In life, in love and in wok we are exceptionally adept at NOT putting it all on the line.  When you are unwilling or afraid to go all in, things will rarely change for the better.  This is the reasoning of marketing guru and blogger Seth Godin.

I think he is right on the money.  We want the reward but not the risk.   We want the money and the respect but not the accountability. 

Hospitals, physicians, consultants, even lawyers, are not exempt from this thinking.  We want the reward – the big check and the comfortable life — but the accountability makes us reluctant and resistant to making this type of commitment. 

For healthcare financial and operational consultants, lawyers and, yes, even recruiters, life is changing.  The big boys have almost priced themselves out of the market, value notwithstanding.  The golden goose –along with Elvis – has left the building.  Big firms with big reputations, big fees, big overhead pass through, big expenses  and heretofore automatically loyal clients, will have to resize or rethink their business models regarding how they plan to survive in this new normal healthcare environment.  

In a recent blog, I reported on a very capable CFO in New Jersey who said he was not sure how his hospital would survive the challenges of sustaining profitability posed by healthcare reform and the certain reductions in Medicare reimbursement.  “I am not sure how we can do it at this point, but this challenge excites me like no other time in my career.”  

That CFO needs consultants who are prepared to put it all on the line. 

It is an exciting time.  I am all in.

© 2010 John Gregory Self