Comments on: Checking

By: Jeremy Seerveld

Jeremy Seerveld — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:59:37 +0000

Getting management onboard is key, as is getting them the proper training. Every manager has there own “ways”, of enforcing/monitoring there people. Standardizing the way work/progress is checked is very important in my opinion. Leading my example is not only for the employees, but for other managers. Once things become standard it will be obvious who is not “onboard”.

By: Anon Consultant

Anon Consultant — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:12:14 +0000

Yes, you do have to check employees. And someone HAS to be checking the managers!!

It’s very, very, VERY common for managers to NOT hold their people accountable. Why is this? It’s very frustrating. Managers will complain, “so and so isn’t following the process.”

Hello! Do something about it.

The way some managers “disempower” themselves (”I can’t do anything about it”) and then play the victim (”my people won’t follow a process”) is incredibly dysfunctional and I’ve seen it in many hospitals. These “managers” are an embarrassment to the profession of management. They’re certainly nowhere close to being leaders, which we need more of, too.

Hospitals have a huge advantage, over the manufacturing sector, in that the supervisors typically move up the ranks. They know (or did know) the jobs being done by employees. But, they are weaker in terms of management skills and backbone. They’re not given training in how to be a manager. So, a lot of times ‘lean’ work is really just basic ‘management 101.”

How do we improve the level of management in healthcare? One manager at a time, I guess.

By: Lee Fried

Lee Fried — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:50:32 +0000

Thanks both of you for your comments. I agree with Mark, that often at first standard work and systems changes need to be forced. Maybe forced is not the right word, rather reinforced might be better. In the current environment of large scale change problems become visible often and quickly. The natural reaction by managers and staff is to go back to “old ways” that are comfortable. The checking process allows management to identify sustainability issues and then put counter-measures in place. Over time, if reinforced the checking process will become simply part of the management system. In order to enable the change from within it is our job and the job of the leaders to demonstrate why it is important through leading by example.

Thanks again,

Lee

By: Ted Eytan

Ted Eytan — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:31:01 +0000

Hey Lee, just a remark of how cool it is that the people you serve are now so passionate about improvement.

You mentioned that you were going to force a behavior change. Is there a way to enable the change to come from within?

By: Mark Graban

Mark Graban — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:51:07 +0000

Lee, are you referring to what some call “standard work audits”? You’re right, this is a necessary role for leadership at all levels, since we can’t (for the patient’s sake) just assume that standard work is going to be followed because we said so, as leaders.

It might seem to disrespect the employee you’re checking, but I’ve found that if you emphasize that it’s for the patients and to make sure EVERYONE is following the standard work, it gets more acceptance. Every employee seems to have the complaint that other people aren’t doing it the right way…