After No. 8 Wisconsin’s football team’s overtime loss to No. 2 Ohio State this weekend, Madison sports talk radio was abuzz with the reasons behind the loss. One of the radio personalities spent a fair amount of time explaining Wisconsin’s main challenge.
“Wisconsin simply doesn’t have the depth of talent that Ohio State has,” he said, “nor does Wisconsin have the volume of ‘elite’ talent that Ohio State has.” That struck me as surprisingly relevant to the world of healthcare, specifically healthcare IT.
“We don’t have conference records or national championships to worry about,” you may say.
But you do have competition.
And the game you’re playing and the competitors you face are changing.
You’re competing in the most consumer-driven market that healthcare has ever seen. You and your competing organizations are all trying to offer better service at lower cost. You’re competing for recognition. You’re competing to more effectively meet government standards. You’re competing to figure out how to use all that valuable data captured every day in your EHR.
And you’re competing for increasingly scarce healthcare IT professionals to join your team.
You may also argue that the team is as important as the talent, and rightfully so.
Here at Nordic, we talk a lot about our maxims and believe in creating a culture of “make it about we.” When you have the depth and breadth of talent, and those talented players are good teammates who work well with other members of the organization, then you truly have a team that can go up against the best.
When you’re looking to solve these larger problems and compete, think about who you want on that team.
Be sure that your partners can offer the elite quality and depth your complex projects require. Be sure they understand the importance of a true team, not just a collection of talent. Partners should have a commitment to understanding you and connecting with you to build a team that’s going to take you to the postseason and beyond. Not all teams can offer you that unique combination, so choose wisely.
And then, go get ‘em!
(Want to chat about football, teams, or healthcare IT consulting? Let's talk.)