How many times have you administered a customer satisfaction survey, reviewed the data, performed a root cause analysis, initiated a Performance Improvement Project, set goals and implemented strategies, only to find that your residents and families don’t think that you have improved?
One of my favorite Stephen Covey (an educator, author, businessman and keynote speaker) quotes may hold the answer, "If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster." Sometimes the elephant in the room can prevent an authentic examination of the real issues. An autocratic leader who knows it all, an organizational culture tainted by negativity and distrust or an ever present, hands-off issue that gets swept under the rug can be the real root cause of a chronic problem. Many times we can’t fathom how a low scoring survey response to a question like, "Do staff take time to interact with residents?" relates to a leader who micromanages ineffectively. But a savvy, inquisitive organization confronts these veiled mysteries hidden in plain sight and addresses them head-on.
The key to effecting real change and improvement is to ask the right questions of the right people. Staying open and receptive to this feedback and then taking action that aligns with the real core issue leads to substantive, sustainable change.
I work as a coach on a Customer Satisfaction Project in several New York State nursing facilities. One of the significant root cause analysis strategies that some of these facilities utilize is to ask residents, families and staff to share their perspectives about low scoring responses. Their answers provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issues. Having an unbiased individual (staff member from a related facility, consultant or trusted staff member) confidentially initiate these discussions provides invaluable information in tackling true origins of a problem. Analyzing all of this information, collectively, can reveal unexpected common themes that the leadership team should explore further. Respectfully having the hard conversations and establishing parameters in a non-threatening manner can change the direction of the discussion and of an organization. Sometimes, small tweaks yield significant improvements. Reducing the unwieldy elephant in the room to a manageable hindrance, which then becomes more easily resolvable, provides openings to new and unexpected opportunities.
The next time you are exploring the root cause of a problem, try to incorporate some of these simple strategies:
- Be open and fair
- Be consistent
- Ask the hard questions
- Listen attentively
- Be receptive to facing unexpected challenges and solutions
- Take responsibility for mistakes
- Find ways to say yes
Then, celebrate every single small gain. You and your team will appreciate the outcomes!