Read the following scenario about Kaiser Permanente’s Innovations Consultancy section from Ch. 12, “The Effective Change Manager: What Does It Take?,” of Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach : Scenario: Kaiser Permanente’s Innovations Consultancy Lew McCreary (2010) describes how Kaiser Permanente, a managed care consortium based in Oakland, California, has developed a novel approach to innovation and improvement. The company set up its own internal Innovation Consultancy unit. This unit employs change experts to observe people, ask them how they feel about their work, take notes and photographs, make drawings, and identify better ways of doing things. This involves, McCreary (p. 92) suggests, “a combination of anthropology, journalism, and empathy,” exploring how staff and patients live, work, think, and feel before trying to solve a problem. A key part of the approach involves “uncovering the untold story”—finding out “what is really going on here?” For example, to prevent nurses being interrupted during medication rounds, and thus to reduce errors, a “deep dive” event was held, including nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and patients. The event generated around 400 ideas, some straightforward and some “outlandish.” This led to the design of a smock that said “leave me alone” on it (known as “no-interruption wear”) and a five-step process for ensuring the correct dispensing of medication. Another example concerned the exchange of patient information between nursing shifts. This used to take 45 minutes, and delayed the next shift’s contact with patients. In addition, nurses would compile and exchange information in idiosyncratic ways, potentially missing important details. The revised Nurse Knowledge Exchange is faster and more reliable, with new software and with information presented in standard formats. Members of the Information Consultancy unit do not dictate the changes that are to be made, but work with staff as “co-designers” on change projects. This approach allows Kaiser Permanente to achieve the aim of implementing innovation and change quickly and economically. Write  a 525- to 700-word paper in which you: Identify processes, work units, interdepartmental committees, etc., within an organizational structure that are being evaluated by the Consultancy in order to promote a proactive approach toward change. Discuss what barriers you perceive existed within the segments of the consortium that hindered change prior to the innovative and improvement approach that waslaunched. Incorporate the underlying skill sets discussed in the case study. Draw upon your readings in Ch.12, “The Effective Change Manager: What Does It Take?” Format  your paper consistent with APA guidelines. .

1. Read
the following scenario about Kaiser Permanente’s Innovations
Consultancy section from Ch. 12, “The Effective Change
Manager: What Does It Take?,” of
Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives
Approach
:
Scenario: Kaiser Permanente’s Innovations Consultancy
Lew McCreary (2010) describes how Kaiser Permanente, a
managed care consortium based in Oakland, California, has
developed a novel approach to innovation and improvement.
The company set up its own internal Innovation Consultancy
unit. This unit employs change experts to observe people, ask
them how they feel about their work, take notes and
photographs, make drawings, and identify better ways of doing
things. This involves, McCreary (p. 92) suggests, “a
combination of anthropology, journalism, and empathy,”
exploring how staff and patients live, work, think, and feel
before trying to solve a problem.
A key part of the approach involves “uncovering the untold
story”—finding out “what is really going on here?” For
example, to prevent nurses being interrupted during medication
rounds, and thus to reduce errors, a “deep dive” event was held,
including nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and patients. The event
generated around 400 ideas, some straightforward and some
“outlandish.” This led to the design of a smock that said “leave
me alone” on it (known as “no-interruption wear”) and a five-
step process for ensuring the correct dispensing of medication.

2. Another example concerned the exchange of patient information
between nursing shifts. This used to take 45 minutes, and
delayed the next shift’s contact with patients. In addition,
nurses would compile and exchange information in idiosyncratic
ways, potentially missing important details. The revised Nurse
Knowledge Exchange is faster and more reliable, with new
software and with information presented in standard formats.
Members of the Information Consultancy unit do not dictate the
changes that are to be made, but work with staff as “co-
designers” on change projects. This approach allows Kaiser
Permanente to achieve the aim of implementing innovation and
change quickly and economically.
Write
a 525- to 700-word paper in which you:
Identify processes, work units, interdepartmental committees,
etc., within an organizational structure that are being evaluated
by the Consultancy in order to promote a proactive approach
toward change.
Discuss what barriers you perceive existed within the segments
of the consortium that hindered change prior to the innovative
and improvement approach that waslaunched.
Incorporate the underlying skill sets discussed in the case study.
Draw upon your readings in Ch.12, “The Effective Change
Manager: What Does It Take?”
Format
your paper consistent with APA guidelines.