We need the support of others to make Lean Six Sigma process improvement (or any change) possible. But sometimes, we encounter challenges in getting team members or stakeholders to support our efforts. Here are 10 Types of Troublesome Team Members. General Best Practices for Troublesome Team Members Establish Ground Rules: Share…
Most organizations begin their Lean Six Sigma journey with training. This can be a great place to start if the culture is ready for it. However, it doesn’t make sense to start training employees on these highly effective concepts and tools if a high level of blame exists within the…
Almost 25 years ago, one of the best-selling management books of all time was released: Peter Senge’s "The Fifth Discipline." I know I was in the minority, but to be honest, I was not a big fan of the book. However, one thing really stood out for me and that…
During a recent meeting we were discussing how we could improve a patient care process, and a nurse manager was being what we call a “Negative Nancy.” Her body language clearly showed she was thinking “this is a waste of my time.” A few minutes into the meeting, she stated:…
Don Quixote prioritized imagination, commitment, passion – and fused them with purpose. How might employing his character as a role-model for our journey through Quality affect our results? Borrowing from the work of James G. March,1 professor emeritus at Stanford University, what insights concerning quality can be drawn from observing…
So your organization is embarking on a Lean Journey. Congratulations! The Lean journey can be transformational and exciting for an organization. It can also be daunting and frustrating too. How do leaders figure out how to transform the people, the processes and the performance of an organization? Hopefully, leaders consider…
Do you consider yourself bad with names? Are you convinced that it’s a special skill that some people have, just not you? You might be unintentionally offending the people around you or missing opportunities to make important connections. Influence skills are key in most jobs, but they're especially important when…
Many of us have been in the position, whether at work, at school or at home, of meeting resistance to what seems like a fabulous idea. The more we explain all the reasons that others should jump on board, the more we experience folded arms, polite refusals, or, even worse,…
This fun, rhyming story about 5S can help you and your team remember the 5Ss: Sort, Set In Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. You can learn more about 5S in our Green Belt Training or Lean Training. The manager was full of angst and dismay, As customers whined and complained all day.…
Many successful Advanced Primary Care models have been implemented in community clinics or staff models where extended health care professionals, including nurses, health coaches or social workers, are part of the existing interdisciplinary team. The Advanced Primary Care model could provide added value to independent physicians practices by improving patient-experience…
