Case Study:What Are the Two or Three Most Important Challenges Facing Sandra in This Case? 

Case Study:What Are the Two or Three Most Important Challenges Facing Sandra in This Case? 

The first challenge Sandra is facing is regaining control over the staffs. The change in technology has created a sense of chaos in Sandra’s department. This is evidenced by the way some employees are engaging in informal meetings and coming up with solutions to the challenges the healthcare facility in question is facing. The actions taken by some critical care staffs are making Sandra feel that she is no longer in control as far as directing matters in her department is concerned. The other challenge Sandra is facing is the adequate time needed to implement the needed change regime. The hospital Sandra is working for is facing numerous challenges brought by the changes in technology. The case study indicates that the new technology is creating pressure on the staffs to reduce patient’s lengths of stay, which has resulted in the hospital incurring accelerated costs and reduced revenue margins. This means that time is of the essence for Sandra and her team. At the same time, all workers needed to be involved in the development and implementation of solutions to the challenges the hospital is facing. This translates to more time which Sandra’s clinical facility does not have. According to Malloch and Porter-O’Grady (2009), leaders sometimes fail to act in the best interests of the entire system. Instead, they choose only to associate themselves with the component of the organization that they are part of. When this happens, the leader’s action causes both short term and long term effects on their organizations and departments. Sandra needs to look past the fact that some clinical staffs are taking upon themselves to find solutions to the challenges the hospital is facing without her prompting.

• What Are the Paradoxes Sandra Is Confronting While Trying to Provide Clinical Care and Doing the Business of The Department?

Malloch and Porter-O’Grady (2009) assert that uncertainty and ambiguity are fundamental conditions for effective change. In the case scenario, Sandra is facing numerous uncertainties. To begin with, Sandra does not know which between taking decisive action when it comes to directing the staffs and engaging the group in dialogue is the right course of action. Each of these options may yield positive results. The case study indicates that time is of the essence, which means that engaging the staff in dialogue may be impractical and could result in the department continuing to suffer negative outcomes. However, failing to engage the departmental staffs may only worsen the tension between them and the management. The tension can only make the success of the new changes more implausible. The other paradox Sandra is facing entails implementing the solutions recommended by the critical care staffs. If she supports the implementation of these suggestions, she would be relinquishing her primary responsibility as a leader.  On the other hand, implementing these suggestions may increase the chances of the new changes being successful. This is because the critical care staff would be more than willing to implement the solutions they developed themselves.

• What Is the Emerging Power Of The Informal System? Has the Core Group Changed the Dynamics of Leadership and the Movement of Change?

From the case study, the emerging power of the informal system pertains to the split group that comprises the clinical staffs. Malloch and Porter-O’Grady (2009) assert that it is highly likely that much of the innovation and creativity occur in informal or shadow networks. The split group has become the leading faction in planning and implementing the new technological changes. This group is involved in planning and attending an informal meeting. Also, it has come up with suggestions it thinks will work to address the challenges the hospital is facing.

• What Is the Relationship between the Larger Organization (Larger, Complex System) and the Department (Smaller Complex System), and How Would You Manage the Tension between Them?

In the case scenario under review, the larger organization has resolved to implement new technological changes over the last five years. It is expecting that the new changes will translate to better outcomes for patients the healthcare facility serves. However, the users of the new technologies are the deciding factor when it comes to influencing the extent to which the new change regime will succeed. Additionally, the larger organization and the departmental staffs have an untrusting relationship. The departmental staffs do not think they can trust the management to come up with solutions to the challenges the hospital is facing while putting into consideration the interests and opinions of the former. This is evident in the way some clinical staffs have been engaging in informal meetings from which they have come up with numerous suggestions regarding the problems the facility is facing. Malloch and Porter-O’Grady (2009) argue that intersections are the most important part of a system. If I were Sandra, I would ensure that I monitor and evaluate the implementation of the recommended change regime to be able to address any problem that may arise from the tension between the larger organization and the departmental staff as soon as possible. At the same time, I would arrange for consultative meetings between the management and the workers. These meetings would help the management clarify to the clinical staffs and other workers why the new technologies are necessary. One of the steps of exercising political influence is identifying relevant relationships (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Sandra needs to ensure that she has on her team people who believe in and support her. According to Bolman and Deal (2013), successful middle-management change agents begin by having their bosses on board. Also, Sandra needs to identify the parties that may resist the change regime she is set to implement and the reason for their action.

• What Are the Elements of Competition and Collaboration that Are Reflected in the Departmental Goals and Staff Activities?

The goals of the department headed by Sandra involve the provision of better care, increasing productivity, and reducing costs of operation. These goals are expected to be realized through patients spending less hospitalization time. On the other hand, health workers are under-resourced and overworked. Collaboration is evident in the conduct of some staffs that are responsive to the demand of the new change regime. Malloch and Porter-O’Grady (2009) argue that competition is important for sustainability and adaptation. The staff activities and departmental goals are competing, as evidenced by the way some clinical staff participating in informal meetings over lunch, where they discuss issues pertaining to the changing practice as well as the new patients’ care demands. From these meetings, the clinical staffs came up with a set of creative suggestions which they are eager to implement without considering how their colleagues and the administration think about their proposals.

• What Leadership Style Would Best support Sandra in this situation?

The leadership style that would support Sandra is transformative leadership. Transformative leadership is characterized by idealized influence, inspirational motivation, empowerment, and intellectual stimulation (Alqatawenh, 2018). This type of leadership involves leaders encouraging and motivating employees to be innovative in addressing the challenges their organization is facing. Without training, support and an opportunity to participate in the formal process, followers become stuck in the past, and this prevents them from focusing on the past. Sandra should offer to mentor and coach her team and allow them to be heavily involved in decision-making. For instance, she can encourage clinical staffs to involve their colleagues in developing the strategies they think will help address the challenges they are facing.  Additionally, leadership requires leaders to demonstrate strong, authentic leadership and expect that workers will be inspired to follow suit. It is evident that Sandra has lost control of her team and is no longer responsible for directing and planning for the implementation of strategies that will address the challenges her department is facing.

References

Alqatawenh, A. S. (2018). Transformational leadership style and its relationship with change management. Verslas: teorija ir praktika, 19(1), 17-24.

Bolman, L. G. and Deal, T. E. (2013). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (6^th Ed.). CA: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Malloch, K., & Porter-O’Grady, T. (2009). The quantum leader: Applications for the new world of work(2^nd ed). Jones & Bartlett Learning.