Earlier this year I had the privilege of traveling to San Francisco as a member of Ascension Leadership Academy, a program where senior leaders develop competencies that strengthen strategic capabilities, test new concepts, and launch innovative initiatives. During this trip, my colleagues and I traveled to incubators and participated in immersion experiences where technology startups connected with the world's largest organizations for mutual learning and worked together to create common sense, innovative solutions.
During these immersion experiences, which included industry meetups, mentor sessions and demonstration days, I found myself remembering the startup days of The Resource Group and reflecting on the challenges that many startups face when they go from a concept to reality. Similar to these startups, The Resource Group's beginnings were filled with late nights, long strategic planning sessions, and presentations that highlighted a new approach to healthcare resource and supply management. As The Resource Group celebrates its 10-year anniversary, marked by the characteristics of service, innovation and collaboration, I would offer three lessons around these specific characteristics, which created a foundation of success for ourselves and those we are privileged to serve.
Collaboration: To change the status quo, create opportunities for mutual learning
Ten years ago, The Resource Group was asked to identify and implement $400 million in annual savings for the healthcare organizations we serve. A goal of this magnitude presented the need to balance speed to deployment with a collaborative approach to minimize disruption for those experiencing change. Many successful organizations recognize that rapid results come through engagement and acceptance of change from end users, which begins with understanding the status quo.
The Resource Group engaged hundreds of end users to better understand the status quo, which allowed us to form highly accepted and successful solutions. For example, we developed the "Dock-to-Doc" tour — a walking tour of the hospital beginning at the loading dock and ending at the many locations where doctors care for patients. These tours brought C-suite executives, caregivers and front-line associates together for five hours to highlight the function of resource and supply management activities within the organization. Through these tours, associates and leaders shared stories about successes, challenges, opportunities, and began to understand the complexity of supply chain and the decisions impacting its success or failure. Simply said, the "Dock-to-Doc" tour demonstrated supply chain was much more than receiving boxes and delivering products to shelves.
Another example of collaboration is our Platforming Solutions Process. This process deconstructs solution development into a structured format where small groups work together to problem solve while a scribe records and compiles key takeaways. Subsequent groups use these takeaways as a foundation to build upon the existing progress, ensuring that each group contributes toward a final solution without having to start at the beginning. This process allows a variety of stakeholders to collaborate and share their thoughts while they work together towards a common goal.
These two opportunities for mutual learning helped us fully understand the current status-quo in hospital resource and supply chain management, while also improving end-user satisfaction because we invited our end users to contribute to solution development based on outcomes they desired instead of expecting them to accept a solution created on their behalf.
Innovation: To remain relevant, embrace associates based on attributes and develop them continuously
In a previous thought leadership piece, "Positioning Your Organization for Success: Why Recruiting Based on Attributes Enables Transformational Change,” I shared our recruiting model at The Resource Group. In our experience, for organizations to absorb the benefits of an individual's unique skills they must recruit individuals whose personal attributes, including desires, beliefs and motivations, are aligned with those of the organization. Without a shared set of personal attributes, an associate's unique skills may not be absorbed into the fabric of the organization as the lack of shared attributes may add additional obstacles to associate integration. Although The Resource Group seeks associates from a multitude of backgrounds, industries and skills sets, by utilizing an attribute-recruiting model, we greatly increase the chance of cultural fit without compromising diversity of thought. While over 80 percent of our associates come from industries outside of healthcare, 100 percent of associates have The 7 Attributes: nice; bright; high-energy; inclusive; willing to give away power; inspired by mission; and invigorated by change.
This strength in cultural fit allows us to focus more of our time on the second part of innovation — developing our associates — rather than spending our time trying to change who they are fundamentally. In turn, our associates are more receptive to growth and development programs because they recognize our focus is on their skill-based success — not altering their core values. One such program is Accelerate U, an associate-led development opportunity that allows associates to learn from one another to gain diversity in thought and perspective. This sharing of knowledge excites our associates, encourages them to think differently and allows us to constantly innovate on behalf of our Participants. This approach has created a culture that delivers industry-leading results through diversity of thought and experience, which positions us for success in a constantly evolving industry.
Service: To build success, focus on the end user
"Rooted in the ideals of hospitality."
While this statement can be found on our website, in our sales materials and imbedded throughout our organization, it started as a philosophy within the heart of each associate. When The Resource Group began, our initial goal of identifying and implementing $400 million in annual savings was our first challenge, but it was not our purpose. Instead, our purpose was to provide excellent levels of hospitality to our end users, so they could focus on what they do best: providing patient care. By leading with a focus on the ideals of hospitality and delivering the highest level of service to our patients, caregivers and physicians, operational and financial success naturally followed. With service to people as your primary driver, the financial goals will be reached; however, when your primary driver is strictly financial, you sacrifice your customer and never fully achieve success.
Today, we have the privilege of operating the second largest and most efficient resource and supply management organization in healthcare delivery, because we have never lost our focus on enhancing the end-user experience. Unless positioned to gain the customer's acceptance, no solution regardless of how technically or operationally effective can truly be successful. Because our solutions of Change Management, Operations and Logistics Optimization, and Strategic Sourcing, are delivered within the framework of hospitality, our customers have absorbed maximum value and we have exceled.
After 10 years, these three lessons of service, innovation and collaboration not only remain relevant, but they are also the foundation of organizational success. We continue these practices today and they have evolved over time as we've learned more. We can never become complacent; these foundational habits are part of our everyday processes and we are excited to discover new ways to serve, innovate and collaborate into the future.