In the latest episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, host Daniel Williams sits down with Tim Hines, one of the keynote speakers for the upcoming MGMA Operations Conference in Las Vegas. Hines, a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, brings a fresh perspective on how medical practice leaders can adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to drive change and improve operational efficiency. In the conversation, Hines explores ways to encourage innovation, navigate resistance to change, and manage the demands of a fast-paced healthcare environment.
Embracing the Starter State of Mind
Hines introduces the concept of the "Starter State of Mind," which means focusing on your role in an organization as if it were your very own company. He highlights how this can look like “taking on new initiatives, trying to do more with less and building resiliency within my career.”
Hines shares how growing up with his father, who he describes as a serial entrepreneur, inspired his own entrepreneurial approach. “Watching my dad start different companies, shutting different ones down and always trying to come up with a new solution … that bug kind of bit me and I always had this started mindset or this view of the way I wanted to take on business.”
Becoming an Agent of Change
For medical practice leaders, adopting an entrepreneurial mindset often means identifying problems within their operations and proactively developing solutions. Hines encourages listeners to become "agents of change," saying, “It's just taking that initial step to be that change agent, which I believe is something that is an entrepreneurial superpower. We can all possess that.”
Hines highlights that whether you work for a small practice or a large hospital, problems will need to be solved and some people won’t take the initiative to tackle it. He encourages anyone to step up and be the change agent within their organization. “Even if the problem isn't solved overnight, you can at least start it and get the ball rolling.”
Navigating Bureaucracy and Regulation
Many leaders face bureaucratic obstacles as they attempt to implement change in a highly regulated industry like healthcare. Acknowledging these challenges, Hines suggests engaging leadership early to gain support for new initiatives while keeping rules and limitations in mind.
"Setting up the process for yourself to be entrepreneurial, or to have the starter type of mindset, comes with understanding what your guardrails are within your industry," he says. “People who possess this mindset do try to push the envelope and try to stretch those boundaries, but you don’t want to get in trouble … Get the buy-in from your colleagues, friends and management within the company to be able to afford you to do that.”
Finding the Energy to Innovate Amidst Burnout
Burnout and staffing shortages in healthcare often make it difficult for leaders to find the energy or bandwidth to drive change within their organization. In spite of such challenges, Hines suggests that leaders can still apply this mindset to refine existing processes by leveraging state-of-the-art tools such as artificial intelligence (AI).
"Look at what AI has done over the past couple of years. It has drastically improved the way that we can get things done."
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Resistance to change is not just a common barrier in any organization, it’s also a very human response to any potential disruption. Hines encourages people to be team players and rise above this resistance to see opportunities within their respective organizations, asserting that "organizations that don't change don't grow."
When leaders at all levels champion continuous improvement, it fosters a culture of innovation. As Hines explains: "It can come from the bottom up too, where you're looking for someone who might have this entrepreneurial drive within them to make change within the organization."
Cultivating an Intrapreneurial Spirit
Encouraging team members to take ownership of their work and seek out opportunities for improvement can lead to greater job satisfaction and professional growth. Although not everyone naturally gravitates toward an entrepreneurial mindset, Hines believes it’s a skill that can be developed.
"You'll never grow unless you at least adopt a fragment of this mindset and get a little fire inside of you," he says. “Even if you're just focusing on the little bit that's within your scope of duty to improve your process.”
Resources:
Visit Tim Hines's website to learn more about his approach to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset
- Order Tim's book: The Marketing Starter
- Listen to The Marketing Starter Podcast
Hear Tim's keynote address at the upcoming 2025 MGMA Operations Conference in Las Vegas
- Register here to attend the conference
- The conference will be held March 2-4 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
