Leaders can't change physicians; only they can, wrote Anthony Cirillo, president of Fast Forward Consulting, in Hospital Impact. In his blog post this week, Cirillo examines the power of individual "self-discovery," compared to organizational directives on changing hospital culture. "An organization or its leaders can't change someone's behavior," he said. "[M]aybe they can in the short term when performance reviews and other carrots and sticks are on the line, but it is not sustainable."
Cirillo cited a reader, who is under $350,000 in medical school debt and commented, "[I]t is not doctors' responsibility to heal society." Cirillo encouraged individuals to engage in "mastering self," in which they reflect on why they entered healthcare, specifically, toward providing compassionate care. "While most people have entered healthcare with a calling, not all do, and some have lost it along the way. An organization can't change the person. But a person can change him- or herself." Blog post