Case Study: Make Continuous Improvement the Norm

At Kugler Vision, the culture is rooted in the following principles:

Employee participation. When it comes to change and innovation, the best ideas come from the team members who are actively involved in the patient journey. More importantly, team members' participation in the implementation process of their own ideas, not only drives better outcomes, but also leads to developing the creativity muscles. 

Courage to speak up. All team members are encouraged to contribute to improvements in processes and systems. Each team member is a process owner, thus empowered to suggest improvements and optimize it to make the patient journey easy and streamlined. The culture for improvement means that the processes are not accepted as they are, team members always look for opportunities to improve them. The willingness to speak up and make suggestions can often lead to breakthrough ideas. Therefore, it is crucial to create an environment, in which team members feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment or ridicule.

Share knowledge. Sharing knowledge is an essential element in driving innovation. When team members share their expertise and experiences, they can learn from and build on each other's strengths. Moreover, this knowledge-sharing culture fosters a stronger sense of teamwork and collaboration. Emphasizing knowledge-sharing can also lead to reduced silos, allowing for more effective communication throughout the organization.

Reframe failure. In a continuous improvement culture, failure takes on a new meaning. Failure is viewed as an opportunity to learn and adjust, which, in turn, can lead to unexpected outcomes. The team members build on mistakes and quickly regain confidence after experiencing disappointment or failure. This mindset shift allows for a more positive outlook and fosters an environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks, knowing that even if they don't succeed, they will learn from the experience.

Continuous feedback. Continuous feedback is a vital element in driving change and innovation. The notion of feedback is rooted in a shared commitment to grow, learn, and get better. The team members are encouraged to create short feedback loops and take action that elicits useful feedback faster. Furthermore, continuous feedback fosters an environment where employees feel comfortable receiving and giving feedback, allowing for greater accountability and growth.

Embrace experimentation. It is important to embrace experimentation. Experimentation allows the team to test new ideas and quickly pivot if needed. Teams who are willing to experiment are more likely to find new and innovative solutions. Moreover, supporting experimentation leads to a more open and innovative culture, resulting in better patient outcomes.

Team collaboration and problem-solving. At its core, change, innovation, improvement is a team effort. Moreover, these expectations and traits are wired throughout the entire team from management to care delivery team. It is critical for team members to work together on solutions that fit the organization, feel safe to fail and to try new things. More importantly, creating cross-functional teams can lead to a more diverse set of perspectives and lead to breakthrough ideas that may not have been possible without everyone's participation.

Innovation and continuous improvement are crucial to the success of Kugler Vision. Keeping pace with new technologies and improving patient experience, and reducing costs, while nurturing a high-level of employee engagement are just a few of the challenges that the organization is facing in a dynamic industry. It can be challenging to track the progress of initiatives and determine whether they are making a real impact. For that reason, the organization is focused on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with its continuous improvement nature. By implementing the right KPIs, the organization can measure the success of its innovation and continuous improvement efforts, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. Below are three performance indicators that are unique to Kugler Vision and align with the organization’s continuous improvement and innovation values:

Employee engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to generate innovative ideas and take ownership of continuous improvement efforts. Kugler Vision measures employee engagement through an annual survey and other feedback mechanisms. The survey results are made public, and the team is aware of the overall employee engagement scores. Based on the results, the Kugler Vision team can identify gaps and areas to improve the culture, leadership, and training programs.

Net Promoter Score. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a crucial KPI for measuring the success of continuous improvement initiatives at Kugler Vision. The organization sends surveys to patients when their appointments are completed. The patients have an opportunity to rank their experiences and provide direct feedback to the team. By collecting feedback from patients through surveys, Kugler Vision can identify areas of improvement on a regular basis. This could include improving the patient experience at each touch point, streamlining appointment scheduling, or enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers. Furthermore, consistently achieving high net promoter scores, allows the team to celebrate and take pride in their work. 

Execution of Actionable Ideas. At Kugler Vision, the ability to execute actionable ideas is essential for success. Ideas may be plentiful, but without proper execution, they remain just that - ideas. For that reason, every year, Kugler Vision goes through a planning cycle identifying all the initiatives and changes for the next fiscal year. As part of this process, resources get allocated and accountable team members get assigned. Once the initiatives transition to the execution phase, the organization and its leaders ensure that everything gets implemented within time, scope, and budget.