Is it doable? It’s an important question. One of the kindest introductions I receive is being called “the master of doability.” Doability means that what is recommended can be done.
A lesson that has stuck with me for years is the connection between the number of new or adjusted actions and the success rate of their implementation. Most people want to do well. They feel an urgency to achieve better outcomes. It can be human nature to assume “the more actions the better.” It seems strange to do less and achieve more…yet that is what often happens.
The lesson is that if a person makes one or two changes, the chance of success is over 90 percent. Adding a third action drops the success rate to 50 percent. Throw in a fourth action, and success now drops below 30 percent. Add a fifth, and the success rate is below 10 percent.
I was honored to be invited to be with over 40 chief nursing executives at Bon Secours Mercy Health. These are dedicated people. At the conference, I heard a number of suggestions that all made sense and still do. They should all be implemented over time. The key point is “over time.” My first piece of advice to the group was, yes, keep the list of actions presented. And to start, pick the top one or two that you feel will have the most impact and focus on those.
The second piece of advice was to assess how doable the actions are. To this end, I created a doability assessment tool. Here are a few components of the tool:
- What is the experience level of those who will be taking the action? While the goal may be to have everyone implement the action, in reality, some people and areas may be better prepared. Start there. This helps measure what is needed for implementation. I admire organizations disciplined enough to pilot the change in a few areas to learn, and then determine what may need to be adjusted to take the action broadly.
- Do individuals have the skills to successfully implement the change? Start by assessing what skills are needed. For a leader, it may be communication. I recall an organization that scored very poorly in communication as measured by their employee engagement survey. As they prepared to roll out the results, step one included assessing each leader’s skill in communication. It does not make sense to have the people who rated low in this area to communicate the results without skill-building.
- Are the resources in place for successful implementation? If not, what resources are needed?
- Are there barriers to implementation beyond items identified in the above three points? What can you do to remove those barriers?
My experience is that breaking down the process needed for successful implementation requires a sequential step-by-step approach. It may appear to slow things down at first; in reality, it will lead to gaining time as the process evolves.
The last tip is to start with an action that is most doable. This builds confidence and consistency.
Doability might look like lowering expectations, but it isn’t. It’s increasing the likelihood that meaningful change actually happens. When leaders narrow their focus, assess readiness, and remove barriers before moving forward, they turn intention into execution. Progress, confidence, and lasting results follow.
We can’t do everything at once. We can do the right things, in the right order, in a way that helps people succeed.
