Mastering Healthcare IT Leadership: 6 Strategies to Crush Barriers
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare IT leadership, overcoming predominant head winds is key to driving organizational success. Over my two-decade career in this field, I've witnessed firsthand how strategic leaders can transform IT from a cost center to a business enabler. However, alongside opportunities come challenges—here are the top three barriers facing healthcare IT leaders in 2024, along with six proven strategies to overcome them.
3 Barriers Healthcare IT Leaders Face in 2024
Each of these barriers threatens an IT leader's ability to focus on growth and value, trapping them in a cycle of firefighting. Here they are, along with strategies to address them:
Inadequate Preventative Cybersecurity
Managing Technical Debt
Recourse Constraint
Inadequate Preventative Cybersecurity
Despite the growing importance of cybersecurity, many organizations struggle to justify investments in preventive measures, leaving them vulnerable to cyber threats. Cybersecurity spending growth dropped by 65% during the ‘22-23 budget cycle.
2. Managing Technical Debt
Legacy systems pose a significant challenge, hindering innovation and scalability. Issues such as interoperability and emerging technologies further complicate matters. It is estimated organizations waste 23%-42% of development time on technical debt.
3. Resource Constraints
The demand for skilled IT professionals has intensified, yet competition and costs continue to rise, making talent acquisition and retention challenging.
6 Strategies to Overcome Challenges & Leverage Opportunities for IT Leaders
These six strategies empower IT leaders to navigate barriers effectively and align IT with organizational goals:
Standardizing Infrastructure
Become a Servant Leader
Undercover the Why
Continuous Learning
Prioritize Change Management
Utilize Resources
Standardizing Infrastructure
My previous CIO (Chief Information Officer) taught me to be fanatical about standardization. Without this each new project is overwhelmed with existing issues. Currently, CIOs report 10%-20% of new product technology budgets are spent on resolving issues related to tech debt.
By focusing on standardization, IT leaders can lay the foundation for innovation and regulatory compliance, enabling seamless integration of innovative technologies. Standardizing Infrastructure ensures robust security measures are integrated into the IT framework, mitigating cybersecurity risks.
For some, this shift to standardization may be a big deviation from the current operating model. If you are drowning in technical debt, it may be overwhelming to consider. I learned a long time ago the key to making change is understanding the “why.”
Uncover the Why
Understanding the business's strategic objectives is crucial for translating technical solutions into tangible business value.
How do you learn the why? A great method I found was to “Walk the Gemba.” Gemba comes from the original Japanese term 'gembutsu" which means "real thing" or refers to the "real place.” This term is adopted to describe where the work is happening and a personal observation of work.
You need to know your audience and capabilities to address all the needs. Before you engage in a project that will impact many business units, volunteer to spend some time on the floor shadowing people to understand what they are doing. You will establish credibility by learning their language and their needs.
Prioritize Change Management
Effective change management practices, coupled with stakeholder engagement, drive successful technology adoption and organizational buy-in. Streamline the transition from legacy systems to modern solutions, reducing technical debt and fostering innovation.
Burwood’s 5 technology and adoption best practices are:
Conduct a Needs Analysis by going to the Gemba
Design an End-User Focused Solution
Gain customer acceptance by conducting a Pilot Program
Develop and Deploy a Comprehensive Communication Strategy
Provide Custom End-User Adoption Support
Become a Servant Leader
Cultivate a culture of collaboration and empowerment, recognizing that your team is your greatest asset. Embrace servant leadership to foster diversity, minimize turnover, and enhance productivity. Empower and support your team, maximizing productivity and minimizing turnover amidst resource constraints.
““It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do, we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.””
Continuous learning
Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies through podcasts, LinkedIn, and other resources. Embrace continuous learning to remain agile and prepared for future challenges.
Utilize Resources
Leverage external expertise and partnerships to overcome barriers and drive innovation. At Burwood Group, our experts offer specialized knowledge to help you navigate complex IT challenges.
Conclusion
Mastering healthcare IT leadership requires a combination of strategic vision, adaptability, and continuous learning. By implementing these six strategies with dedication and focus, IT leaders can break through barriers, drive innovation, and deliver value to their organizations.
May 6th, 2024
