Lincoln Hospital
Abstract
This case study illustrates the crisis faced by the president of Lincoln Hospital, a for-profit hospital that had several hundred beds to fill. A number of issues are occurring at the hospital impacting the ability of the hospital to successfully perform the planned surgeries without incurring significant issues. These issues include high turnover, scheduling issues, service delays, and a divided staff. Worst of all, however, the doctors and nurses are at war. Specifically, Don, the new chief of surgery, is at war with Mary, the veteran OR director. Don and the other surgeons want Mary fired from her job but the president is unwilling to remove Mary from her position. The president is faced with a difficult choice. Therefore, he directed Mary and Don to come together and resolve their problems.
A skilled consultant was brought in as a neutral third party. The third-party facilitation intervention designed to help Don and Mary improve their working relationship included perceptions sharing, problem identification, contracting, and follow-up (Cummings 301). Specifically, Mary and Don responded in writing to three questions: 1. What does he or she do well? 2. What do I think I do that bugs him or her? 3. What does he or she do that bugs me
The mere act of answering the question seems to soften each towards understanding their part in the problem. Then they share their answers with each other with the practitioner present. Hearing the answer to the first question of what they did well softens them further and paves the way to resolve their differences. The two then agree on changes they were willing to make to their own behavior and practices and agreed on ways to support the other to be successful.
Analysis
Contracting and diagnosis stages
In the contracting stage the OD consultant should have started by clarifying the organizational issue by interviewing all affected parties, in a collaborative fashion, to understand all the issues, analyze them,
This case study illustrates the crisis faced by the president of Lincoln Hospital, a for-profit hospital that had several hundred beds to fill. A number of issues are occurring at the hospital impacting the ability of the hospital to successfully perform the planned surgeries without incurring significant issues. These issues include high turnover, scheduling issues, service delays, and a divided staff. Worst of all, however, the doctors and nurses are at war. Specifically, Don, the new chief of surgery, is at war with Mary, the veteran OR director. Don and the other surgeons want Mary fired from her job but the president is unwilling to remove Mary from her position. The president is faced with a difficult choice. Therefore, he directed Mary and Don to come together and resolve their problems.
A skilled consultant was brought in as a neutral third party. The third-party facilitation intervention designed to help Don and Mary improve their working relationship included perceptions sharing, problem identification, contracting, and follow-up (Cummings 301). Specifically, Mary and Don responded in writing to three questions: 1. What does he or she do well? 2. What do I think I do that bugs him or her? 3. What does he or she do that bugs me
The mere act of answering the question seems to soften each towards understanding their part in the problem. Then they share their answers with each other with the practitioner present. Hearing the answer to the first question of what they did well softens them further and paves the way to resolve their differences. The two then agree on changes they were willing to make to their own behavior and practices and agreed on ways to support the other to be successful.
Analysis
Contracting and diagnosis stages
In the contracting stage the OD consultant should have started by clarifying the organizational issue by interviewing all affected parties, in a collaborative fashion, to understand all the issues, analyze them,
Cited: Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. Organization development and change. 9th edition. South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.