Charting the Course to Health IT Transformation
By Sulaiman H. Sulaiman | May 27, 2017Healthcare IT is among a sea of problems, and it is often difficult to navigate the right solutions.
Advisory Consulting Services provide clients with the knowledge, experience, and guidance to transform Healthcare using IT solutions. Whether you are in the midst of building the foundation, or on the leading edge of innovation, the benefits of leveraging and learning from the experience of others are invaluable.
Health IT is an enabler to achieve client’s goals and desired outcomes. Developing the right strategy is critical to charting the path an organization would take, and in turn determine its success. Would you build a house without a blueprint? Would you fly a plane without the essential navigation systems to guide you through the journey? While the blueprints or navigation systems may be subject to adjustments and modifications, it is inconceivable to build or fly without them. Likewise, the creation and execution of the IT strategy, in alignment with the overall organizational strategy, shapes the direction needed to maximize the value of your IT investment. Client-centric advisory services must be formed with the organization’s strategic objectives in mind. In other words, an advisor must have the foresight to see opportunities through the eyes of their clients, and coach the team to avoid pitfalls and deliver winning results.
Foresight: It takes a special skill for an advisor to effectively understand the needs of the client and draw upon his/her experience to present the right recommendations. Getting to know the customer and their challenges, along with the opportunities, is an important step to be effective in relating to the specific needs of the client. Different clients may require a different approach on how to achieve their strategic objectives. The advisor must be innovative in shaping professional experience with new ideas, methods and solutions to better address the needs of the client. While there are common components to a successful Digital Strategy, the goal is to make sure it is localized and personalized to each client. One size does NOT fit all.
Coaching: The Advisor plays a critical role in building the right relationships and serves as the guide and champion for the right change. The advisor is to lead clients to a winning outcome and celebrate their successes. A good coach is not afraid to point out opportunities for improvement and work with the team to address these areas. Even when the coaching includes pain, there should be no doubt that intentions are meant for the betterment of the individual player and broader team. Similarly, a good advisor is one who does not shy away from telling the truth, especially when the discoveries may not be pleasant. By systematically asking the right questions, the advisor discerns the client’s strengths, gaps, weaknesses, and potential problems. He/she is always prepared to provide counsel to positively overcome weaknesses that the client may or may not be aware of.
Confident Humility: Effective long-term partnerships are built on a level of trust between the client and the advisor. There should be no doubt in the mind of the people served that their best interest is in mind. Creating an environment of openness and transparency will lead to better results and outcomes. It’s a bit of an art to be able to present confident knowledge and expertise with humility and meekness. Humanly speaking, we all like it when we deal with people who are confident, but not arrogant. Humility builds teamwork, creates a culture of innovation, cultivates better relationships, and fosters positive change. There is a great sense of fulfillment in celebrating other’s accomplishments, especially when you have played a role in reaching these successes. The result is a win-win for all involved.
IT advisory consulting services assists in charting the course, channeling organizational effort in the right direction, minimizing waste and frustration; and ultimately enabling winning results in harmony with the client’s overall strategy and path to success.