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7 Ways to Measure Soft Skills
Whether you prefer Lean, Six Sigma, or Toyota Kata as your method of choice, measurement is a key principle and a thread that weaves its way through any scientific-thinking or improvement approach. It is through objective measurement that we remove assumption, bias, opinion, and let’s...
Toyota Kata Case Study
The wildly popular website and training organization GoLeanSixSigma.com just published my case study on how I applied the Toyota Kata practice routine at a non-profit human service agency. In the article, I describe how I applied the four-step improvement routine along with the Coaching Kata in...
What Are Your Triggers?
It has been well documented that Emotional Intelligence distinguishes the really great leaders from the 'just OK' ones. But EI can feel kind of elusive. Like, what does it really mean for me….right now….today?? While there are many models, I like the one from Case Western...
Ideal vs. Reality: What’s Your Gap?
The Plaque Many organizations have a plaque that displays their mission, vision, values and maybe their purpose posted in the lobby. In most cases, the words are given a passing glance and rarely held up against the daily behaviors of the organization. Does that mission connect to...
7 Ways Strategic Plans Go Wrong….And How to Fix Them
When done well, a strategic plan should provide clarity and direction on how to spend time and manage finite resources. While many organizations have a plan, few have plans that clearly prioritize daily work and guide resource and time management. The Problems Below are the most common problems with...
Emotional Contagion: What Mood are You Spreading?
Contagious Just like a bad cold, emotions are contagious. (Primal Leadership; Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee) Have a conversation with a friend or colleague that is hopeful, passionate and motivating, and you walk away feeling a little more buoyant. Similarly, it is common to feel a little deflated...
Motivation: The Missing Piece of Improvement
The Challenge Patient engagement and satisfaction are an increasingly important performance metric in healthcare as reimbursement will eventually be tied to scores. Surveys are sent to both acute and ambulatory patients and for large organizations, the results are compiled and shared monthly by an outside company. Despite...
Don’t Be So Sure
Don’t be so sure. These were the words written on a sticker that was handed out to all KataCon5 (a conference about scientific thinking) attendees. The meaning behind the sticker? We think we know more than we do. Our brains jump to conclusions and create facts...