DailyKaizen

Wow, my job really has changed. This was really evident this morning as I began to re-write our Lean consultant job description that we will soon be posting. A year ago the job requirement of this position was the ability to lead RPIWs and to work with line managers to develop improvement plans. The work was focused primarily on point improvements and ancillary value streams that for the most part were contained in functions like laboratory or pharmacy. Recruitment for this position was far easier then it is today since there were many internal candidates that we could quickly train to fill the role.

This is no longer the case. Lean has become the chosen methodology to achieve many of the strategic objectives of the organization. As the organization moves toward organizing around product families the skills and knowledge necessary to plan and execute this type of work is far more demanding on both leadership and consultants. Consultant need to be able to convert complex theory into successful application. They need to be able to teach, mentor and advise VP level leaders in seeing their work differently. They need to possess specialized knowledge and technical expertise that is far broader then what is required to lead point improvements.

To develop, find and retain this type of talent we need to be smart. We need to make this position a key component of our leadership development and succession planning track. It has to become the place where up and coming leaders go to gain the skill necessary to moving into line positions. We also need to find new ways to attract talent from the outside, including from outside of healthcare.

Overall, this is a good problem to have. It shows how far we have come, but if we are not careful it could limit how far we go…

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