Identify the problem
When Kaiser members said they wanted an easier way to see and consult with their doctors besides the standard appointment process, Kennedy-Scott knew she had identified a problem, and that’s the first step in leading change in an organization.
“There has to be an underlying problem that is currently in front of you or that you can see as you look at technological changes and environmental changes,” she says. “The first thing you have to do is convince people that there is a reason to change.”
As you identify a problem, you have to be very specific in what you see as the true issue.
“All problems will have a number of dimensions,” she says. “One might be a financial dimension. One might be a people dimension in terms of the impact it may have on your work force or on your members. … In defining the problem, you really have to be very crisp in what you’re trying to solve, too.”
When Kennedy-Scott identifies a problem, she wants employees to own the problem, which means building understanding around it and showing people how it benefits both them and the people you serve.
“You’ve got to define the problem in a way that people are engaged, committed and they understand it,” she says. “When you describe problems in ways that people can’t understand, they simply cannot get behind it. They don’t believe it. It breaks down trust, and it affects the ability to move people forward toward a common change.”
People will buy in to things they can relate to. In the case of Kaiser’s members wanting another way to interact with their doctors, Kennedy-Scott asked her employees to think about their own experiences going to the doctor.
“When I say, ‘Wouldn’t you like to see your doctor without getting on the phone, making a call, getting in your car, driving to your provider — oh by the way, you have to leave work — wouldn’t you want that to be easier?” she says. “Can anybody argue with that? So you’ve defined the problem in a way that you can get people engaged in coming up with solutions.”
Getting people involved in the process helps increase your chances of success in implementing a change, as well.
“If you can help people get their arms around the future, what it looks like, to play out scenarios, so not to say to people, ‘This is the future; this is what it’s going to be,’ but rather give people facts, data, play out scenarios, talk about other industries to help them embrace change, I think you can be successful in overcoming the challenge,” she says.
