Q & A Table of Contents
Fear Of Change Harms Our Clinic
From: Elias, Nazareth, Palestinian Authority
Question: As a manager of a big clinic I want your help in handling negative attitudes and fear of change in a one sector of four I manage. Also some
tips in improving interpersonal communication skills between the specific
sector who feels very frustrated in comparison to the rest. The main claim I used to hear is "our head of sector" who is not doing his best in this issue.
I await your advise in these 2 issues: FEAR OF CHANGE and FRUSTRATED STAFF
BECAUSE OF NONCOOPERATIVE HEAD OF SECTOR.
Response: When people are afraid of change, it is crucial to try to figure out why this is the case. Are they afraid that change will cause them to lose power, to lose face, to show their colleagues that they are not capable of doing the job except in the way they've always done it?
You need to talk with your colleagues, particularly the "Ccooperative" heads of the other three sectors. Try to figure out what issues underlie the fourth sectors' heads fear of change. Is s/he afraid of looking under-qualified? Has s/he had bad experiences in the past relating to change, on the job or in other areas of life.
Look for what the Sector Head has to lose, and what s/he has to gain by the change. Will it bring additional resources? Can the Head anticipate that accepting change and fulfilling the new requirements will improve his/her reputation within the clinic, with the public, with specific individuals?
Find ways to ask the Sector Head what she or he feels there is to gain from changes, and also take a serious look at where the changes may create risks. If the Sector Head can feel as if he or she is contributing to increased success, and that he or she will get credit for his/her contribution to the improved delivery of services. Find out where there are common objectives, even if individuals have different ways they think those objectives can be achieved.
In response to the second part of your question: if the Sector Head can be convinced to accept change, clearly that should overcome the frustration s/he is currently generating.
However you have to ask a hard question: if the Sector Head continues to be against change and thus continues to contribute to staff frustration, are there steps that must be taken? Should the Sector Head be transferred out of the clinic? Should the Head be given different responsibilities? Might the Head respond better to pressure from the sector staff than from his/her fellow Heads or from the boss?
The important thing is to examine the situation to figure out the interests of the Sector Head, other Sector Heads, staff members, and their constituents (patients, patients' families, the organization of which the clinic is part, etc.). Ask open-ended questions (not requiring 'yes' or 'no' answers before you offer your own answers.
Remember, everyone has an ego. You need to figure out how to deal with whatever drives the ego of each of the parties. If you are collaborative in your approach, bringing in and respecting the ideas of others, then perhaps you can overcome the uncooperative behavior of the Sector Head.
Good luck,
Steve
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