When it comes to change management, there are numerous theories on how to execute it. Many of those, however, fall flat for one main reason: the disconnect that inevitably exists between the those implementing the change and those being asked to absorb it. It’s a gap that can only be bridged, according to Jason Joseph, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Corewell Health, through shared accountability.

In order to make that happen, “You have to be willing, you have to have the right cultural foundation, and you have to have people engaged.” In a recent interview with Kate Gamble, Managing Editor at healthsystemCIO, Joseph spoke about how he is working to build that culture at Corewell, which was born out of the merger of Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health.

He also discussed why he believes technology is only a small part of the equation when it comes to initiatives like ERP, Corewell’s decision to rebrand IT and IS as ‘digital services,’ his concerns about the long-term impact of remote work models, and the advice he would offer to his younger self.

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Key Takeaways

* When change management isn’t successful, it’s usually because there’s a “big disconnect between the team that’s implementing the change and the team on the ground.”

* If you want to improve the culture, you need to look at your own behaviors: how do I show up? What types of traits and attributes do I need to be a good leader? “If you’re doing that, it becomes the culture.”

* With IT talent at a premium, it’s important to “make sure our team members are being heard, that they feel valued, that they feel engaged, and that they don’t feel like we’ve put more on their shoulders than they can handle.

* Although remote work has helped recruit and retain staff, it can have negative long-term effects. “If we don’t find the right balance, that sense of community within our organization can start to erode a little bit.”

* “We have to make the environment one that attracts the right type of talent. And that’s everything from who we hire, how we hire them, the culture that they come into, and how they’re embraced by their team.”

Q&A with Jason Joseph, Corewell Health, Part 2 [Click here to view Part 1]

Gamble:  That accountability piece makes a difference in people understanding that this isn’t being done to you.

Joseph:  It makes all the difference, quite frankly. We’ve seen that the road is littered with change programs that just don’t go well. If you unpack them, much of the time there’s just a big disconnect between the team that thinks they’re implementing the change and the team on the ground. There is no way to bridge that gap without shared accountability.

In order to take share of the accountability, you have to be willing, you have to have the right cultural foundation, and you have to have people who are engaged. All those things go with it. And that’s where it becomes very exciting, because these are the types of programs that really can change your culture in a good way. It’s what actually makes integration happen. It’s why teams that go through really tough things become really, really solid — because they went through hell together, if you will. And you have to come out the other side with that perspective on it,