STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP
Goal Planning for Effective Lab Management
RT Erasmus Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of
Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
INTRODUCTION
Pathology is an important component of the
health services that demands an efficient
management system
A strategic plan is an integral part of the
business plan
Strategic planning is now a job requirement for
most senior posts in laboratory medicine and
thus it is extremely important for pathologists to
be knowledgable about the planning process
History of Strategic Planning Strategic planning grew from military routes
which can be traced back to the Greeks
Strategy is derived from the Greek word “strategos” which means “general of the army” Each year a strategoi was elected to give strategic advice on how to win the battle
From these military routes strategic planning has always looked at the big picture – the focus is on results or outcomes
Modern strategic planning started in 1920s with development of first strategic planning model by the Harvard Business School – this was eventually adopted by private business and by 1970s it became a standard tool for almost every company
History of Strategic Planning(2)
By late 1990s many govt agencies in the developed countries adopted these processes due to extensive reform processes that emphasized outputs rather than inputs
In the new millenium, strategic planning has now become a requirement for senior management and forms part of their job description
Service, Teaching and Research all form part of the core business of Pathology and often need a Strategic Plan
What is Strategic Planning?
Simply a process that directs an
organization’s attention to the
future, allowing it to adapt to
change and determine its
direction. It asks 3 key questions:
Where are you going?
What is the environment ?
How do you get there ?
What are some of the potential
benefits of Strategic Planning?
Clearly establishes the organizations
purpose
Gives competitive advantage
Improves laboratory services
Cost savings over existing systems
Rationalizes and improves site
operations
Optimizes of site capacity and usage
What Are the Critical Elements for a
Successful Strategic Plan ?
Political will
Early recognition, and response to customer concerns
Be proactive rather than being reactive
Strategic plan is a “living document” which undergoes change with constant evaluation of plans
Develop a good communications plan
FIRST STEP IS TO ORGANIZE FOR
THE PLANNING PROCESS
SELECT KEY PERSONNEL FROM
YOUR SERVICE ,TEACHING AND
RESEARCH UNITS
SELECT AN APPROPRIATE VENUE
WHICH PREVENTS DISTURBANCES
ALLOCATE APPROPRIATE TIME
STEPS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS
STEP 2 THINKING PROCESS
VALUES What do we care about ↓
VISION Where are we going ? ↓
MISSION What we want to achieve ↓
SCANNING examine internal & external
↓ environments
GOALS What needs to be achieved
↓
OBJECTIVES & ACTIONS how will we proceed
What are Our Values?
Values are the fundamental principles that
people believe in and that govern their
behavior.
Forming a consensus around core values
provides the basis to move forward with the
development of a strategic plan.
Drives future decisions and actions.
Examples of Core Values
Value 1- Integrity: Are we trustworthy and accountable : do we take sick leave when we are not sick
Value 2- Respect: Are we open to criticisms from others and willing to listen to colleagues, being tolerant
Value 3- Passion: Do we believe in what we are doing: do we believe in decreasing our TAT and producing quality results ?
Value 4- Motivate/Inspire: Do we create an environment that enthuses others in the laboratory: do we encourage our staff to achieve greater heights
Value 5- Professionalism: reliable, consistent
What is a Vision Statement?
A vision statement tells us where we are
going.
Describes the ideals and values we
represent.
Paints a picture of our dreams and
aspirations.
Example of a Vision Statement
Creating healthy citizens in the community
through the provision of quality teaching,
training, research and diagnostic services
What is a Mission Statement?
The mission statement describes how
we will get to our vision.
This statement describes what we want
to achieve, who we are, and how we will
execute to achieve our vision of the
future.
That business purpose and business mission are so rarely given
adequate thought is perhaps the most important cause of business
frustration and failure Peter Drucker, Management Guru (1973)
Mission should be market oriented
A mission statement asks..
What is our business?
Who is the customer?
What do consumers
value?
What should our
business be?
A mission statement should be ……. Neither too narrow nor
too broad
Fitting of market environment
Based on distinctive competencies
Motivating
Example of a Mission Statement
The pathology department is committed to providing excellent
teaching and training in pathology and supports and provides
value added quality pathology services
It will conduct relevant and sustainable research of the highest
quality through education and interaction with the community
to promote a healthy lifestyle
Example
Our mission is to be the leading laboratory service in our
area. Through leadership and innovation we will strive to
enhance the quality of diagnosis and treatment in our
region. We will have responsible programs of testing,
quality control and proficiency testing. We will aim to
have the best quality of information services to improve
the communications with our doctors and nurses and to
ensure the safety of our patients. We will meet the unique
needs of our patients and their families by being caring
and sensitive to their needs. We will focus on quality
care, service, research and education
STEP 3 ENVIRONMENTAL
SCANNING – SWOT ANALYSIS
INTERNAL
Strengths – good organizational
structure
Weaknesses – not accredited
EXTERNAL
Opportunities – niche markets linked to
specific diseases, point of care
Threats – where might the threats
to the future success come from? Private
pathology, managed care, legislation
P.E.S.T
Political: local, national and international political
developments – how will they affect the organisation and in
what way/s? eg equity issues
Economic: what are the main economic issues – both
nationally and internationally – that might affect the
organisation? eg cost of labour, outsourcing
Social: what are the developing social trends that may
impact on how the organisation operates and what will they
mean for future planning? Labour laws
Technological: changing technology can impact on
competitive advantage very quickly!
What is Strategic Direction?
The mission statement describes how we will
get to our vision.
From the mission statement, specific elements
that affect our ability to accomplish the mission
are identified eg conducts relevant and
sustainable research
These form the basis to determine areas of
strategic direction to be covered with specific
goals and objectives.
Strategic Phase: Goals and
Tasks
The Strategic Direction determines specific areas we
need to focus on to accomplish our Mission.
Goals provide more specific statements of what is to be
accomplished in each strategic area of emphasis.
Tasks provide specific objectives for each goal that are
usually measurable, have a timeline and a budget.
Examples of a Goal Statement
from Strategic Direction
Strategic Direction: Quality and Community
Oriented Research which is sustainable
Goal #1 :To improve the quality of research in the
pathology department
Goal #2:To support community oriented research
Goal Setting
Decide on the importance of the goal
Important to set time lines
Evaluate progress on an ongoing basis
Must measure success
Must check constantly to ascertain that
the goal is still in place
Strategic Planning
EXAMPLES
Achieve accreditation
Focus on safety
Develop a continuing education
program
Develop a financial plan
Strategic Planning : goal
setting
USE ACCREDITATION AS AN
EXAMPLE OF TRYING TO ACHIEVE A
GOAL IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN
The goal should be to achieve this within
two years
Accreditation
Decide what accreditation system to use
Should it be from the College of
Pathologists (CAP) in the US or SLIPTA or
National scheme?
Should it be part of the ISO system?
Decide the timeframe to implementation
Characteristics of an Objective
S.M.A.R.T
S
M
A
R
T
Steps needed to achieve
both goals and strategies
Should be quantitative or at least
measurable
Attainable, achievable
Realistic
Time bound
ACTION PLANS
These are programs that translate
objectives and strategies into actions
Plans are the mechanism that drive the
operations
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without
vision just passes the time. Vision with action can
change the world. Joel A. Barker
Examples of Objectives and
Action Plans
GOAL: To improve the quality of research
Objective # 1: Develop a Research Training
and Improvement Program within one year
Action Plan: Organize Training Workshop in
research methodology and writing skills
Objective # 2: Attract funding
Action Plan: Identify niche areas and
encourage collaboration
Strategic Planning
Once the direction is identified:
Analyse position
Develop and introduce strategy
Evaluate:
Evaluation is constant and the results of
the evaluation feed back into the vision
Conclusion
In a competitive
environment, Strategic
Panning is essential and
managers should define
their business and not be
like an ostrich who buries
its head in the sand ….
and finally …………
Executives will have to invest more and more on issues
such as culture, values, ethos and intangibles. Instead of
managers, they need to be cultivators and storytellers to
capture minds
Leif Edvinsson, pioneer on Intellectual Capital (2002)