Change Management That Sticks: A Framework for Human Performance Healthcare Leaders

By Karen Finnin | 25/07/2025

In elite sport and performance environments, protocols and systems don’t stand still for long, and nor should they. Whether it’s updating documentation methods, shifting protocols, or embedding a new tech platform, change is part of the job. But in Human Performance Healthcare, the real challenge isn’t launching change, it’s embedding it.

As a leader, your role isn’t just to implement new ideas. It’s to guide your team through transformation in a way that’s strategic, supported, and ultimately sustainable.

Here’s how to do that.

 

 

Step 1: Initiate With Purpose

(Inspired by Kotter Steps 1–3*)

Start by building a clear case for change. Why does this matter now? What happens if we don’t act? How will it benefit the people carrying out the change?

For example, you might explain that an outdated rehab protocol is decreasing quality of care and impacting recovery timelines. Once the ‘why’ is clear, form a small guiding team; people from across clinical, management, or IT who will help shape and champion the change. Then create a vision and a strategy: what are you aiming to improve, and how will you get there?

Tip: Your early messaging sets the tone. Keep it focused, urgent, and relatable.

 

 

Step 2: Diagnose Your Team & System

(McKinsey 7‑S Framework**)

Before jumping into action, pause to assess where you’re starting from.

Use the seven S’s; Structure, Strategy, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff, to ask:

  • Are our systems actually supporting the change?
  • Do we have the skills to implement it well?
  • Will our current culture accelerate or resist this shift?

This diagnostic phase helps you pre-empt friction points and identify what needs to evolve alongside the main change initiative.

 

 

Step 3: Plan and Design the Project

This is where good ideas become executable actions.

  • Define your objectives and success metrics.
  • Map the timeline and key milestones.
  • Clarify roles – who does what, by when.
  • Identify stakeholders and plan your communications.
  • Bake in early wins (e.g., improved workflow, admin time saved) to build momentum.

Progress fuels buy-in. Quick wins don’t just show results, they build belief.

 

 

Step 4: Launch and Lead

(Kotter Steps 4–6*)

Once underway, your main job is communication and momentum.

  • Reiterate the vision often and in different formats.
  • Remove roadblocks, whether that’s a slow approvals process or tech that doesn’t support the new way of working.
  • Celebrate progress. If the team’s new clinical protocol just helped an athlete to return more quickly, tell that story. Let people see the impact of their effort.

Leadership in this phase is about visibility, clarity, and removing friction.

 

 

Step 5: Consolidate and Embed

(Kotter Steps 7–8*)

Early traction is not the same as long-term adoption.

As things settle, help the new approach become part of “how we do things here”:

  • Integrate it into onboarding and training.
  • Align team norms and expectations.
  • Keep reinforcing why it matters.

This is the bridge between “change as a project” and “change as culture.”

 

 

Step 6: Retrospective and Reflection

(Based on Nelson’s Retrospective Model^)

Once the dust settles, run a retrospective. This isn’t just a debrief, it’s a leadership tool.

Ask:

  • Did we meet the objectives?
  • What did the team find valuable or frustrating?
  • What would we repeat or do differently next time?

Document lessons learned. Use this intel to strengthen your next project. Great change leaders aren’t just good at launching initiatives, they’re committed to learning from everyone.

 

 

Conclusion: Change Is a Leadership Discipline

In Human Performance Healthcare settings change is inevitable, but meaningful, lasting change is intentional.

That’s why leaders must bring both structure and empathy to the process: holding the vision, guiding the rollout, and staying close to the team experience along the way.

Because successful change isn’t just about what gets done. It’s about how you bring people with you while you do it.

 

 

Medical Networks is one of the ten pillars for success in human performance healthcare teams.

>Explore the other pillars here

 

 

Are you an effective human performance healthcare leader?

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References

Posted in Change Management

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