I recently saw Adam Grant speak at ACHE Congress. He began his session with an observation that really stuck with me: People in healthcare are really good at thinking, but we tend to be slow at rethinking. In other words, when we find a process that works, we stick with it—maybe even fall in love with “the way we’ve always done it”—and don’t question our assumptions until after we’ve been disrupted by outside forces. By the time we start to evolve, we’re already behind the eight ball.
Adam was clear that in today’s turbulent environment, healthcare leaders need to become great rethinkers. We must rethink strategies, assumptions, and beliefs about others, not only to elevate our organizations but to bring out the best in our people.
Another thing he mentioned is how important it is to get your team involved in the process of rethinking. This depends on making sure they have the psychological safety to tell you what’s not working and how to make it better.
Employees often stay silent because they’ve been told, “Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions.” This means leaders may never hear directly about the biggest, most complex problems.
We need to encourage people to raise problems they don’t know how to fix and ensure they have the psychological safety to do so. Frontline employees are our best early-warning system. Adam suggested updating our guidance to, “Bring me any problem as long as you’re willing to be part of the solution—even if you don’t know what it is yet.” It’s our best shot at surfacing great ideas.
In healthcare, we tend to be in love with best practices. Adam pointed out that when best practices become untouchable, this can hold us back from rethinking. We need to periodically review them and ask ourselves, Was this built for a world that no longer exists? Is it becoming obsolete?
Here is another point I think is important: When we think about disruption, we almost always think about processes. We often don’t think about our “people practices.” But the truth is that when we shine a spotlight on how we train, develop, and lead our people, we can make big strides in retention and engagement. That really needs to happen before we can start making other big changes.
In Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired, which I coauthored with Quint Studer, we cover several areas that are good starting points. For example:
Emotional Onboarding. We know new hires tend to leave early, in their first 90 days or even sooner. We also know selection and onboarding are where true belonging begins. It’s urgent to help new employees navigate this tricky time. By helping them see that their anxiety is normal and getting them connected to their coworkers early on, we can greatly improve retention.
Leader Development. We work in an industry with many new and inexperienced leaders and in an era where talent really wants to be developed. Our approach to leader development needs to be precise, data-driven, and tailored to fit the needs of the individual. At Healthcare Plus Solutions Group®, we call this Precision Leader Development™. It’s crucial that we start thinking of development as an investment in our best and brightest people.
Rounding. Like many practices, rounding has grown too complicated. What started as a simple way to connect with patients and staff too often turns into a long list of questions, documentation requirements, and software systems. When a process starts to feel overwhelming, a rewire is needed. We ask leaders what meaningful rounding looks like in their area. This helps us find “the magic of doable.” The key is the buy-in. When a leader feels listened to and valued, the process works.
Well-being. Rewiring well-being means more than talking about it and offering programs; it means creating a culture where people feel safe admitting they’re struggling and asking for help. It’s up to leaders to normalize these conversations, reduce stigma, and build moments of replenishment into the daily rhythm of work.
Healthcare is full of smart, thoughtful people. What we sometimes lack is the willingness to pause and rethink the assumptions behind how we operate. That needs to change. In a rapidly changing environment, success won’t belong to the organizations that think the hardest but to the ones willing to rethink the fastest.
Dan Collard will present on Rewiring the People Pillar: The Human Capital Ecosystem™ at the Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future conference, to be held April 28-29, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about the conference, to see the detailed agenda, and to register, please visit RewiringHealthcare.com.
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Dan Collard is the cofounder (with Quint Studer) of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® (HPSG). He recently coauthored with Dr. Katherine A. Meese the book Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn). He is also the coauthor (with Quint Studer) of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare: Equipping Leaders to Succeed.For more information, please visit www.HealthcarePlusSG.com.
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