In 2012, Clint Eastwood starred in the movie “Trouble with the Curve,” a film that portrays the elusiveness of the curve ball pitch in the ranks of professional baseball.  Fastball, slider, curveball, change-up; these are the tools of the pitcher’s trade and the test of any good hitter.

Hitting a classic curve ball or change-up pitch is certainly a challenge. When a player learns to hit these types of pitches with consistency, he earns a reputation as a valuable player who can help his team win more games. 

Does a change-up in your life create a challenge for you?

When you consider how to handle change at work, in life, or at play there are two important things to remember:

1. We need to accept change and adjust to it

2. Change is constant

On the ball field, pitchers use the change-up as an ‘out’ pitch to advance their game. In life, change is used to spur growth and progress. 

Change is universal; the weather, fashion, leadership in business or government, our evolving healthcare system. If change is part of the normal rhythm of life, why then is it so difficult for us to accept it? 

People typically react to change in one of four ways:

1. No Buy In, Leave

This group of individuals does not want to deal with the change occurring and will opt out as soon as they can. The reality is that when people make this decision early on, they are doing both themselves and the organization a favor due to the quickness of the decision versus prolonging the inclined decision to leave.

2. Stay, But Shouldn’t

This group will stay, but will oftentimes sabotage the change initiative due to subconscious or unintentional negative behavior. When this happens, people often feel as if they are caught between that proverbial “rock and hard place”. It is better for them to move on as soon as possible.

3. Wait and See How it Goes

This group has a more calculated mindset. There is really nothing wrong with the “course of time” attitude. Because they are thoughtful individuals, they will sort it out pretty quickly and make a good decision. You may lose some people during this process, but those who stay will almost certainly be committed to your success.

4. Go ‘All In’ to Make it Work 

This type of individual has already made up their mind to give it everything they have and are emotionally invested in making a successful adjustment. These people are real assets to your change process and organization.

We talk about adapting to change, but in order to really change, we must make it work for us. The healthcare industry is notorious for its resistance to change amidst reform and regulations.  

You might conclude that one reason for the lack productivity growth in the healthcare industry is due to the broad changes impacting every level of healthcare operations; implementation of new systems, new CPT and DRG codes, Meaningful Use and Security Risk Assessments, 5010, ACA and ACO healthcare reform requirements.

As we move ahead, change will occur in many areas including:

Workflow and reporting
Handling claims denials
Processes for locating troubled areas in the billing process
Educating staff, including busy physicians
Compliance requirements

In business, change frequently creates new opportunities. If we do not take advantage of new opportunities, chances are another organization will pursue these possible positive disruptions to the status quo. If we don’t embrace change, how then will an organization be affected? Will the organization: Fall behind? Become out of touch? Be rendered unable to meet the changing demands of the market?

If we accept, embrace, and adjust to change, in both our personal and professional lives we will find ourselves on a path of continuous improvement. This consistent improvement will ready us to take on new opportunities. This is the practice of being nimble and flexible, which will result in personal and professional success. Enthusiastically accepting change and adjusting aptly to it by seeing it as opportunity to improve and become more successful should be a motivator. Are you willing to make the effort to learn how to hit that change-up?