September

Issue 3/ 2012
Wintalyka
Change Is Challenging
But To Resist It Is Even
More Challenging
By Christine Russell
We all like things to stay the same. Most people
and organisations like to stay within the modus
operandum of what they are used to and what
has worked in the past.
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Tremendous changes have occurred in the
Meals on Wheels sector over the last few years.
Amalgamations have taken place, distribution
centres have opened, co-operative consultations
have been undertaken, an army of commercial food
suppliers has emerged and of course we have a new
funding body namely the Department of Health and
Ageing.
In order to survive in this world of many changes,
people and businesses need to embrace change and
constantly look for better ways of doing things. This
indeed underpins the purpose of the Community
Care Common Standards and needs to be the
motivating force behind our day to day meals on
wheels operations across NSW.
In short we need to continually find ways to innovate
our services and improve our outputs. At a recent
Southern Highlands Forum I learned that one
service had a sale of its meals where it discounted all
meals just like a stocktake sale. The sale and uptake
of the meals was wonderful and increased outputs.
Other Meals on Wheels services have adopted a
more commercial approach to the branding of their
meals such as Home Style Tucker in Port Stephens
(formerly Port Stephens MOW) and Nuovo Chef in
Newcastle (formerly Newcastle MOW). In addition
the establishment of the Central Coast Distribution
Centre offers choice by providing an array of
different meal suppliers to the client.
Simple changes are often powerful ones and small
changes can often make the biggest differences.
Change is not an easy process. It relies on creativity
(the thinking of the idea) and then innovation (the
implementation of the idea). There is no use in the
development of an idea if you have no intention of
ever implementing it.
A famous change commentator Peter Drucker once
said “Every organisation has to prepare for the
abandonment of everything it does”. Well in the
long term I suppose Peter Drucker is correct, but in
the meantime let us take one step at a time in the
spirit of quality continuous improvement in service
delivery, product development and choices in our
Meals on Wheels sector.
Let us first accept that we need to change and that it
is challenging to effect the innovations we seek. It is
far better to be on a path of continuous improvement
rather than one of discontinuous innovation. If the
current model does not work then I believe it is more
of a challenge to stick with it than to look for a better
one.
A positive and proactive approach to change is best.
A change vision needs to be communicated, and one
that empowers others and rewards and recognizes
those that work towards that vision.
nswmealsonwheels.org.au