Now that the holidays are upon us, it is the perfect time to celebrate our successes! As we look to the future, we may want to capitalize on our strengths and find new ways to implement what we’ve learned. In this article, we are going to share some things we’ve learned as operational efficiency experts specifically, yearly goal considerations and employee and patient satisfaction drivers.

During the goal setting process, forward thinking administrators and department heads meet to discuss their goals with the purpose of explaining how these goals support the vision and mission of the hospital. At some stage, interdepartmental workflow overlaps and dependencies are understood and conflicts are resolved. As a result, cross functional goals and key performance indicators are established.

Whether the goals or performance indicators require permanent employees or qualified consultants there are four ways to engage your staff to make these goals happen:

Provide them with the ability to influence
Let them know how they are being effective
Ensure that you understand what they are saying
Availability – let them know that you are available for feedback
Show appreciation
Evaluate your relationship and make any necessary changes

Positively engaged employees have higher levels of productivity and profitability, better safety and attendance records, and higher levels of retention.

Given that everyone’s common goal is to fulfill the hospital vision why not see the workflow as it appears through the eyes of the patient? According to Six Sigma these are the FACTS about what matters to patients:

Fulfillment: “Do they deliver on their promises?”
Accuracy: “Am I confident in the diagnosis or treatment?”
Cycle Time: “Am I scheduled & seen in a reasonable amount of time?”
Treatment: “Do I get a sense of pride when I am here?”

These dimensions have been used in patient surveys to set up internal critical success factors. They have proven to increase value added activities in both employee and patients.

As you look to the future, consider leveraging these Organizational Development and Six Sigma disciplines as a new way to meet your goals and increase satisfaction.