Role of Physician Leader
What then are the ways that a physician leader can assist the Early Adopters? It is usually more than nuts and bolts. First, it is important to acknowledge, as in the case of the Innovators, the Early Adopters are often enamored with ideas. They are inclined to move forward without sufficient information and not a clear set of intentions. They will try out any new idea and are the Innovator’s best friend with regard to taking a risk. A physician-leader working with the Early Adopters often nudges them into becoming more realistic. They are encouraged to do a little more data gathering before devoting themselves to a new idea. Those who serve as leaders in the Early Adopter’s organization are likely to find themselves in the business of helping the Early Adopter clarify the reason(s) for taking on a new idea. Early Adopters are often overwhelmed with new projects. They are frequently not very disciplined in their allocation of time and resources. They need to clarify their intentions and set priorities—this is where the supportive (but challenging) leader can be of greatest assistance.
The physician leader who is working with Early Adopters will be of great value in encouraging reflection—particularly with regard to the lessons to be learned from both successful and unsuccessful projects. Typically, the Early Adopter is not only a risk-taker but also someone who often jumps from one bright new idea to another.
As a physician leader on whom McKenna and Pugno (2006, p. 97) often rely, Peter Geerlofs has offered a cautionary note in this regard, especially regarding the “Geek physician”:
“[These physicians] who love technology aren’t always the best leaders to help an organization transform. The nature of early adopters is that they are sometimes more interested in the technology itself than the transformed process the technology could enable. They tend to quickly move from one new technology to another, never pausing to discover what it could do for the organization.”
What can be learned from the project already engaged? Were the time and resources devoted to this project worth the outcome that was achieved? While Early Adopter are to be commended for supporting new ideas and innovations, they are also likely to become disillusioned when many of the new ideas and projects they embrace don’t work out.
Rather than backing away from support for new ideas, the Early Adopter needs to begin asking the right questions before supporting the new idea. Their physician leader can play an important role in this regard. The leader should begin asking the right questions in the midst of (formative learning) and at the end of (summative learning) of a new project. A thoughtful and provocative leader can assist the Early Adopter in identifying these questions and, more generally, can encourage the Early Adopter to pause and become more of a learner throughout the process of embracing a new idea.
There is also the matter of interpersonal relationships. The early adopter (perhaps even more than the lonely innovator) can “get under other people’s skin” as “know-it-alls” or “naïve enthusiasts.” McKinna and Pugno (2006, p. 97) turn once again to Dr. Geerlofs’ caution about the “geek physician”:
Most importantly, non-technological physicians cannot relate to [these geek physicians]. “Of course he can make an EMR work—he’s really into computers.” And thus [early adopters] aren’t really helpful in accomplishing the mainstream adoption of technologies that offer real value for the practice of medicine. True physician leaders are not seen as “technologists” but as respected clinicians who’re interested in improving the underlying process of healthcare.
As pioneers, Early Adopters have much to learn about the new terrain in which they are traveling and about how best to navigate this terrain with others working with them in a healthcare system. A skillful physician leader can assist in this challenging process of continuous learning regarding ways to be effective and influential in the challenging world of mid-21st-century healthcare.
