DailyKaizen

To follow on Lee’s post, making the commitment is just the beginning

There are times, many times, when the answer of what seems to do next does not seem apparent. So I do what one of my surgical mentors once told me, “do something.”

This last week, we completed a rapid process improvement event in one of our Orthopedics Departments. It went well, better than an event we had in another specialty service a few weeks ago. What was better? We knew better in advance what we could accomplish and set out to accomplish it. We checked in with the local leadership before we went and throughout the event. That’s great. Does this mean that we have to know exactly what we are going to work on before we get to a place, or can we allow some flexibility of the discovery, so that front line staff can learn how discovery works? I believe in the latter.

There are times that I feel pushed to have things laid out very carefully before we arrive, and when we get there to pursue a defined course. This worries me. There are also times when I wonder if we are doing enough - exploring enough of the technology that we have at our fingertips. Perhaps we are not, because there’s a pressure to deliver a concrete product. I am sure these worries will be reconciled over the next 5-10 rapid process improvement events.

In the meantime, I want to figure out a way for people and myself to feel nervous. To feel patient. To feel compassionate. Everyone involved are knocking themselves out for our members. I will remind my colleagues of this every day.