposed change, and encourage them to become change champions.

optional resources

McMurray, A., Chaboyer W., Wallis, M., & Fetherston, C. (2010). Implementing bedside handover: Strategies for change management. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(17/18), 2580–2589.

Nesse, R. E., Kutcher, G., Wood, D., & Rummans, T. (2010). Framing change for high-value healthcare systems. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 32(1), 23–28.