The world’s climate is temperamental, to say the least. Uncertainty reigns in most countries as new orders, tariffs, and other initiatives are taking place. Regardless of industry and location, your organization is impacted by this turbulence. Now, more than ever, your constituents on the inside – and out – are looking for stability and dependability, and your organization can help provide that by remaining calm and strategic.
For healthcare organizations, this uncertainty is doubly taxing. People are fearful that their insurance plans will change and/or go away. Hospitals are hearing from their workforce about safety and security issues. Big pharma is concerned with global distribution. And all healthcare enterprises are affected and greatly concerned about the changes to national health organizations and new initiatives from the health administration.
Internal communications are critical during times like these. Leadership from the C-Suite needs to be more visible and vocal in terms of aligning its workforce and helping to calm fears. Now is the time for “town halls” and other channels to answer questions and provide assurance that your organization is on top of these changes and/or advocating for change. An audit of these channels and a proactive strategy are good medicine. It’s also an excellent time to revisit Mission, Vision, and Values to ensure they align with your goals and take into consideration these global issues.
For external constituents, healthcare organizations should be highly strategic regarding service distribution and integration. Developing or refining your strategic plan to assess new opportunities in service line and organizational integration is a must. Also required is striking a strategic balance of proactivity and responsiveness as new executive orders are issued or cuts in funding are made in certain disease states or institutions.
- Are your physicians in the right places – geographically and by specialty?
- Are the right service lines operational and integrated within your organization based on community needs?
- Is your organization visible and transparent within its communities regarding policy shifts?
These are just a few of the topics and considerations a new strategic plan should address.
During volatile markets, healthcare organizations and their leadership teams need to be visible and vocal. Now is the time to dust off or re-invent your strategies to put together plans that balance the needs of employees and customers. So much uncertainty exists; from a business standpoint, that can and always has led to new eras of opportunity.
To learn more about Springboard’s strategic insights, please email mike@springboardbrand.com.