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Six Sigma at Academic Medical Hospital (B)

UV3523

Rev. Apr. 21, 2016

Using a Change Acceleration Process (CAP) Chart to Improve Stakeholder Commitment

Pausing momentarily in her analysis of the Emergency Department (ED) Wait Time Project’s pilot results, Jane McCrea recognized that the team needed to focus its efforts on improving key stakeholders’ acceptance of the changes. Recalling the Six Sigma formula Q × A = E, McCrea and the team realized that the current level of resistance and lack of acceptance could potentially undermine the long-term success of all the positive results demonstrated thus far during the pilot. The team agreed that the required level of acceptance meant that the relevant stakeholders would believe in and become proponents of the process changes and would work on sustaining the wait time benefits gained for Level II patients because nothing less would ensure the project’s success and a new way of doing business for ED Wait Time. The improvement goal for the ED project was to achieve and maintain a 40% reduction in wait time.

One of the most effective and powerful CAP tools for improving the acceptance level of a Six Sigma project was a Stakeholder and Resistance Analysis. This analysis took stock of the current and desired levels of acceptance by the project’s key stakeholders and identified strategies to improve support and reduce resistance.

McCrea decided to conduct a Stakeholder and Resistance Analysis with the project team. First, the team identified all stakeholders involved and rated their current level of acceptance with a √. Next, using an X, the team determined the target level of support needed from each stakeholder for the change initiative to succeed, keeping in mind that not every stakeholder needed to be strongly supportive. Depending on the role and influence of some stakeholders, their level of support was adequate even if they fell in the Neutral category. Then, the team used arrows to link individuals based on who appeared able to influence the less-supportive people and bring them along. Finally, the team determined the influencing strategies that would move Acceptance to the desired level.

Using Elevator Speeches to Improve Stakeholder Commitment

Another effective CAP tool for improving Acceptance and support for a Six Sigma project was an elevator speech: a well-timed, individually tailored sales pitch given by a team member or influential stakeholder. This speech was specifically designed to convince a less-committed colleague of the project’s worthiness. An elevator speech answered the question, “Why are we doing this project?” It was typically given whenever the team member or influential stakeholder had an opportunity in a hallway, at a meeting, in

This case was prepared by Research Assistant Debra Altschuler, Robert D. Landel, Henry E. McWane Professor of Business Administration, and Dee

C. San, MBA/RN. It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright © 2003 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to [email protected]. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.

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Strategies to Improve Support and Reduce Resistance