Original instructions
Discuss a problem your current or former organization (pseudonyms are okay) solved or a suboptimal decision the organization made because the frame was incorrect. Describe the outcome(s) that resulted due to the incorrect framing. What barriers to brilliant decision making do you believe impacted the organization and why? Describe how you would have framed the problem and what mapping technique you would have used. NOTE: You do NOT have to create the mapping technique. You only have to explain why you chose it.
Students are reminded to follow the discussion board guidelines and rubric criteria as outlined below:
Respond to the following discussion post adding value to the conversation and each post should consist of 150 words minimum
Claudette post
In the context of organizational problem-solving and decision-making, inaccurate framing can, indeed, result in undesirable choices and consequences. TechGenix, a fictitious company, as an instance, which experienced a significant drop in employee productivity. A thorough performance monitoring system was put in place as a result of the first conceptualization of the problem, which was that staff were not motivated enough. But this strategy did nothing but make people more stressed out and less productive. Low morale and a high turnover rate were the results, which suggests that the problem was not properly defined. A more effective framing of the problem would have involved a broader perspective, taking into account factors like work environment, job design, and employee well-being (Olson et al., 2022).
I would have chosen to use a cross-functional process map to frame the problem, which would allow for a visualization of the workflow across different departments, identifying obstacles and areas of stress that could be contributing to the drop in productivity (Olson et al., 2022). It would also highlight the transitions between departments, which are particularly important in this situation. Confirmation bias, where the management only considered evidence that supported their initial assumption, and overconfidence, assuming they already had the right solution (Dierickx, 2020)
Instead of blaming the problem only on low employee motivation, the company might have used a cross-functional process map to pinpoint particular workflow areas that needed to be improved, such distributing responsibilities or simplifying communication (Dierickx, 2020). This strategy probably would have produced more focused and efficient solutions, raising output and raising employee satisfaction. The secret to effectively framing a problem is to be receptive to other viewpoints and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the circumstance before drawing any judgments (Olson et al., 2022). To determine the genuine nature of the issue at hand, it is important to pose the appropriate questions and be prepared to challenge presumptions.
References
Olson, J. R., McLaughlin, D. B., Sharma, L. (2022). Healthcare Operations Management, 4th Edition.
Dierickx, C. (2020, August 10). What leaders need to do to interrupt the confirmation bias. Forbes.Retrieved from https://constancedierickx.com/how-leaders-can-interrupt-the-confirmation-bias/
Danielle post
The healthcare field is a constant evolving and changing environment in order to help reduce barriers and improve patient care. Revisions in the process due to incorrect framework or an attempt to improve the framework that is already in place. St. Mary’s Medical Center has a daily huddle meeting at noon to go over each patient on the unit and the barriers for remaining hospitalized. The idea of a huddle is to address barriers is essential and helps with communication throughout the multidisciplinary team. However, the only team members at huddle were the nurses, charge nurse and case managers. The base idea of a daily huddle is important but there was previously very little communication with the remaining multidisciplinary team. Research shows “Nurses and physicians collaborating between departments determined the plan of action for the day to ensure efficient and timely care was provided to all pediatric patients within the hospital and those needing to be transferred from other facilities.” (McBeth et al., 2017) Due to the incorrect framing the outcomes of the huddle resulted in continued lack of communication between the multidisciplinary team.
To improve upon the idea of huddle, hospital leadership revisited huddle and made it mandatory for all members of the multidisciplinary team to be involved. Hospitalists, nurses, charge nurses, nurse managers, case managers and a representative from administration were all in attendance to address each patient and their barriers to discharge to the appropriate next level of care. The barriers to brilliant decision making that impacted St. Mary’s Medical Center as an organization is the members in attendance at huddle. If the hospitalist team was not in attendance there was not a real-time accurate report of patient barriers for discharge. Alternate barriers included communication within the multidisciplinary team. Research has shown “Strong and committed leadership is a key contributory factor is sustaining commitment to the huddle.” (Montague et al., 2019)
If I was employed in a hospital leadership position and involved in the improvement of huddle at St. Mary’s Medical Center, I would have implemented more research prior to interventions. First, I would’ve visited different units of the hospital and watched as huddle was performed. I would have interviewed nurses, charge nurses and case management to gather a consensus of what is and is not working. After that, I would have asked the staff what they would find more helpful from the huddle meetings. I would have used the mapping technique of a process flow chart to help with visualization of the huddle process. A process flowchart would be beneficial to visual how huddle meeting can have all members of the multidisciplinary team engage and help with hand-off between different team members. Therefore, the process flowchart would show a visual representation of the huddle process from start to finish.
References
McBeth, C. L., Durbin-Johnson, B., & Siegel, E. O. (2017). Interprofessional Huddle: One Children’s Hospital’s Approach to Improving Patient Flow. Pediatric Nursing, 43(2), 71–95.
Montague, J., Crosswaite, K., Lamming, L., Cracknell, A., Lovatt, A., & Mohammed, M. A. (2019). Sustaining the commitment to patient safety huddles: insights from eight acute hospital ward teams. British Journal of Nursing, 28(20), 1316–1324. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.20.1316
