A Rapidly Adaptable Management System

Abstract

As healthcare organizations nationwide are compelled to move from volume-based payments to a value-based system, one thing has become painfully clear: Most of these organizations are not equipped for flexibility. We cannot change at required rate. One CEO told me recently that we need a rapid adaptability system and we don't have one. One problem is that healthcare leaders are typically managing dozens, even hundreds, of initiatives. Few of these projects are delivering better value for patients and most rarely lead to sustainable change. A new unified management system is needed.After years of studying transformation efforts of more than 160 healthcare organizations in 16 countries, I have found that a framework exists for a rapid adaptability system. This framework is a daily management system that requires fundamental change at both frontline and leadership levels. This column will address core elements of this management system.LEADER PREWORKBefore a new system is built, some personal prework is required. An organization's leaders must agree on need for and purpose of work. Moreover, they must focus their efforts. I have observed leaders deploying an inordinate number of key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs should be critical few measures, but I have seen cases in which 50 or more KPIs were at play, creating a muddle of expectations. Organizations need five to eight key metrics that eveiyone can understand and rally around. I call this true north. For example, at Children's I Iospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada, leaders identified five metrics, one of which is number of days children wait for tests and appointments. The current goal is to slash that number by 50,000 days over next 2 years. It is a clear, immediate goal. Prework, then, is creating an organization's true north and then reducing number of strategic initiatives.I recently observed a senior leadership team that had 248 strategic initiatives. Senior leaders created initiatives, but work was actually done by middle management. As a result, manager's day was spent putting out fires and performing tasks related to senior executive strategy instead of helping frontline caregivers improve patient experience. Winnowing initiatives down to critical few is an essential role of senior management. I lowever, accomplishing this requires persistence because it is difficult to take things off plate.Some of most difficult prework is personal side of change. If you pride yourself in coming to rescue, being hero, and setting people straight, your leadership style is going to need an overhaul. I describe desired behavior as improvement leadership (Toussaint, 2013). This type of leadership requires leaders to approach their work and their colleagues with humility rather than autocracy. Leaders need to adopt habits of observing workplace with curiosity, seeking to understand problems of frontline workers, and helping to create positive change. Instead of embracing an attitude of the buck stops here, leaders need to become facilitators of improvement efforts. In most cases, leaders will require expertise of a teacher who can help them see problems and learn new facilitation skills. Leaders must be open to changing way they behave, what they prioritize, and how they speak with others. They also need to mentor and coach others to do same. The new leadership behaviors are required to support model cell.MODEL CELLThe model cell is real transformative work. The model cell is not about making tweaks to current processes but about creating innovative work processes and applying Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) rapid cycle improvements to address any problems that arise. The model cell is focused on an important business problem. It runs an inch wide and a mile deep, meaning scope of project must be limited, usually to one unit or clinic, while every aspect of work processes is rebuilt to benefit patient. …