By: Ryan Cooke, MHS, BSN, RN, LMBB
For many years, companies have strived to become High Reliability Organizations (HROs). At Yellow Brick, applying High Reliability principles during transitions and activations means maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and efficiency, even when timelines are constantly in flux as healthcare adjusts to meet the needs of the population it serves.
Key Pearls for Success:
Establish Clear Goals and Milestones
Clearly define goals and objectives for the team and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure each step towards success. Create a timeline or roadmap to keep you on track throughout your journey.
Yellow Brick Tool: At Yellow Brick, we start each project by defining Roles and Responsibilities for our team, our client partners, and the departments we will be engaging. Leveraging a RACI matrix enables us to streamline work efforts while avoiding duplication of tasks. Once approved, our Project Roadmap breaks down the project schedule on a monthly basis to enable organizational leaders to understand what workstreams should be prioritized and when milestones will occur.
Focus on Safety
Prioritize safety while striving for high quality. Implement policies and procedures that recognize and mitigate risks, describe ways to resolve issues using a standard process, and establish methods to learn from each unsafe event.
Yellow Brick Tool: Risk is an inherent part of any Transition and Activation project. To tackle items head-on, we believe in a transparent method of tracking potential risks through our Risk Register. By evaluating probability and impact, we work with our client partners to develop risk response strategies in the event the risk is triggered.
Build a Reliable Culture
Include frontline staff in workgroups or committees to foster a sense of ownership in organizational development. Encourage open communication, collaboration, and clear accountability at every level to get the job done.
Yellow Brick Tool: Our Committee Management model and Task List support collaboration and task management. Yellow Brick has developed a comprehensive Task List that we customize for our clients to ensure all workstreams are tracked and aligned with the Transition and Activation Timeline. By incorporating frontline leaders in our committees, teams are kept up to date on the progress of the project and held accountable for completing work towards a common goal – the activation of their new space.
Invest in Training and Orientation
Provide effective and ongoing training and development opportunities to equip employees with the skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) to perform their jobs. Ongoing assessment of SKAs allows for open communication and informs team members on who they can go to for help and who they might be able to assist.
Yellow Brick Tool: Training and education in Transition and Activation is our team’s favorite part of the project. We work closely with the education teams to develop a comprehensive Orientation and Training Project Plan, focused on new and different elements unique to the project. We then have an opportunity to validate the skills gained through education during our interdisciplinary Dress Rehearsal events. These full-day simulations incorporate scenarios based on new and different workflows and support teams’ validation of training, while also confirming the environment is ready to support patient care.
Implement Continuous Improvement Practices
Foster a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing processes, identifying areas for optimization, and implementing changes to enhance efficiency, safety, and relevance. Encourage feedback from employees, customers, and key stakeholders to drive innovative and adaptive ways to manage transitions.
Yellow Brick Tool: At Yellow Brick, one of our core principles is lifelong learning. After each project, we conduct a formal Project Closeout and document lessons learned to ensure future projects benefit from improved processes and tools. This model enables us to be nimble and ultra-focused on our mission of delivering unparalleled project management expertise to the healthcare industry.
Promote Resilience
Build resilience within your team so they can pivot rapidly and respond effectively to unexpected challenges and disruptions. Develop contingency plans, cross-train employees, and demonstrate leadership commitment to wellness.
Yellow Brick Tool: The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, so to ensure our team can respond to challenges, we conduct bi-weekly education seminars on trending topics and processes. This supports our entire team being exposed to trends and happenings on all our projects, ensuring we are ready to step in for one another and support our clients as needed.
By incorporating High Reliability principles into your company’s culture, you enhance performance and mitigate risks. These principles advance continuous improvement in healthcare and any dynamic business environment.