How One Health System Overcame Resistance to a Surgical Checklist

A case study for effecting change in a change-averse industry. During a time when health care is undergoing the most sweeping change ever, health systems, not surprisingly, are struggling to overcome resistance to change. The natural reaction by leaders at all levels charged with implementing change is to fight the resisters. But research and the experiences of some organizations suggest that embracing those who resist change the most — empathizing with them, identifying the sources of their resistance, and helping them see change as positive — is far more effective.