This time of the year is terrific for what we call “Hansei” or deep reflection in Lean. One of my greatest sources of continuing satisfaction for 2014 was my work with others to spread Lean thinking. Most of my work with Lean was done with Simpler, in concert with Dr. Patty Gabow, the retired CEO of Denver Health. As Senior Advisors to Simpler, Dr. Gabow and I meet regularly with the Simpler leadership that also includes two other physicians, Dr Paul Dechant, the former CEO of Sutter Gould Medical Group in California, and Dr. George Palma, a former Kaiser executive and neurologist in Kaiser’s North Valley practice of Northern California.
In the Simpler work John Gallagher is a colleague who has been a personal coach and mentor for me on my own Lean journey. Earlier this week John emailed Dr. Gabow and me with a request and a good template for all of us to use as we reflect on our own work and the work we have done with others within our organizations. As I have thought about the checklist that John sent us, I realize that we could also ask the same questions of healthcare as an industry or profession. I have done a little editing and rearranging of John’s list. Here it is, in a form I hope might be directly useful to you as you look back over 2014 and forward to 2015.
From an individual development standpoint in your observations of yourself thus far:
- What do you see that you do well (in terms of your role within your organization)?
- What could you do better?What should you KEEP doing (in 2015)?
- What should you KEEP doing (in 2015)?
- What should you START doing (in 2015)?
- What should you STOP doing (in 2015)?
From a business development perspective in your observations of your organization or work group thus far:
- What do you see that we [your organization or work group] do well?
- What could we do better?
- What should we KEEP doing?
- What should we START doing?
- What should we STOP doing?
Repeat the same set of Lean questions for Healthcare as a profession or industry.
Reflection for just a moment reveals two powerful insights. First, honesty with oneself opens up great opportunity. What you do not recognize will probably not change. Secondly, working in groups or as one of millions in an industry, we often feel inadequate in our ability to make a difference. The only change or improvement we can be sure of is what we choose to do ourselves.
Every day is filled with opportunities to apply what we learn from the process of asking questions of ourselves. Every great movement, every innovation, every transformational idea was first envisioned in one mind or was the result of one individual choosing to speak or to act. Lean reminds us that there is nothing more infectious than a good idea expressed by someone who is committed to improvement.
