DailyKaizen

Previously on this blog, I talked about how I jumped in to apply skills I learned in Hoshin Strategy Management literally the day after I was trained. My “new” ideas were relatively well received by the senior leaders I was working with. We even got so far as to prepare a live affinity diagram, which I posted here as well.

After those efforts on this project, things sort of reverted back to the traditional way of doing things. At one point, this change back was even acknowledged publicly (and respectfully, I would add) when at a meeting later on in the project, we were presented with the more traditional project plans and checklists. It was said, “We went back to doing what we know how to do” (I’m paraphrasing).

In my glass 3/4 full (or really, 95% full) way, this wasn’t disappointing to me. We’ll plant seeds wherever we go, and flowers will bloom, I thought, and being a change agent over the long term means having good internal governance. I also realize that at a senior leader level with a critical project, innovation is more risky. In reality, I was delighted that they indulged me as far as they did. And I think this was a big indulgence for a group that had learned very little about this process on the outside. I proudly wear the change agent jersey (as does Lee) and we work every day to accept all that comes with it :).

Flash forward to last week to an oversight group discussion about this project. This time, plans are coming close to being firm, and things are more worked out. I asked about the priorities of the problems that were going to be addresed. They seemed clear to me. This team is going into a rapid process event in 2 weeks to manage a lot of issues quickly. They did a week long event earlier this year and it was a smashing success. They even invited one of our senior executives to come to the one coming up. On another issue one of the leaders said, “I recall that this was an important theme from the affinity diagram that we did as part of the Hoshin process.” (they remembered!)

It took me aback to see this group self-directed in the application of LEAN concepts. There has been a change. The enthusiasm for doing things differently has spread, in this group, and in the groups that we have all been working with.

Now that I write this, I realize that I shouldn’t be surprised that this would happen. It’s as clear to me today as it was on the day that I started medical school that health care is a special industry with incredible people. We may be conflicted at times about the best way to help someone, but we are never conflicted about actually helping someone. I really enjoy working with people who give new ideas a chance because they only want to be the best for their patients, and it’s great to see that this is a reality in the system we all work in.

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