Q&A with Foothold: How to Introduce Major Change to Your Organization

By Community Team

You’ve invested a significant amount of time researching EHR software solutions, and you’ve signed a contract for the one you believe will best support your organization. You’ve already accomplished a lot, but the next phase, implementation, is where the rubber meets the road. Launching new agency-wide software can feel like a daunting task. Change is complicated and inconvenient, and anxiety around a large scale software implementation is absolutely justified; however, at Foothold, successful implementations happen all the time. 

Foothold Technology is a premier EHR software provider for human services organizations.  Foothold’s client community includes more than 1,000 organizations across the nation, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Foothold’s software is highly configurable with sophisticated capabilities, and supported by experts who have worked in the human services field and understand the culture and priorities of human services organizations. We’ve learned a lot from guiding organizations through change and have a strong, growing, and flourishing client community that has a lot to say about our ability to lead clients through a successful implementation. 

We sat down with our recently implemented client, Alliance for Positive Health, to hear about their experience with change management via EHR implementation – what they loved, what they learned, and what they wish they could share with other organizations considering an EHR implementation. Alliance for Positive Health is a community-based organization in New York that has worked to improve lives impacted by HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses for over 35 years. 

Erin McDonnell, Senior Success Manager:

When approaching such a significant change announcement, we encourage our clients to be sure to communicate a clear reason and vision for the decision to take on such a big project. How did your organization go about communicating this vision? 

Alliance for Positive Health: 

Before you ask people to follow you, make sure you’ve shown them where you are going.

Do they understand why you’re implementing new software? Do they understand their role in the process? Can they imagine the exciting possibilities ahead? We made sure to frame the entire project in a positive light, showcasing how the new system was going to benefit all of the programs across the entire agency. We met with each team individually to include their voice in decision making. This way each team felt ownership of the change and could see the project as a partnership opportunity rather than an unwavering demand from executive decision makers. Inviting each team to partner with us helped to build the momentum we needed to carry us all through the more tedious parts of the change process.  

EM: 

Change is complicated and inconvenient, and sometimes the biggest hurdle is overcoming staff resistance. We find that trust goes a long way and there are certain healthy leadership habits that can work to build trust and increase engagement. What are some of the ways you worked to build trust with each of the teams involved?

AFPH: 

We were very aware of how we approached the project and how we communicated the change to each team. If we had said, “This is going to replace what you are familiar with, so you better get ready because the change is happening”, that wouldn’t have been well received. Rather, we said “We want to work together and solve these problems for you. We want to make things easier for you in the long run.” This approach made it much easier to build the relationships we needed and helped a lot with collaboration. 

Overall, when it comes to building trust, be accountable. Be just as accountable to the project as you expect everyone else to be. Welcome feedback and ideas. Make sure everyone understands that their voice matters, and that their engagement makes a significant difference. 

EM:

We have a lot to say about the importance of finding individuals on your teams who are committed to being a positive influence as you navigate through such a significant project. How did you identify internal champions in your organization? How do you feel that impacted the project?

AFPH: 

We found that some individuals were more receptive to the new system, and we leaned heavily on them. When we wanted to experiment with options, they were happy to work with us to explore possibilities and test functionality. Some individuals were tech savvy, and some weren’t as much, but those differences in skill sets helped us identify important things as we were all learning together. Overall, we found that when people felt supported, they were more receptive to change. 

EM:

One of the surest ways to derail an implementation project is to fall behind, dismiss priorities, and lose the sense of urgency and accountability needed to keep the project alive and productive. How did you keep your organization on track with the goals and milestones you had established?

AFPH:

Our Implementation Consultant provided a comprehensive collection of process documents, tools, worksheets, training materials, and all sorts of resources to help us along our journey. She managed our implementation with a lot of structure. Every time we met, she’d teach us about the capabilities of a different module. We’d come together as a team and make decisions collaboratively  – especially the decisions needed in order to keep the project moving forward. She pushed us when we needed it, but mostly just supported us from every angle. She was a real cheerleader throughout the process and she still provides support from time-to-time. 

EM:

There are so many milestones built into an implementation project and every single one of them is an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments. How did your teams celebrate the many successes along the way?

AFPH:

Change is hard and exhausting and while it’s important to keep your eyes focused on the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s fun to notice the early wins. Like the first day you make it without a “Help Desk Ticket”. We implemented the software program by program, so it was always great to accomplish one and move on the next. 

One thing we learned is that it’s okay to fail, but it’s not okay to quit. Some programs were just more difficult to implement than others. For those, we had to regroup, reset, and try again. Some took two attempts, and some took three, but we stayed committed and were eventually able to celebrate success across all programs. 

EM:

What advice would you give to organizations considering implementing an EHR?

AFPH:

Be very careful and deliberate in how you introduce such a big change to your teams. Emphasize the goal of making things better to make their jobs easier. Make this an experience where teams can come together to collaborate, and where everyone feels like they have ownership of the decisions being made. One way we did this was asking for input and letting teams experiment with forms or configurations before they went live in the system. That way their feedback can be considered and adjustments made prior to making them official. More than anything, understand that the new system has to work for everyone, not just one group. With this focus, you’ll gain the trust and collaboration you need to carry you through the most tedious parts of the process. 

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Erin McDonnell, Senior Success Manager

Erin is a member of Foothold Technology’s Customer Experience team and oversees a program that helps agencies take on re-implementation projects. Foothold Implementation Consultants help you map your unique workflows and documentation requirements into the software in a way that enhances your productivity. Through powerful tools and reports, you’re able to showcase the quality of your services, measure success, and advocate for funding. 

We know that the most sophisticated software is only useful if you know how to use it. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a vendor who doesn’t just leave you to it, but walks you through every step of implementation to make sure your staff is comfortable and confident in how to use the software successfully. A great vendor doesn’t just sell you a product, they invite you into a partnership that promises a commitment to your success. Foothold has helped hundreds of agencies implement new software and change the way they operate. Our mission is to help organizations “transform the way they provide care with nimble software and a partnership guided by experience.” 

Contact us today to request a demo.

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