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Running head: CRITICAL MASS ANALYSIS 0
Critical Mass Analysis
Unit 2
Richard Hairston
Kaplan University
GM505 Action Research and Consulting Skills
Dr. Heidi Gregory-Mina
7/26/17
Critical Mass Analysis
The critical mass analysis will be done to establish why it takes so long to get an appointment within the primary care clinics at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical treatment facility in Helena Montana. For a long time, the veterans of this country have really suffered from problems originating from the department of veterans of affairs (Miller, 2012). I will access unlimited sources in order investigate this problem thoroughly. The medical support assistants will be my inquiry team since they deal with the patients appointments. I will facilitate the interaction with the veterans, to the doctors, to upper management.
Roles and involvement
There are seven major stakeholders involved in this action research project as indicated in the Critical Mass Grid (Appendix). The main stakeholder in the affairs of the veterans is not just the government, but it’s the Veteran seeking treatment.. The Veteran is suffering from not being able to seek medical treatment in a timely manner, and its limited to healthcare opinions due expensive insurance plans (Miller, 2012).
The secondary stakeholder and inquiry team member is the patient representative/ customer service rep personnel who are always in direct contact with the veterans on a delay basis. Medical Support Assistants, Nurses, doctors and community care coordinators will take a major in this action research to collaborate on the question at hand, and also find answers. Their desired role as I see with this research project is where I can accomplish most of my research with the inquiry team that is placed within each perspective group.
Last stakeholder would the external facilities and organizations, such as local treatment clinics, hospitals, and healthcare billing offices that will be affected by change of business practices. They will provide a crucial role in this research project as to become part of the inquiry team to find the best possible solution that will benefit the customers, and the organizations involved in the treatment.
Application of Cultural Literacy
The stakeholders will be treated with respect and will be given time to air their views and opinions. The stakeholders’ contributions will be accommodated irrespective of their position or status. This will ensure that everyone feels appreciated in this critical mass analysis. As such, this will draw the commitment of the stakeholders to the process of inquiry. In order to enhance the communication with the co-workers, I relate well with my co-workers, I will ensure that I mentored and coached them whenever the need be. All the stakeholders involved in this project I had to ensure that they have been coached and mentored so that they can yield better results. As the team leader or the manager, I have to ensure that I mentored and coached my co-workers to ensure they will yield best results. Project managers understand and engage with stakeholders on what is referred to as Highly Relational Engagement (HRE).
People become productive when they have the freedom to interact freely with their fellow team members (Emery, Calvard, & Pierce, 2013). They would very part of the management when they set targets on their own and strive in perfecting their work. When the great results are achieved by the company in terms of improve revenue and profitability, the team members will very proud of their own efforts ad celebrate as a group.
To ensure this style is effective I would give the team members the necessary resources as well as advice as and when needed. The culture of involving employees in decision-making will lead to higher job satisfaction and hence make them committed to achieving the organizational goals and objectives (Emery, Calvard, & Pierce, 2013). Further, the team members would strive to give the best out of the ordinary in order to achieve exceptional results. This can go a long way in promoting creativity and innovation among the team members.
I would employ technology to ensure every participant in this research is connected. Technology has today enabled us to communicate and send messages very fast. There are a number of technology-mediated communication ways such as email, cell phone messages, instant messaging, video conferencing, etc. A good example of video chat is Skype. Skype enables its users to have conference calls as well as meetings with fellow workers and clients across the world (Duncan, 2010). These video chats make it possible for your meetings to have a feeling of personal touch in that you can see your chat partner being close to you. When starting a video chat, one should ensure that chat software, webcam and internet connection are well set up. This will reduce frustrations and impatience for everyone involved in the video chat. In this case, you need to ensure that your computer is connected with an internet cable to reduce chances of wireless connection failure (John, 2012). In the above activity, I employed technology to ensure that I brought very participant on board. In addition, carry out chats in professional environment such as tidy and organized room. Although, laptops make it possible for one to have video chat nearly anywhere, you ought not to be tempted to have a chat in certain places. These include places such as restrooms or busy and loudly environment such as a restaurant. This is because such places result into unprofessional chats.
Reflection on Critical Mass Analysis Phase
I learned that working with multiple stakeholders requires a person to be patient and tolerant. In other words, the stakeholders have varying needs and wants and for this reason a person coordinating them must balance their interests. It calls for good leadership skills to achieve this goal. I also learned that putting the information into a category or hierarchy takes time, and it depends on how the information is disseminated across the board. It’s like putting a puzzle together where you decide to start with the boarders or do you start with a section that you have the most continuity with. Overall, I got a picture of how this research is going to need more personal involvement with the stakeholders which means I will have to be willing to go above and beyond the normal realm of typical Questions and Answers type of research.
Conclusion
This paper sought to investigate why it takes so long to get an appointment within the primary care clinics at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical treatment facility in Helena Montana. The stakeholders involved in this research were government, veterans, medical personnel, and external facilities and organizations, such as local treatment clinics, hospitals, and healthcare billing offices that will be affected by change of business practices.
Appendix
Critical Mass Grid
Action Research Project: Why does it take so long to get an appointment within the primary care clinics at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical treatment facility in Helena Montana?
| Involvement O = Current level X = Desired level |
Critical Mass Grid
| ROLE: | Make it Happen | Help it Happen | Let it Happen | Not Involved | |
| Name | Position | ||||
| government | law | o | x | x | |
| Hospitals | Healthcare facilities | x | o | o | |
| Local clinics | Healthcare facilities | x | x | x | |
| veterans | x | o | o | ||
| Customer service | Medical support assistant | x | x | o | |
| Doctors | Medical support | x | x | o | |
| Nurses | Medical assistant | x | x | o | |
Preparing to Negotiate: Key Ideas and Notes
| Stakeholder: Name: Government Position: law Interests: Seeing that the patients are given proper care, law is respected, and that the cost of offering services are affordable to the patients Options: the government working closely with the medical facilities in ensuring there is conducive environment in doing business. For example, proving infrastructures and security Alternatives if agreement is not possible: Creating a public-private partnership where the two parties share costs and benefit mutually. Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: The issues to be included in the agreement include the rules and regulations for conducting business, as well as the general guidelines with regard to the cost of providing service. | Stakeholder: Name: doctors Position: medical staff Interests: The doctors want the patients to cooperate during treatment. They also want the government to provide good infrastructures. They want to be paid well and the working conditions to be improved.
Options: The doctors need to offer quality services so that the patients can feel satisfied with these services and remain loyal to the organization. This will increase profits and hence money to pay well the doctors will be available. Alternatives if agreement is not possible: Putting the doctors on part-time basis where they will be paid for the hours worked rather than on permanent basis
Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: Performance work evaluations to be used in order to determine the productivity of the doctors. The outcomes to be paid accordingly |
Preparing to Negotiate: Key Ideas and Notes
| Stakeholder: Name -nurses Position: medical staff Interests: The nurses want the patients to cooperate during treatment. They also want the government to provide good infrastructures. They want to be paid well and the working conditions to be improved. Options: The nurses need to offer quality services so that the patients can feel satisfied with these services and remain loyal to the organization. This will increase profits and hence money to pay well the doctors will be available. Alternatives if agreement is not possible: Putting the nurses on part-time basis where they will be paid for the hours worked rather than on permanent basis Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: Performance work evaluations to be used in order to determine the productivity of the doctors. The outcomes to be paid accordingly | Stakeholder: Name: veterans Position: patients Interests: the veterans want to get quality medical services. They also want to get affordable medical services which are reliable. Options: the veterans can be give a wide rage of programs to choose from. This will ensure that they get customized services according to the price range. Alternatives if agreement is not possible: the patients can have insurance schemes where they contribute on monthly basis. This will help them meet the costs of medical services conveniently. Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: the veterans will be given loyalty cards which will tract how frequent they access the medical services. This will show how to win them over a long period of time to get their commitment |
| Stakeholder: Name: customer service attendants Position: medical support assistant Interests: The customer service professionals to win more customers through treating them well. They also want to attract new customers. They want the working environment to be improved in order to offer quality services. They need to be paid well. Options: the customer service attendants will access training to ensure they have all it takes to treat the customers well. They can also be given opportunity to set their own targets. Alternatives if agreement is not possible: The alternative in this case will involve giving the customer service staff freedom to work in groups. This will allow them to have time to be creative in solving the day to day problems at work as a joint team. Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: The management to ensure it gives the customer services staff support in terms of material and moral support. The customer service staff to undergo performance evaluation to gauge their personal performance and how it can be improved. | Stakeholder: Name: local clinics Position: healthcare facilities Interests: the local clinics want the government to provide good infrastructures, they want the local community to be friendly to them and work together in solving the local medical problems. Options: the local clinics to work closely with the government and the local communities in a mutual basis Alternatives if agreement is not possible: The local clinics to be rated according to how they are performing as well as how they are relating well with the government or local communities. Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: The performance rating of the local clinics will ensure that they work hard in improving their services sin meeting the needs and wants of the community. |
Preparing to Negotiate: Key Ideas and Notes
| Stakeholder: Name: hospitals Position: healthcare facilities Interests: the hospitals want the government to provide good infrastructures, they want the local community to be friendly to them and work together in solving the local medical problems. Options: the hospitals to work closely with the government and the local communities in a mutual basis Alternatives if agreement is not possible: The hospitals to be rated according to how they are performing as well as how they are relating well with the government or local communities. Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: The performance rating of the hospitals will ensure that they work hard in improving their services sin meeting the needs and wants of the society. | Stakeholder: Name: healthcare billing office Position: medical facility Interests: the healthcare billing office want the veterans to be paying their medical bills on time and also conveniently. They also want the billing system to be simplified Options: the billing system to be automated and the government to provide conducive working environment. Alternatives if agreement is not possible: Ensuring that the healthcare billing office works closely with the patients or veterans to ensure that the payments are made accordingly.
Self-Preparation: giving the other person a time to respond to the questions by not interrupting during negotiation. Relationship: The relationship will be a mutual one where there will be a win-win situation. The relationship will be a long-term to ensure that each of the players treat each other with respect. Commitments: the government to provide the infrastructures necessary to facilitate the delivery of services by the medical healthcare billing offices. The medical staff to undergo training to ensure that they deliver quality services. The system to be automated and the security of the systems to be enhanced. |
References
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Miller, T. W. (2012). The Praeger handbook of veterans' health: History, challenges, issues, and developments. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger.
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