Reflect on your own organization's strategy or an organization that is familiar to you. How has it evolved over time? Discuss each stage of development and how feedback and strategy formulation have changed over time. Consider the next steps in your company's evolution and describe what it will look like in 10 years and where you will be.
Despite working at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for almost 8 years, I have seen many changes throughout my organization. This should come as no surprise since the VA serves an enormous Veteran population and has needed to constantly adapt to the complexities of an ever-changing environment. According to the VA (n.d.) “the first consolidation of federal Veterans programs took place August 9, 1921, when Congress combined all World War I Veterans programs to create the Veterans Bureau”. Federal Veterans programs were consolidated again in 1930 and officially became a federal administration when President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5398 to "consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans”. I presently work within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) which has evolved considerably from the first federal soldiers’ facility established for Civil War Veterans. Today, the VHA is the largest of the three administrations that comprise VA and continues to meet Veterans’ changing medical, surgical and quality-of-life needs. For example, VHA has opened outpatient clinics, established telemedicine, and other services to accommodate the needs of a diverse Veteran population.
Addressing the needs of the Veteran has been a consistent priority since the VA’s infancy. Therefore, it has been vital to adjust strategies accordingly to achieve its primary function. The VA has primarily functioned as a traditional organization structured on specialty (function) and hierarchy (rank). I have witnessed somewhat of a transition towards more of a cross-functional matrix organization, yet I see the push-pull struggle unfolding before me. It seems the VA is currently stuck in this transition where there is increased cross-functionality but also an increase of hierarchies. Therefore, I do not see a full transition to a cross-functional matrix any time in the near future. On a brighter note, feedback has evolved from the traditional “one way process of boss to subordinate towards a more fluid and 360 degree approach” (Obolensky, 2014, p. 28). Leadership took notice how important feedback was from all directions (employees at all levels, customers, etc.) and implemented more effective feedback systems. For example, one such system is a competition similar to the television show Shark Tank where innovators and inventors pitch their ideas to prospective business leaders for large scale distribution to the public. In the VA’s case, employees at any level pitch their idea to VA leadership to institute any idea that will provide exceptional value to the organization. This type of feedback system was nonexistent until recently and has already proved to be an invaluable tool towards improving the VA.
Another evolution in the VA has been its strategy to achieve goals. The biggest change in strategy I have noticed has been the increased availability of services to the Veteran. In the past, the Veteran had to find a way to get to the nearest VAMC (Veterans Affairs Medical Center) to receive service. This could prove to be especially difficult for the Veteran in a rural area. Now, there are numerous CBOC’s (Community-Based Out Clinics) available throughout the US for Veterans who are not located near a major VAMC. These CBOC’s make making it easier to provide. According to the American Legion, “these clinics provide the most common outpatient services, including health and wellness visits, without the hassle of visiting a larger medical center. VHA continues to expand their network of CBOCs to include more rural locations, making access to care closer to home” (Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, n.d.).
It is difficult to predict the next steps of the VA’s evolution and where that evolution will where I will be as a result. I say this because like some other organizations, we struggle with continuity. We have many people in leadership in “acting” or “interim” roles because of so many personnel changes. I still believe we are an exceptional organization when considering the sheer volume of customers and complex environment we face each and every day. However, the VA must find a way to address continuity throughout the organization and especially those in leadership positions. It is a challenge to try and follow a direction or strategy when those following must constantly have to react to direction changes imposed by leadership’s vision. For example, the VA developed a strategic plan for Fiscal years 2014-2020 led by then VA Secretary Shinseki. This plan outlined and addressed three goals: Empower Veterans to improve their well-being, enhance and develop trusted partnerships, and manage and improve VA operations to develop seamless and integrated support. These are some tangible and important goals to achieve. However, Shinseki has since left and was replaced by Secretary Bob McDonald who implemented his own strategy throughout the VA. Now, we currently find our organization read for another leader with his own strategy because of the recent elections. It looks like the new Secretary of the VA will be David Shulkin and we again wait for another strategy to be implemented. Three leaders in three years will not help with a consistent organizational strategy. I learned something important this week in not trying to have a strategy that is set too far in the future. This is similar to how Nokia developed and implemented a strategy based on nothing changing for many years ahead. This was a costly mistake. I want to make only short-term plans for my future since I know things can drastically change in an instant. I still see myself working in the VA system since I am passionate about the organization and its mission. I am committed and feel I have an allegiance to my organization. However, as far as where I will be in the future really depends on career opportunity to really know my direction within the VA.
References:
About VA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/about_va/vahistory.asp
Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.legion.org/veteranshealthcare/outpatient
Department of Veterans Affairs FY 2014-2020 Strategic Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/op3/docs/strategicplanning/va2014-2020strategicplan.pdf
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.). Farnham, Surrey, UK: Gower.
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