Sometimes quality, eficiency, and continual improvement, can be over complicated by management tools. We can spend a lot of time implementing management tools and not enough time actually improving the system/process.
These tools are uselful to understand but the manager needs to be careful not to think that they will be the solution to their problems. They are only techniques - ultimately it is people that deliver quality, efficiency and improvements.
It is strong leadership and
teamwork that is needed
The flavour of the day appears to be '
Lean' but all the academic papers i have read relating to Lean (in a public service environment) indicate it is 70% more likely to fail than to succeed, and where success happens, it is cannot always be proven to be Lean.
Don't get me wrong ... I believe there is a place for many of the management tools out there, and jumped on the band wagon promoting them.
With regards to NHS management is important to stay focussed on Input-output processes:
1. Understand what you put in:
Sick patents/broken equipment
2. and what you want out:
well patients/functional equipment
Don't assume that you know how something is being done - analyse the process.
Ask your staff what they do, how they do it, what causes delays or frustration. Then ask
them how to improve the process.
One of the main blockages to change is telling people to change... it immediately gets their backs up.
If you ask them, review their ideas - implement the good ones, and then monitor adherence, the change will usually happen successfully.
AIM:
Ask ,
Implement,
Monitor.
This simple acronym belies all management tools.