Merger toward a leading Intensive Care department in the Netherlands
Initial situation
An Academic Hospital recently appointed a new Intensive Care department head. He has a dual assignment: (1) to integrate numerous specialized IC units into one large department, and (2) to develop the department to meet the requisite quality level to train new employees. The new department head, who is also a professor and reputable quality controller, performs his own solid analysis of the strengths and weaknesses. He then contacts Cordes to come up with a solution for: Where do we go from here?
Our solution
In joint consultation, the following route is mapped out for the reorganization and integration process:
Detailed and change-oriented steps |
Approach |
Strategic phase
|
Strategic phase
Internal and external
|
Development phase
|
Development phase |
Implementation phase
|
Implementation phase Management team + |
The planned feedback from the diagnosis is no small matter for the department head. Referring specialists are unwilling to relinquish their control over the IC, personnel are adverse to change and everyone passes grievances onto the department head, who comes through with flying colours, with Cordes’ support.
The people
The members of the management team are part of the change. Their own interests and positions are as much an issue as those of the employees. But they are also the ones that have to implement the changes and explain and defend them to their own staff, who are not accustomed to change. How do we tackle this? We start with a detailed, carefully prepared exchange of information about what is at stake for the patients, the new large department, the staff and the management team. This makes the present ‘underground’ field of influence more visible in one go. It has such a major impact that consequently personal concerns and interests no longer obscure the in-depth discussions in the management team.
Analysis
Once the most important decisions have been made, work groups are formed to detail the components of the new organization. The professional, disciplined working method that the management team requires of the working groups is a yardstick for the new management style and culture in the department. After decision-making regarding the advice from the working groups, the newly formed management team develops an ambitious policy plan during a number of meetings with Cordes. Cordes then gradually retreats, but continues to serve as a sounding board and coach, and assists the department head in implementing both the structure change and the new policy.
