By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com
With everything happening in the world today, disruptive change is inevitable. Change always requires disruption to some degree. And, right now, we are all intensely in the middle of disruption that causes us to rethink how we listen, how we communicate, and how we act. The challenging thoughts expressed by so many reflect the unknown, vulnerability, uncertainty. This is all daunting unless you choose to embrace change as an opportunity.
In physician relations, our world has been greatly disrupted. So, what’s our opportunity?
Here are a few questions you might ask to get your minds thinking and to engage your teams in the conversations about what’s next. Each question is designed to help you identify where your greatest opportunity for change exists. Don’t think about how it was. Think about what lies ahead for your organization, your market and your physicians.
- What’s the greatest need only physician relations can provide the organization? Answer this question based on changes you’ve seen as a result of COVID-19, not on the past. Also, notice the word “only” is underlined. Push yourself to identify the single, most important value you provide to your organization. Not something others in the organization share responsibility for. For example, many have responsibility for growing business. Get to the core of what and how you do that as your sole responsibility. When you get to that need, ask yourself if that need will remain significant for success in the future? If the answer isn’t yes, that’s your opportunity to change what you provide your organization.
- What do physicians and their practices need today that is significantly different than what they needed before? This list might long, but it has a purpose. If physicians need to make sure their patients are safe when they need care, how does that change how we interact with those practices in the future? Consider asking your physicians this very question. Ask them to prioritize what they share. What you learn will help you with the next question.
- As a physician relations team, what would you keep, and what needs to be left behind? The answer isn’t about keeping what you like and getting rid of what you don’t like. It’s about challenging yourself to make the tough changes you need to make. What if you decided that drop-ins were no longer an approach you wanted to use in the field because you want to respect the practices need to keep their patients safe. Unsettling right? I want you to think about what kind of relationship that strategy would require with each office. A different relationship. Likely one that is respectful, meaningful, and perhaps a true partner in helping them care for their patients. Differentiated from all others? I say, yes. Easy to accomplish, no, but indeed possible with a commitment.
I wouldn’t recommend you take on all these questions at once. Take one and dig in. If you want help, reach out, and we’ll be glad to guide you through it. Give yourself permission to be vulnerable and open your mind to new thinking. The time is right, so take advantage of it.