Change Theory
Healthcare is a field that, similar to any other industry, faces incivility, bullying, and violence. Such a workplace environment not only harms physical and mental health of the employees but puts the health of patients at risk. In a situation where healthcare personnel shows signs of incivility and hostility, there will be a lack of proper communication and, as a result, inefficient implementation of the tasks. The proposed change involves Kotter’s model of change, which is based on creating the urgency of the transformation. The reason why Kotter’s model of change is among the most appropriate is that it is based on collective effort. In case of incivility, it is necessary to rebuild team dynamics and create a new culture that will nurture and support the employees instead of bullying them. Therefore, incremental change within the healthcare system should be carried out with the use of Kotter’s model, emphasizing the cooperation and involvement of the staff.
SWOT Analysis
The first step of Kotter’s theory model is to create the change a priority and assess the plan for which SWOT analysis can be implemented. When it comes to the strength of the plan is the enhancement of the quality care provided for the stakeholder population, such as patients and their families. Moreover, another strength of successfully implementing the given plan is the decreased occurrence of medical errors. On the other hand, the weaknesses of the plan, which can occur if the plan is failed to be carried out, are the high attrition and recruitment rate. Then, the opportunities that can arise with implementing the intervention are connected with an improved workplace environment, which will involve better confidence, improved project results, and the possible introduction of new projects. Finally, threats of not implementing the change are a violation of laws by medical staff, decreased revenue, and inefficiency of the team.
Action Plan. Change Theory Model
In a setting that involves incivility, bullying, and violence, Kotter’s Change Theory Model, introduced by John P. Kotter, is among the most efficient approaches. This is a method created to assist executives in implementing organizational change efficiently (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017). According to the theory of Kotter, change can be implemented in eight steps (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017). The concept concentrates on generating urgency in an attempt to bring about change. The model leads the team through the eight phases involved in bringing about, overseeing, and maintaining transformation. The transition may be challenging to manage, and opposition is frequent. Adopting any changes is difficult because of challenges, including poor cooperation, poor leadership, or restrictive workplace cultures. However, Kotter’s change model and its ideas are based on the most effective approaches to altering the workplace culture.
Steps and Processes
As has been mentioned, Kotter’s model of change involves eight thorough steps toward transformation. The beginning of the change will be the process of generating urgency. The leadership will need to assess the situation, compile the necessary information, and communicate with the team regarding the matter. This will allow a two-sided perspective and an idea of what should be done. The following step is to gather the team and communicate the necessity of change, assigning some individuals for the positions related to the change, in other terms, a support team. Then, it will be vital to create a vision and a plan of action while paying attention to all stakeholders’ interests. Furthermore, the fourth step claims that the leadership will need to share the change’s intended outcome. The employees will, therefore, know what to expect from the plan.
However, there are four other steps that are equally essential to organizational transformation. For example, the following step is to eliminate any present barriers. This implies that employees have all the necessary information, are provided with effective training, and are rewarded for positive outcomes. The employees can be rewarded if they contribute to the short-term objectives, which is the sixths step. While seeing the end goal is important, the staff will need to know how to reach it, and short-term objectives can be helpful. Additionally, the team will have to maintain the pace, which implies that the staff members will not be able to aberrate from the newly established norms. Finally, the leadership will have to ensure that the change lasts and the new culture is fully incorporated. The last step is among the most crucial processes since the dispersion of this rule can lead the team to its previous routine.
Communication Plan
Similarly to the overall steps and processes, it is vital to give an overview of the communication plan. Initiatives may offer consistent, powerful health messages to the stakeholders at the appropriate times with the help of a communication strategy. Planning communications effectively means being timely and focused. According to the Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (n.d.), a communication plan has to answer several important questions, such as what, when, and how. The first step is, therefore, to communicate the overall urgency and vision at the beginning of the change through discussion with the leadership. The second step is to communicate short-term goals to the employees in the middle of the process. Lastly, it is vital to receive feedback from the employees; toward the end, the staff will be able to communicate with the support team regarding the efficiency of change.
Leadership: Transformational Style
As for the leadership styles chosen for the given change plan, these involve transformational and democratic styles. First, healthcare organizations and other establishments often place a strong emphasis on building relationships and on matching ideals and principles (Bonsu & Twum-Danso, 2018). Transformational leadership in the medical sphere and other areas is frequently associated with leaders that have a clear vision and embody their values (Bonsu & Twum-Danso, 2018). In a sense, this style will enable the leaders to create a different culture by implementing incremental changes and encouraging the team to follow such an approach. This method will not only support the vision and aims, as outlined in one of Kotter’s model’s steps, but create an environment of integrity, motivation, and loyalty. The team will learn that while negative attitudes are punished, open and friendly communication and cooperation are rewarded.
Leadership: Democratic Style
Another style that will be involved in the change plan is democratic leadership. Democratic leadership is distinguished by the methods in which candid and open communication is supported among staff members (Bonsu & Twum-Danso, 2018). Moreover, employee input and decision-making are rewarded and encouraged (Bonsu & Twum-Danso, 2018). It is a common belief that democratic leadership gladly provides duties and encourages staff to take the initiative and accept responsibility for their job. Therefore, such an approach will allow the team understands that their impact and efforts are valuable to the organization and they are expected to contribute. Otherwise, change will not take place, and the team will continue being inefficient and uncooperative, leading to poor results, a high attrition rate, and decreased revenue. Democratic leadership will allow everyone to feel that they are a part of the transformation and bring their feedback, which is crucial, as seen from Kotter’s model.
Management Functions
As for the management functions, it will perform a variety of tasks that are aimed at both operational aspects, recruiting and retaining employees, and assessment of efficiency. In this sense, the first essential function of the given change plan is creating the aims and goals of the company (Liebler & McConnell, 2020). As seen from Kotter’s model, vision and aims are the third step of the plan. Management will be responsible for evaluating the situation and providing the team with vision, objectives, and short-term goals to provide clarity and expectations. Another function of management involves hiring, educating, and managing medical personnel (Liebler & McConnell, 2020). During the process of change, it is vital not to disrupt the dynamics, which can be provided by the maintenance of personnel and their demands. It is vital to remember that a team of professionals is the key to quality services.
Next, it is crucial to analyze other important functions of management. It additionally involves interacting with hospital employees, departmental leaders, and financiers (Liebler & McConnell, 2020). In this case, the management will be aimed at all stakeholders. For example, through communication with employees, managers will be able to provide the necessary training and receive feedback. Similarly, through communication with departmental leaders, it will be possible for managers to have an insight into how well the change plan is implemented. Lastly, through financiers, managers will learn about the financial position of the organization and whether it was impacted positively or negatively (Liebler & McConnell, 2020). The final function is management’s evaluation of approaches to maximizing operational effectiveness while also improving healthcare services (Liebler & McConnell, 2020). In this sense, the management will see the overall picture of the firm and its operations and see the patterns of change.
Budget Requirements/Implications
When it comes to budget requirements and implications can be considered from several points of view. For example, the advantages of implementing such a change plan, from a financial standpoint, include increased investments into the organization with increased efficiency. Moreover, with more funding, the company will be able to purchase new equipment, which in the long term, will contribute to revenue growth. However, as for the disadvantages of a change plan, these can include the increased expenses on recruiting and retention in the short term. Therefore, the majority of expenses will be aimed at retaining the employees and recruiting new specialists, which determines the budget requirements. Still, it is noteworthy that budget requirements do not exceed the appropriate norm, and the advantages in the long term will prove the plan to be beyond beneficial.
Steps to Ensure Staff Compliance
Regarding the process of ensuring that employees follow the standards and comply with the new change plan, several methods should be involved. The first method revolves around documenting any new policies in the organization (Friend & Kohn, 2018). Every employee should have access to the newly introduced policies, which will allow them to understand that certain actions will be punished, and they can be either penalized for any wrongdoing or even fired. This involves any violation of the rules that protect employees from deliberate violence, incivility, or bullying, which is damaging to all stakeholders. Another technique to ensure compliance with the rules is to incorporate consistent training of the employees. As can be seen from Kotter’s model, the last step is to ensure the maintenance of the new culture. The way to do this is to allow the team constant exposure to the training and corporate values.
Evaluation
The final process in the change plan is to evaluate the outcomes. Here, the main measures of success are the timeframe during which it was possible to implement the change plan, the feedback from the employees, how many employees resigned, and how many staff members were recruited and retained. Thus, the first step is to gather all the necessary information either through reports for solid numerical data or surveys to identify the feedback of the employees. As a result, the management, who, as has been mentioned, plays an integral part in connecting all stakeholders, will be able to compute the findings and conclude whether it was successful or if some areas need more refinement.
Decision-Making Process
The decision-making process in the given change plan involved a framework with several steps. This was effective since it entailed first gathering the information and then making a decision based on the hard data. However, ineffective decision-making, it involves resolving the minor issues first and leaving the biggest concerns for later. Due to the compound effect, the given strategy might lead to unfavorable results. In this sense, such a method should be eliminated, and, in the future, this should be changed by substituting it with an opposite approach. The alternative is to resolve the biggest issues first while using the available information to make the most beneficial decision.
“Effective methods involved in my work include collaboration with others since brainstorming together might find the most appropriate decision in the given situation. On the contrary, the ineffective method involves poor leadership, where one would be hesitant to receive recommendations to make a decision.”
References
Bonsu, S., & Twum-Danso, E. (2018). Leadership style in the global economy: A focus on cross-cultural and transformational leadership.Journal of Marketing and Management, 9(2), 37-52. Web.
Friend, M. A., & Kohn, J. P. (2018). Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. Rowman & Littlefield.
Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement. (n.d.). Communication plan. Web.
Liebler, J. G., & McConnell, C. R. (2020). Management principles for health professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Rajan, R., & Ganesan, R. (2017). A critical analysis of John P. Kotter’s change management framework. Asian Journal of Research in Business Economics and Management, 7(7), 181-203.