The Burning Platform and Experimentation

Start by reading the items below.
• “The Burning Platform at MIHS” (Eller Case)

• Shadley, S. (2014). Prop 480 Proposes to Build A New Hospital In Maricopa County. 91.5 KJZZ: https://kjzz.org/content/58897/prop-480-proposes-build-new-hospital-maricopa-county

This week, your readings in Kouzes and Posner have been all about “challenging the process” – this is through searching for opportunities (Chapter 7), experimenting, and taking risks (Chapter 8). Such activities are particularly critical when it comes to saving a failing organization. Your case this week focuses on the “burning platform” that previously characterized Maricopa Integrated Health System (if you are interested, you should check out the MIHS website here: https://mihs.org/). Stephen Purves (who still runs MIHS: https://www.mihs.org/about-mihs/) received a financial break when Prop 480 passed, but it was clear that this money would not be enough to turn a struggling MIHS around. Turning around MIHS would require thinking outside the box, innovating, and experimenting across all levels of the organization.

Please read the case and listen/read the KJZZ article that covers Prop 480 (I might recommend listening first, then reading the case). After you have processed the materials, your case write-up this week should answer the following questions (response 1 page maximum, Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced, 1” margins):

1. Thinking of the lecture discussion on creating learning organizations from Amy Edmondson (to re-watch, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUP4WcfNyAA), what steps did Purves take to create a learning organization at MIHS? Please provide specific examples, and why they were effective in your view. Do you think the steps taken at MIHS are adaptable to other healthcare organizations? Why or why not?
2. What role does motivation play in the success of the 100-day workouts that were used at MIHS? Do you think that certain people would be less incentivized to participate? And, if they are less incentivized, is it problematic that people are turning over because they don’t agree with the new direction of MIHS? What do you think your own personal receptivity/motivation would be to participate in these workouts?
3. At the end of the case, Steve Purves states the following when asked whether MIHS will cease their 100-day workouts: “Why would they end? When you have people working together to identify and rapidly test ideas that generate value – increasing quality and decreasing cost –why would you ever take your foot off of the accelerator?” Can you think of reasons why it might be advantageous to cease the workouts? Should there be modifications made to the workout program? Or, would you encourage staying with the current structure with the MIHS workouts? Explain your response

Sample Solution

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