Why Does ReThinking Matter?
Well intentioned actions to enhance results within a local health system are animated by a particular line of thinking (or theory of change), which itself, is informed by the values and expectations that people believe are important to achieve in the first place.
When faced with disappointing results, a common response is to react by repeating or intensifying a particular action (see the “Reacting” loop) – working harder, but not necessarily smarter, more strategically, or differently.
Repeating the same actions might be sufficient to address certain problems. But the most significant challenges—the truly wicked problems that plague local health systems—usually defy simple solutions and rarely will yield to more of the same approach.
When reacting fails, innovators often seek to rethink in search of more effective strategies (see the “Rethinking” loop) to address the challenges before them. Rethinking is a poignant and potentially powerful state that combines sincere inquiry with insights from past experience and an unswerving commitment to further action.
Effective rethinking, however, does not come easily. It requires discipline, data, drive, and undaunted engagement. Fortunately, a suite of catalytic methods have been devised to help make the most of this rethinking opportunity, including those included in the ReThink Health program portfolio. These are highly diverse techniques, but they share a common emphasis on engaging stakeholders, sparking creativity, and catalyzing action for long-term, system-wide change.
At its best, rethinking helps people reflect on what they really want and reframe the very values and expectations that guide their work (see the “Reflecting” loop). These over-arching judgments often have far-reaching consequences for how the entire system functions, a pathway that is generally understood to offer the greatest leverage.