However, I think the solution might have more to do with how we select improvements in the first place. If we begin with value stream mapping, then will we be less likely to suffer under this project-based approach.

And I do believe it is a change in thinking as well as a change in the way we do our work. But some days it feels a bit like the chicken and the egg. Which is first? I like the idea that we act our way into a new way of thinking, but that also implies that we are going to take a while to get to the ‘thinking differently’ part because the ‘acting differently’ part is going to be fraught with problems and take a while and we’re learning as we go. But that’s gold, right?

thanks for this post. thoughtful and insightful as always.

Another situation, seperate from my own experience is that of the recent ELT approval of the Medicare PPO expansion. Knowing that current, daily claims volumes state-wide have exceeded 53,000 in queue, many of which are PPO, I wonder how our resources can continue to improve the claims process given the new contracts being sold up the value stream. We continue to add contracts to the mix, despite the difficult and often manual claims adjutication processes that our systems don’t yet know how to automate.