Managing the wow factor

Using UBT data to lead change

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011 :: By Barbara Grimm, senior vice president, Office of Labor Management Partnership

Barb Grimm

For the first time since unit-based teams launched more than four years ago, we now have a tool that can give UBT co-leads, sponsors and KP managers something that all leaders rely on to track progress and get results: good, timely data.

The UBT Tracker database provides consistent data about teams’ performance, capabilities and—in most regions—what they are working on. As a result, we can begin to see the impact that these microsystems are having on the organization. Knowing that the UBT structure and high-performing teams really do provide sustainable improvement in our care delivery—and seeing thousands of employees committed to this continuous improvement for our members—is inspiring. 

Being able to see what teams are working on in aggregate and also at a facility-by-facility level allows us to ask, and begin to answer, some important questions:

• What can we learn from higher performing teams, and how can they share their work—within their medical centers, regions and programwide?
• How does the work of these high-performing teams relate to the overall performance of the medical center?
• Where are we seeing similar projects in the same facility?
• How can these teams work together to improve patient care?
• Or on a broader scale, how can success in one department be shared throughout a region?

Unit-based teams have changed the way we operate at Kaiser Permanente, and their ability to make rapid-cycle improvements in patient care can give us a competitive advantage. If your teams are not yet high performing, don’t give up. We can now use the information available in UBT Tracker to share evidence-based results, build local ownership and accountability, and manage for higher performance.

Checking in with your teams at this level may feel like more work than it is worth in the beginning,  but we’ve seen time and again that high-performing teams, given the data and support, can be more efficient and their team members more engaged. UBT project outcomes are important to our members, and we also know that being part of a UBT is one reason Kaiser Permanente is such a great place to work. So keep up the good work—you will see your team rise to the next level!

Data from the UBT tracker will be release quarterly in Catalyst, but is also available at http://www.lmpartnership.org/regions.