Changing the Culture and Response to Change
The one certainty in health care is change. Change is lurking around every corner. Whether looking at changes in client and employee demographics, care practices, consumer expectations, or legislated requirements, care organizations are challenged to stay ahead of these ever-increasing demands on multiple fronts.
How effectively care organizations respond to change is directly impacted by the internal organizational culture. The culture of the organization in turn is a reflection of leadership practices within the organization. Leaders can either foster a culture that is responsive and proactive in the face of change, or reactive to the impact of change. The first approach works. The second is dysfunctional, with people feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
Faced with challenges and breakdowns, leaders often turn to (or re-examine) a strategic planning process, with the hope of finding a way out of the turmoil and broken or deteriorating conditions. The impact of this approach is, at best, temporary. The culture of the organization is at the heart of how responsive and successful it will be, otherwise, as the saying goes,
Culture change eats strategy for breakfast!
Success in today’s care environment requires leaders who recognize the importance of fostering a positive and proactive work culture, and understand that the responsibility for culture change rests within their role as leaders. Changing a culture takes time – and now is the time to change.
This session provides leaders with a proven framework to create a responsive, positive workplace culture. Based on the research and findings of culture change leaders such as Kouzes, Posner and Coyle, leaders will be guided through the steps required to create a culture that can evolve flexibly and autonomously in response to changing opportunities and demands.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the key components of effective culture change
- Compare leader roles and responsibilities that facilitate positive workplace change
- Construct a personal leadership plan that positively impacts a workplace culture change