Health care IT has likely never seen a time of such tremendous activity. There have been times before when deadlines loomed and major multi-years projects were required. However today there seem to be multiple high stakes issues with over lapping deadlines that all depend on IT to deliver. This will inevitably put new stress and pressure on the IT department staff all the way to the CIO.
How an organization responds to these pressures will be critical to the effectiveness of the efforts. Take Time Off Information Week's Guerra On Healthcare points out both the burn out risk and an effective approach to dealing with it. Get out of the office! These issues will not be tackled overnight and the temptation to keep working harder can backfire. Taking time off can be an effective way to keep performance levels high. As Guerra points out, it may seem paradoxical, but it is something you should want to see and if you don't, you may want to encourage it. Guerra focuses on the CIO, but I suspect the advice should filter through the ranks. Effective Project Planning Taking time off can give someone better perspective and re-charge the batteries. In the same way having effective project planning discipline can provide needed perspective when the endless litany of challenges hit a team day to day. On tough days it can be invaluable to have the ability to step back and see how the long term effort is going. Seeing that things are still on track overall can help motivate teams when an unexpected event puts a part of the effort behind. Get Great Resources Most teams will have a variety of strengths and weaknesses. The mandates that must be met today demand such a broad range of skills and knowledge that it may be difficult to find all your answers internally. Driving team members to stretch their capabilities can be a great strength and a great way for people to grow. However, stretching this too far can cause people to decompensate. It is critical to have a good understanding of where your internal strengths and weakness are so you can spot shortfalls early. Bringing in consultants with relevant skills to fill one of your gaps can be a boost to both the project and the team's morale. What Else? What are others doing to manage this avalanche of issues? Let us know. What are the most pressing issues? How do they rank? HIPAA, 5010, ICD10, EHR Implementations, Meaningful Use? There is certainly no short of issues creating a wide range of project needs. One thing that is clear, the success of most health care organizations will be more tightly tied to the performance of its IT group than at any time before.
How an organization responds to these pressures will be critical to the effectiveness of the efforts.
Take Time Off
Information Week's Guerra On Healthcare points out both the burn out risk and an effective approach to dealing with it. Get out of the office! These issues will not be tackled overnight and the temptation to keep working harder can backfire. Taking time off can be an effective way to keep performance levels high. As Guerra points out, it may seem paradoxical, but it is something you should want to see and if you don't, you may want to encourage it. Guerra focuses on the CIO, but I suspect the advice should filter through the ranks.
Effective Project Planning
Taking time off can give someone better perspective and re-charge the batteries. In the same way having effective project planning discipline can provide needed perspective when the endless litany of challenges hit a team day to day. On tough days it can be invaluable to have the ability to step back and see how the long term effort is going. Seeing that things are still on track overall can help motivate teams when an unexpected event puts a part of the effort behind.
Get Great Resources
Most teams will have a variety of strengths and weaknesses. The mandates that must be met today demand such a broad range of skills and knowledge that it may be difficult to find all your answers internally. Driving team members to stretch their capabilities can be a great strength and a great way for people to grow. However, stretching this too far can cause people to decompensate. It is critical to have a good understanding of where your internal strengths and weakness are so you can spot shortfalls early. Bringing in consultants with relevant skills to fill one of your gaps can be a boost to both the project and the team's morale.
What Else?
What are others doing to manage this avalanche of issues? Let us know. What are the most pressing issues? How do they rank? HIPAA, 5010, ICD10, EHR Implementations, Meaningful Use? There is certainly no short of issues creating a wide range of project needs. One thing that is clear, the success of most health care organizations will be more tightly tied to the performance of its IT group than at any time before.
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