The Only Constant is Change: Reflecting on HMPS 2023
Having just returned from the 2023 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS) in Austin, we were struck by how the adage “the only constant is change” is alive and well in healthcare, and in particular, healthcare marketing and communications. Whether driven by technology, mergers, restructurings, budget cuts, etc.—change was woven both explicitly and implicitly through many HMPS panel discussions, as well as being a point of discussion in the 1:1 coaching sessions we held at the conference.
Check out the titles of some of the conference panels:
Digital Transformation: Design Your Future
Storm Warnings Ahead: Coping with Controversies
New Media Channels for a Changing Audience
Digital Team of the Future
Communications Strategy Counts During Labor Unrest
Stories from the Trenches: What’s Change Got to Do with It
Now, we hand-picked these panels to emphasize our point about change being ever-present. To be fair, the HMPS agenda covered a broad variety of topics, issues, and opportunities so it wasn’t all about volatility and disruption. Nevertheless, the point is that we operate in a world where one needs to accept change, navigate change, and be facile enough to develop the skills necessary to thrive in an era of change.
So, what are the skills you need to thrive in an environment of change?
Be Agile: Be open to changing the way you have done things historically with the belief that it will lead to new, creative approaches and ideas. Just think of Generative AI, like ChatGPT, and the impact it is having and will continue to have on content development.
Be Comfortable with Ambiguity: Operating in a less-than-clear environment requires that we get comfortable with the perceived risk and vulnerability that we often feel in ambiguous situations.
Be Communicative and Collaborate: For many healthcare organizations, this is the first time that so many stakeholders have taken such a keen interest in marketing and communications. There is a lot at stake so fostering a high degree of cross-functional collaboration and communication is imperative.
We are not kidding that “Ability to navigate change” is included in almost every position description we write these days!
By the way, we understand that everyone is feeling the riptide that is constant change—you are not alone. The important takeaway is to turn your expertise and curiosity into credibility, both internally and externally, by taking on these challenges and encouraging your team to do so as well.
During one of the keynotes, to amplify a point the speaker chose the following famous quote:
“Give me the wisdom to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Pretty sound advice these days.