At Catalysis, we like to ask during gemba walks: “Can we see your standard work?” Responses vary to our question. If the standard work is on the daily huddle board, marked up with the latest suggested improvement, it’s a good sign. If it’s in a binder that, once located, results in sneezing fits due to a heavy accumulation of dust on it, it shows us that there is a gap between creation and usage. If further questions about audit of standard work elicit a nervous tic from the dust-covered-binder-producing manager, it displays a gap in understanding of the purpose and process of standard work. Continue reading →
Plan, do, study, adjust, or PDSA, can also be thought of as the improvement cycle. These four steps outline the problem-solving process that leads to improvement. Often people struggle with consistency in completing the cycle because they want to plan and do and then move on to the next problem. Continue reading →
Berkshire Healthcare Trust is a large mental health and homecare trust in the United Kingdom. They provide services at over 150 sites in the Berkshire area including hospitals, clinics, and community sites. This community in the UK was hit by COVID much the same as all of us. However, their response has been exceptional, and I think a big reason for this is the way they used the management system to take care of their people. Continue reading →
Recently my husband and I attempted to assemble a basketball hoop for our son. I would venture a guess that many of you have had similar experiences, whether putting together a toy for your children, or maybe building a piece of furniture.
There are multiple types of standard work: instructional, process, and leader standard work. All of these serve a valuable purpose. While looking through the 40-some-odd pages of assembly instruction I started reflecting on the value of standard work.
What characteristics define effective standard work?
Are you interested in providing higher quality care and a better patient experience, improving the environment you work in and patients flow through, all while supporting staff to do their best work? Standard work might be a great solution. Standard work can help provide predictable outcomes and efficiency in the way you get things done. Continue reading →
An organization’s culture is comprised by the behaviors demonstrated by individuals within the organization. If leaders are serious about building a continuous improvement culture, then they need to model the way by setting the standard through their own behaviors, as well as help hold others responsible for theirs.
In the book, Becoming the Change, John Toussaint, MD and Kim Barnas describe how to use a radar chart with five behavioral dimensions to help leaders assess and reflect on their own leadership behavior.
Here are some ways executives model the way for culture change: Continue reading →
In most healthcare organizations, it is a struggle to get breakthrough improvement gains and sustain them. The Shingo Model offers a change in perspective that can help diagnose and break down the persistent barrier many organizations face, not by replacing the current approach, but strengthening its foundation.
Here are five reasons organizations need the Shingo Model. Continue reading →
At Catalysis, we frequently see Lean Management Systems (LMSs) that have been rolled out rapidly and broadly across the organization, sometimes with varying levels of support and buy-in. The result of these implementations can be uneven improvement progress, staff frustration with the LMS, and limited progress on the organization’s lean transformation journey.
Below are some strategies to help you with rolling out a Lean Management System. Continue reading →
How do you know if you are improving if you don’t measure progress against targets? The truth is you don’t. Setting targets and measuring progress towards them is a fundamental component of continuous improvement. The trouble is that if you don’t set meaningful targets you will not be able to understand whether your efforts are actually helping you improve.
Here are some tips for setting meaningful targets.
Everyone’s world has changed within the last year and continues to change daily. That not only means our current work has changed, but it also means that the worlds of those we support (whether that means internal staff or patients) have changed, and they are looking for innovative ways to do new and daily tasks. In the ever-changing environment, how do we help create new ideas? One way is by using an innovation process. The first step in this process is to understand your customers’ needs. Continue reading →
