Run Away from These Thinking Styles in Implementation Planning

When it comes to healthcare digital transformation, I almost always view it as a human problem. The more I learn about how we operate as individuals and teams, the more I realise how vital this understanding is to our approach in digital transformation strategy. Today, I want to shine a light on some unhelpful thinking styles that often sneak into our plans when we’re rolling out a digital health product. But first, let me be transparent—I’m a naturally risk-averse person. After all, I trained as a radiation therapist, where risk management is hardwired into everything we do. Over the years of managing complex digital implementations (from major upgrades and new service designs to full platform overhauls), I’ve learnt a few important lessons.

Flexibility and Emotional Maturity in Digital Transformation

I once heard that an emotionally mature person is someone who can remain flexible when faced with challenges and dead ends. In my experience, the best digital transformation plans are those that anticipate risks but allow flexibility in the solutions. You cannot predict every issue that will arise, but you can prepare your team to handle them effectively.

Now, let’s explore some of the unhealthy thinking patterns that can undermine an implementation plan.

1. Jumping to Conclusions

This thinking style involves assuming we know the outcome of a situation without sufficient evidence. In digital health, we often hear things like, “If this feature is buggy during testing, our services will collapse!” This type of mind-reading leads to panic rather than planning. It’s linked to catastrophising (which I’ll touch on next) and creates unnecessary anxiety during implementation. Testing and piloting exist for a reason—lean on data, not assumptions.

2. Catastrophising

If you’ve ever felt paralysed by the worst-case scenario, you’re not alone. Digital health implementations, particularly in high-risk environments like healthcare, bring out our fear of clinical risks. I’ve worked with people who immediately jump to catastrophic conclusions, worrying that minor issues will snowball into major patient safety threats. However, it’s essential to balance potential hazards with their likelihood. Acknowledging risks is important, but don’t let them drive the entire strategy.

3. Personalising

We see this one far too often—I’m guilty of it myself. This is the belief that we are personally responsible for the outcome of the entire digital transformation. It’s important that we remember that we are always trying to do our best and the digital transformation project you are a part of is simply a piece of work.

4. All-or-Nothing Thinking

This thinking style views digital transformation as either a complete success or an utter failure, with no room for anything in between. But the reality is much more nuanced. Any transformation is likely to have some wins and some losses. It’s a spectrum, not a binary outcome. This mindset puts an unfair burden on the project and stifles innovation. Instead, we should focus on continuous improvement and embrace the learning process along the way.

The Cost of These Thinking Styles

When we allow these thinking styles to take over, two things happen:

1. We pursue perfection, trying to minimise every possible risk at the expense of progress.

2. We freeze, becoming paralysed by indecision.

Here’s the thing—every decision will have a cost. There will always be trade-offs, and the pursuit of perfection often leads to delays or missed opportunities. Meanwhile, indecision costs more in the long run. Fear-driven planning is rigid and leaves little room for course correction, which is a recipe for stalled progress.

The Reality of Digital Transformation

A perfect digital transformation doesn’t exist—just like the people who design and implement it are not perfect. What we need are emotionally mature teams who can handle the inevitable curveballs that come our way. Plans need to be grounded in reality, with room for flexibility when things don’t go exactly as expected. In healthcare digital transformation, managing complexity is part of the job. There will be mistakes, and there will be wins. The key is not to let unhelpful thinking styles trap us in fear. Instead, we need to embrace adaptability, rely on our teams, and keep moving forward.