Thanks to Karen Martin for hosting me for this webinar.
The description:
Suggestion box programs, while well intended, usually fail to engage employees in any improvement, yet alone continuous improvement. As one healthcare professional said, referring to their old suggestion box, “That's where good ideas go to die!” In comparison, the “kaizen” model for improvement, from Lean and Toyota Production System, however, is alive and thriving in many organizations.
This webinar will focus on key differences between suggestion box programs and the kaizen model, giving specific tips and ideas that your organization can adopt to make continuous improvement a daily reality. Guest Mark Graban shared practical methods and strategies from his new book, co-authored with Joe Swartz, Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements, that will help you engage employees in meaningful, lasting improvement.
Detailed Summary of the Webinar on Healthcare Kaizen with Mark Graban
In this webinar, Karen Martin introduces the topic of Healthcare Kaizen and guest presenter Mark Graban, a prominent figure in lean transformations and author of “Lean Hospitals” and “Healthcare Kaizen.” Karen briefly outlines her background in leading lean transformations and mentions her recent publications.
Mark Graban begins his presentation by discussing the fundamental differences between traditional suggestion box systems and the Kaizen approach. He explains that suggestion boxes often result in ideas sitting idle, leading to employee disengagement due to slow and opaque processes. In contrast, Kaizen emphasizes the collaborative implementation of ideas, where managers and employees work together to refine and implement suggestions. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement and active employee involvement.
Mark highlights the significant role of coaching in the Kaizen process. Frontline supervisors and managers receive coaching from higher-level leaders or external experts like Mark, who observe interactions between managers and employees, providing feedback to improve behaviors and body language. This coaching enhances the overall effectiveness of the Kaizen process, ensuring that managers can better support their teams in generating and implementing improvement ideas.
Mark addresses the common challenges associated with traditional suggestion systems, such as slow response times, lack of collaboration, and the tendency to attract anonymous complaints. He emphasizes that these systems often fail to encourage active participation and continuous improvement, which are essential for organizational success.
Moving on, Mark delves into the philosophy and mechanics of Kaizen, explaining that it is not just about occasional improvements but about fostering a culture of daily continuous improvement. He distinguishes between daily Kaizen activities and formal Kaizen events, highlighting that both are essential and complementary. While daily Kaizen focuses on small, incremental improvements, Kaizen events address larger, systemic issues through intensive, focused efforts.
Mark provides several real-life examples from healthcare settings, demonstrating the practical application of Kaizen. For instance, he shares a story of a hospital laboratory that implemented a simple yet effective improvement suggested by a new employee on her first day. This example illustrates the power of fresh perspectives and the importance of creating an environment where all employees feel empowered to contribute.
He also discusses the use of visual idea boards and software tools like Kinexis to facilitate transparency and collaboration in the Kaizen process. These tools help keep improvement efforts visible and ensure that ideas are tracked and acted upon promptly.
Finally, Mark presents data showcasing the positive impacts of Kaizen programs in healthcare organizations. He shares statistics on employee satisfaction, stress reduction, and financial savings resulting from continuous improvement initiatives. By highlighting these benefits, Mark reinforces the argument that Kaizen is a powerful tool for enhancing quality, patient safety, and staff engagement in healthcare.
Why This Matters:
Understanding and implementing the principles of Kaizen is crucial for healthcare organizations seeking to foster a culture of continuous improvement and high employee engagement. The traditional suggestion box system often fails to deliver meaningful results due to its slow and opaque nature. In contrast, Kaizen promotes active participation and collaboration, leading to more practical and implemented ideas. By providing coaching and using tools that enhance transparency, organizations can create an environment where continuous improvement thrives, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes, higher employee satisfaction, and significant cost savings.
What do you think? Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Or please share the post with your thoughts on LinkedIn – and follow me or connect with me there.
Did you like this post? Make sure you don't miss a post or podcast — Subscribe to get notified about posts via email daily or weekly.
Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
