You need to improve occupancy. Or hire more people. Or get an Outstanding rating.
Here’s what usually happens.
You set your goal. Then you start doing stuff to reach that goal.
A couple of weeks pass. You’ve done some stuff. Your team made some changes. But there's no difference in the numbers for your ultimate goal.
You start to wonder whether the things you're doing are making any difference. Are they even the right things?
Here’s what usually happens.
You set your goal. Then you start doing stuff to reach that goal.
A couple of weeks pass. You’ve done some stuff. Your team made some changes. But there's no difference in the numbers for your ultimate goal.
You start to wonder whether the things you're doing are making any difference. Are they even the right things?
Introducing lead measures, your new friend
Just as important as setting your ultimate goals (also known as lag measures) it's important to also set the right lead measures.
Getting these right at the outset can be the difference in hitting your goal.
Getting these right at the outset can be the difference in hitting your goal.
A simple example of lead and lag measures
You want to lose 5kg (lag measure).
You go to the gym three times a week and cut out snacks (lead measure).
By being disciplined in hitting your lead measures, your lag measure – your ultimate goal – becomes an inevitability.
You go to the gym three times a week and cut out snacks (lead measure).
By being disciplined in hitting your lead measures, your lag measure – your ultimate goal – becomes an inevitability.
A less simple example
3M wanted to make more money (lag measure). There are a million different ways they could go about this – build a stronger retail base. Run an ad campaign for their biggest products. In the end they agreed that what would make the biggest difference is innovation – coming up with new products.
The lead measure they set was time spent working on innovations.
One of the results was the post-it note. Which all by itself raised
The lead measure they set was time spent working on innovations.
One of the results was the post-it note. Which all by itself raised
What lead measures might look like in the care sector
Let's say you want to increase occupancy, here are some possible lead measures.
Choosing the right lead measures is key, which means exploring all the options as a leadership team first. That way, you're confident that the work you're putting in will bear fruit, even before it does.
- You make sure the phone is answered within three rings.
- 90% of enquiries are responded to within one hour
- Show rounds are offered at every call or email – or you offer to visit them at home
- Enquiries are followed up three times within the first week
Choosing the right lead measures is key, which means exploring all the options as a leadership team first. That way, you're confident that the work you're putting in will bear fruit, even before it does.
What happens when you make these changes
By implementing these changes:
- You hit lead measures along the way, which help your team get that sense of achievement in the short term to stay focused and motivated for the ultimate goal
- You make hitting your ultimate goal inevitable
Why it's so hard
Because a million things call for your attention every day. If you're going to focus on something, it has be to the exclusion of others.
To set one key focus for your care organisation is hard. To keep your focus on it is even harder. Urgent tasks will always come up that demand your team's attention. So you need to keep reinforcing that this is the priority.
It requires weekly check-ins with your team to review what's been done in the last week, what numbers you've hit, and what you'll do in the next week.
To set one key focus for your care organisation is hard. To keep your focus on it is even harder. Urgent tasks will always come up that demand your team's attention. So you need to keep reinforcing that this is the priority.
It requires weekly check-ins with your team to review what's been done in the last week, what numbers you've hit, and what you'll do in the next week.
Where to start
If you want to explore this idea further, read The Four Disciplines of Execution. An oldie but a goodie (is it just me or are all the best business books the old ones?)