Creating a meaningful purpose for work is an essential but commonly overlooked tool of management. Recent behavioral economics studies and scientific studies on how the brain functions in decision making show that a meaningful purpose is essential in aligning decision making across many different people and functions.
Surprisingly, those same managerial and scientific studies have shown that, if the nature of the work requires intellectual judgment, monetary incentives actually reduce effectiveness! Purpose-driven organizations find meaning in other ways than through monetary incentives. Thankfully, you have many more options than just “aligning incentives” and “meaningful” in healthcare means much more than making more money or being “the best.”
Purpose sets direction and must center on something of importance to the people who are to share that direction, including staff, physicians, and management. Patient care is a motivating factor for almost everyone making a choice to work in healthcare. Adaptive Design employs the goal of Ideal Patient Care as the shared purpose for everyone across the spectrum of healthcare.
Dr. Kenagy has tested using Ideal Patient Care in multiple healthcare environments for 10 years. It works because it sets a clear, meaningful direction for everyone that they can use everyday in their work. Ideal Patient Care is:
- exactly what the patient needs, when and where they need it
- individually customized care
- immediate response to problems or changes
- safe environment — physically, emotionally, and professionally — for patients, staff, physicians, and management
- no waste of any resource.
Ideal Patient Care is powerful because it’s much more than a slogan hung on a wall. It’s a functional tool for management and the front line that can be used in everyday work. It combines inspiration and aspiration with the practical qualities of a day-to-day managerial tool. Using Ideal Patient Care, you can set a powerful, meaningful purpose for your organization that will guide you in achieving what you once thought was impossible.
