All health care leaders are developing fresh strategies to maximize their limited resources. But coming up with new, transformative strategies is only the first step: Translating those strategies into action is the real work, and it almost always requires fundamental changes to job roles, work processes and daily task activity. As the top operational leader, the COO is the key manager to embed the new activity and behaviors that bring new strategy to life.

Most health care organizations recognize that they need to improve their strategic planning to survive, much less prosper, in this environment. But too often good strategies never show up on the hospital floor, or they are made actionable only via a small group of employees assigned to work on “corporate initiatives.” The lion’s share of employees proceed as usual, doing exactly what they’ve always done, oblivious to the visionary strategy the “suits” have created.