Remaining On-Mission During Times of Change

Imagine you are a racecar driver. Close your eyes and envision being encapsulated by a metal machine thrusting you into orbit at 170 miles per hour. The survival-type grip of your hands on the steering wheel and the humming of the engine drowning out everything but your thoughts, and perhaps the sound of your own heartbeat.

The commonality of success in this sport has little to do with the amount of capital invested, nature of the track or even the collective team supporting the driver’s quest; success, here, is ultimately defined by one thing – precision. One slight deviation of the driver’s laser focus, or a minuscule modification of the wheel’s trajectory can be the determining factor catapulting the driver from a victorious win to a devastating loss.

This simple, yet relevant depiction, is analogous to how organizations often find themselves drifting away from their core competencies and more importantly, their mission. Quite simply, one action of wavered precision and commitment could yield a devastating cascade of effects widening the divide between an organization and the “spirit” of its existence (mission).

As an industry, healthcare is committed to providing expert care with as much certainty in outcomes as humanly possible. Millions of dollars are invested each year to create “zero-error” environments, precision medicine and other equitable practice measures. Yet, how does an organization in an industry that relies on certainty and precision, navigate uncertainty and instability in the marketplace? The answer is seemingly simple: Precision in Decision.

Step One: Measurement. In racing, measurements are paramount to success and are tailored specifically to support its mission: winning. From the meticulous measurement of the cockpit’s seat to accommodate the driver, to the structured angles and curvature of the body of the vehicle, each component’s measurement is aligned and designed with the Mission and “spirit of existence” in the forefront.

Organizations tend to ignore key measurements married to their mission when conflicting stakeholder interests are present, industry changes dictate changes in operations or when revenues become the leading and only indicator of importance. Organizations may also abandon key measurements married to their mission as a result of the inability to align new environmental constraints to the core of what they do. The crux of this first pillar is to remain precisely focused on the key measurements which retain the integrity of the organization and learning to create new inputs in the formulary under changing conditions to yield the desired output in new landscapes.

Step Two: Unison. When a driver flies into the pit, its crew is able to ceremoniously and flawlessly change all four tires in no more than 12 seconds. It is the fastest orchestrated performance that many of us have witnessed in our lifetime. This display of precision in unison towards the achievement of a shared mission is unmatched.

As organization’s find themselves “off-mission”, whether intentional or not, its “crew” must act in precise unison to collectively shift the organization back “on-mission”. In the pit, crew members are not unclear as to what the mission is, or what is required of them or even how each of their own independent function contributes to the overall mission. When we abandon this practice in business, it creates the foundation for siloed actions and “off-mission” operations.

With the onset of hospital regulations changing at a rapid pace, whether concerning compounding pharmacies, “in-patient” hospital designation requirements, interoperability and the like, it requires a “pit crew” like approach to navigating the change and remaining “on-mission”. Organizational leaders must foster an orchestrated workforce to precisely change its “tires” in unison and get back on the “track”. Without executive leadership creating, modeling, and fostering this unity, the mission will cease to be collectively focused.

Step Three: Agility. The average race can take up to four hours to complete based upon the number of miles and track layout; thus, agility in strategy is paramount. Agility gives the driver permission to modify the approach under certain conditions while remaining focused on its core mission. The absence of agility would force the driver into rigidity and thus, become subject to and in risk of a loss.

Rigidity in business is synonymous with, “We have always done it this way”, and is a foreboding sign of an “off-mission” organization. Without the presence of agility, it handicaps the organization in designing alternative approaches (i.e. changing the formulary) in the short-term to remain precisely committed to its long-term vision and ultimately steadfast to its mission. Agility, however, is not for the faint at heart and requires the visionary foresight and decisiveness to design short term solutions during instability with the long-term objective of remaining “on-mission”. Agility requires strength in leadership and strength in a committed workforce to navigate uncertainty and instability.