Go Slow to Go Fast: The Advantage in Physician Compensation Transformation

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by Amy Jackson – SVP Product Leader, Compensation Management

In the relentlessly fast-paced health care industry, speedy decision-making is of the utmost importance. However, there’s a counterintuitive truth that most successful organizations have discovered: sometimes, you must go slow to go fast.

There are times when many health care systems experience a natural deceleration, making it the perfect opportunity to put this principle to the test and begin laying the transformative groundwork that will tee up your success in the upcoming year – especially when it comes to physician compensation administration.

The Paradox of Preparation

The most successful teams invest heavily in preparation before execution. They understand that the upfront investment in planning, relationship-building, and system design pays exponential dividends when it’s time to act. This is particularly true for changes to physician compensation, where the stakes are high and the margin for error is slim.

Consider an emergency department’s approach to trauma care. The most effective teams don’t move frantically when a critical patient arrives. They prepare slowly and thoughtfully by spending countless hours running simulations, building protocols, and establishing clear communication patterns so that when rapid action is necessary, they move with speed and precision. The same principle applies to compensation system redesigns and software implementations.

Finding the Rhythm for Deep Work

Even in the busiest health systems, there are often pockets of opportunity when the fast pace of decision-making eases just enough to allow for the deep, foundational work needed for compensation transformation. The key is recognizing these moments and using them intentionally.

A compensation initiative’s success depends on an organization’s ability to embrace change, which in turn is grounded in trust. However, the trust necessary for successful compensation changes takes time to build. It’s not achieved through big announcements or one-off town hall events. It emerges from consistent, small, and thoughtful engagement over time between administration and physicians, between departments, and between systems old and new. Drafting a change management plan that includes time to grow trust in the process, the organization, and the change is critical to success down the road.

The ‘Foundation First’ Philosophy

Making rapid but accurate decisions based on limited information – a concept dubbed “thin slicing” by author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell – only works when built upon a foundation of deep expertise and preparation. In health care, this principle is everywhere. For example, a surgeon can make split-second decisions during a complex procedure because they’ve methodically studied anatomy, practiced techniques, and built mental models through repetition. The same approach applies to compensation system transformations.

Organizations that rush into implementation without adequate preparation often find themselves making hasty corrections, dealing with clinician dissatisfaction, and struggling with data integrity issues. Those that invest time in building solid foundations by understanding current workflows, engaging stakeholders, auditing data, and establishing clear communication channels will see a smoother implementation process – even when unexpected hurdles or needs arise.

Organizations should also utilize this time to clean data, reconcile systems, and establish clear data governance processes to create the right conditions for implementation down the line. Those that skip this step often find themselves debugging data issues in real-time when they go live, which slows down the very processes they hoped to accelerate.

When asked for your current compensation data files, how long does it take your team to gather them? When pressed with concerns from clinicians or analysts, how do you answer to ease their anxieties? A modest amount of foundational prep work will keep you ready to respond effectively to inevitable situations such as these.

The Preparation Checklist: Questions for Organizational Readiness

Checklists are incredibly helpful when preparing for compensation transformation and can help turn what feels like an overwhelming task into manageable, sequential steps that build upon each other. Atul Gawande’s “The Checklist Manifesto” provides a powerful framework for the preparation phase of compensation transformation. Just as surgical teams use checklists to ensure no critical step is missed, organizations can systematically start preparing months in advance. The checklist approach transforms overwhelming preparation into manageable, sequential tasks that build upon each other.

This methodical approach to preparation creates what Gawande calls “a culture of discipline”—where thoroughness becomes habitual rather than exceptional. In the context of provider compensation, this discipline in preparation directly translates to speed and accuracy during implementation.

These sample checklist questions help ensure no critical element is overlooked when implementing new compensation processes within your organization:

Current State Assessment

• Do we have a comprehensive workflow diagram that maps every step of our current compensation process, from data collection to final payment?

• Have we identified all stakeholders, including people, departments, and systems, that touch or are impacted by physician compensation?

Stakeholder Analysis

• Have we created a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) diagram to clarify roles and decision-making authority for the transformation?

• Do we understand the difference between decision-makers, influencers, and implementers in our organization?

• Have we identified potential champions and resisters across all affected departments?

Data Architecture

• Have we audited our current data sources to understand their accuracy, completeness, and reliability?

• Do we need to consolidate, migrate, or establish new data sources before implementation?

• Are there data elements that need to be refreshed, improved, or redefined?

• Have we addressed data governance and established clear ownership of data quality?

Organizational Structure

• Do we need to reorganize our billing departments, cost centers, or billing areas to support the new system?

• Are our current organizational structures aligned with how we want to manage compensation in the future?

• Have we considered how departmental boundaries might need to evolve?

Process Optimization

• Are there manual processes that should be automated or eliminated before implementation?

• Do we have clear escalation paths for exceptions and approvals?

• Have we identified opportunities to standardize processes across departments or locations?

Change Readiness

• Do we have adequate training resources and time allocated for all user groups?

• Have we established communication channels that reach every affected stakeholder?

• Are we prepared to measure and track adoption and satisfaction throughout the transition?

Working through this checklist systematically during periods of downtime can help create the foundation for rapid, successful implementation when the time comes to execute.

Conclusion

Going slow to go fast carries lasting benefits that compound over time, especially when it involves compensation administration processes. Organizations that invest in thorough preparation can introduce systems more successfully and build capabilities that serve them long after the initial implementation. They develop stronger stakeholder relationships, more robust data processes, and more effective change management practices. These capabilities become organizational assets that accelerate all future initiatives and create a sustainable competitive advantage.

The paradox is real: by choosing to slow down now, organizations position themselves to move faster than ever when the time comes to execute. In an industry where physician satisfaction and operational efficiency are paramount, the question isn’t whether your organization can afford to go slow to go fast. The question is whether it can afford not to.

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