Conquering with force only brings resistance

Guiding teams in new product launches and developing new strategic initiatives is a big part of what IIBD does but as tough as it may be to get the strategy right, by far the more difficult is job is getting the strategy implemented.  Business leaders everywhere know the frustration; on the one hand a brilliant idea is fabulous, while getting widespread adoption and creating a genuine impact is quite another thing.  The secret isn’t to mount an organization wide push to force a strategy through but rather to create an organization wide “pull” to secure a solid execution.  Watch how the Institute for Healthcare Improvement did just that and in doing so were able to save over a 100,000 lives per year. ¹

Dr. Berwick, who headed up The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), faced a monumental task.  Over 100,000 lives a year were lost due to medical mistakes, and his group was tasked with bringing life-saving quality control methodologies into the healthcare sector.   Interestingly, the best technology on quality improvements was coming from an unlikely place – the manufacturing sector.  As one might imagine medical professionals, especially doctors, were deeply skeptical, some even horrified, by the idea of “factory floor” practices being implemented within the sacred walls of the modern hospital.  Pulling rank and risking direct confrontation with doctors would have been a dead end.  Instead, IHI’s founder chose a path of empowerment.

Decades of innovation research confirm that change spreads most effectively socially, from peer to peer. You don’t even need everyone on board initially; research suggests a tipping point can be reached with just 10-25% of potential participants becoming early “apostles.”

Dr. Berwick and his team identified six evidence-based protocols that were easy to implement and were clearly impactful with measurable results on patient outcomes.  Then the IHI team created “change kits” – essentially co-optable resources complete with “how-to” guides. The goal was to empower allies within hospitals to champion these protocols themselves.

Over the next 18 months the successful outcomes reported by the early adopters spread to more reluctant hospitals.  Convinced by the early data, other hospitals came on board.  In the end, over a third of all US hospitals were implementing the change kits developed by the IHI resulting in the prevention of approximately 122,000 needless deaths (easily measured) due to hospital errors.   Importantly, success didn’t focus on persuading skeptics; instead, they empowered believers.

The IHI story is about strategy execution. Change comes when people are given the tools to achieve outcomes they believe in. It allows them to become the heroes of their own success stories.  While it may be tempting to force change through, resist the lure.  Instead, consider starting small with enthusiasts and empower them with the right tools.  Their successes are by far the most fruitful for effecting strategic change.

What can we learn from IHI and their opt-in approach to strategy execution:

• Identify and Empower Your “Believers” First.  Instead of battling resistance head-on, find those within your organization who are already enthusiastic about the change. Give them the tools to lead the charge. They are your most powerful advocates.
• Create “Change Kits”  Develop practical, easy-to-use resources that your champions can adapt and use to drive the initiative in their own spheres of influence. Make it easy for them to succeed and share.
• Find Demonstrable, Early Wins.  Like IHI’s focus on protocols with clear, measurable impacts, ensure your initial efforts can show tangible benefits quickly. Success is contagious and the tally of “lives saved” was a powerful incentive; what are your equivalents?
• Design for Social Spread, Not Top-Down Enforcement.  Recognize that true adoption happens peer-to-peer. By equipping enthusiasts, you’re planting seeds that can grow into widespread change. The goal is to make the new way so compelling that others want to join in.

Successful transformation isn’t about the force of your persuasion; it’s about empowerment of your champions. By designing resources that believers can co-opt for their own purposes, you unlock an incredible, organic force for change.   How could you apply the “co-optable resource” model to energize your strategy adoption?

1.   The story is adapted from Greg Satell  the cofounder of ChangeOS –  Strategy and Business Oct 2023