One health care system just laid off 25% of their workforce in order to find hundreds of millions of dollars in savings to comply with the recent regulation and legislation. The loss of jobs is staggering, and the expectation for the surviving employees–to maintain the same level of service with much lower headcount–is demoralizing.I asked another health care system CEO if he was taking similar steps, and his response was opposite. While he predicted a 12% revenue growth required to break even while meeting the new legislation requirements, he secured additional debt to keep his staff intact and not have a layoff. In addition to that, he was purchasing other medical facilities who are either distressed or do not see the business proposition with the new regulations.The first company is protectionist, looking to contain costs. The second company is opportunistic, looking to grow while others are selling at a discount. The future belongs to the companies that take the initiative to take advantage of less confident and complacent competitors. The future is not just something that happens, it is what a company creates with their actions today.Is your company protectionist or opportunistic?
