Making the Connection:An Approach to Aligning

Associate Goals with Organizational Strategy

St. Luke’s HospitalMary Hagen, Administrative Director of Operational

EffectivenessLeigh Faaborg, Program Manager Strategy and Deployment

St. Luke’s Facts and Figures:Established: 1884

Beds: 534

Associates: 2,973

Medical Staff: 490

Volunteers: 987

Admissions: 18,947

Births: 2,612

Surgeries: 16,392

Outpatient Visits: 170, 881

Clinic Visits: 330,690

Awards and Recognition:Top 100 Hospital

Top 50 HospitalTop 100 Heart Hospital

Magnet Designation IRPE Gold Recipient

Healthstreams Research Excellence

St. Luke’s Baldrige Journey:Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence

St. Luke’s Baldrige Journey:Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence

Partnership with Associates

St. Luke’s Strategic Framework

High Middle Ground

Top 100Better Outcomes Partner of Choice

Partnership with Associates

Better Outcomes

Strengthen the Core

Strengthen the Core Regional Resource

Developed as part of the St. Luke’s

Baldrige journey, the Pyramid of

Excellence guides everything we do.

St. Luke’s Staff Alignment Team had a two-prong focus when developing the Making

the Connection Toolkit.

DEMONSTRABLY BETTER QUALITY

PARTNERSHIP WITH ASSOCIATES

PARTNER OF CHOICE FOR PHYSICIANS

STRENGTHEN THE CORE

REGIONAL RESOURCE

St. Luke’s Strategic Framework

Focus #1

Strengthen the Core:

Enhance leadership’s

ability to cascade goals down to the

frontline, and align goals at all

levels of the organization.

St. Luke’s Strategic Planning Process

DEMONSTRABLY BETTER QUALITY

PARTNERSHIP WITH ASSOCIATES

PARTNER OF CHOICE FOR PHYSICIANS

STRENGTHEN THE CORE

REGIONAL RESOURCE

St. Luke’s Strategic Framework

Focus #2

Partnership with Associates:

GPTW Question:

‘My work has special meaning. This is not just a job.’

The toolkit needed to be something that would assist leadership at all levels of the organization in helping

associates understand how their work connects to the overall success of the organization.

St. Luke’s Goal Setting Process:Annual strategic planning process kicks off in the summer with

a leadership group retreat to review progress and set priorities for the coming year.

1.

BOD retreat in late summer/ early fall – SWOT analysis/ Strategic Checkup

2.

President’s Council uses information from retreats to set (annual and multi-year) goals and initiatives for the 5 components of the strategic framework.

3.

Progress on current years goals/initiatives, as well as the goals/initiatives for the coming year are shared with management group in Nov./Dec. = Beginning of the goal cascade.

4.

Directors and managers use organizational goals to formulate goals for their divisions/departments. Then begin cascade of goals to all associates.

5.

Making the Connection Toolkit was designed to enhance steps 4 and 5 in the Strategic Planning Process.

Toolkit Components:

Coversheet

Script

Goal Setting/Outcomes Visual Aid

Cascading Goals Templateso For Each Strategic Framework Component

Department Goal Summary Sheet

Associate Goal Summary Sheet

MakingConnection

A goal setting tool-kit to help increase associate knowledge of outcomes and how their daily

work contributes to the achievement of St. Luke’s Goals.

the

Toolkit – Script:

Toolkit – Goal Setting Visual:

INDIVIDUAL GOALS

DEPARTMENT GOALS

Tactics to Achieve Goals and Outcomes

Tactics to Achieve Goals and Outcomes

HOSPITAL GOALS

Tactics to Achieve Goals and Outcomes

DIVISION GOALS

Tactics to Achieve Goals and Outcomes

How do YOUcontribute to the achievement of St. Luke’s Goals???

Toolkit – Cascading Goal Sheets:Associate: 2012

Demonstrably Better Quality:

St. Luke's Goal: Measures of Success:Tactics to Reach Goal:

Division Goal: Tactics to Reach Goal:

Department Goal: Tactics to Reach Goal:

Associate Goal: Tactics to Reach Goal:

NOTES/ OTHER COMMENTS:

Demonstrably Better Quality:St. Luke’s will dramatically improve and sustain performance on both sides of the Quality coin

– excellent clinical outcomes and exceptional patient experience.

Goal setting/sharing was not done as consistently as we originally thought.

User friendly format – Microsoft Word vs. Excel.

Script was very useful – especially for new management.

It is more difficult to ‘make the connection’ for non patient care departments.

Examples are very important!

Find ways to utilize the tool that make it the least cumbersome for end users.

Share best practices.

Lessons Learned for 2012:

2012 Example:

Badge Buddies:

My personal goals for this year are...

Demonstrably Better Quality:

Partnership with Associates:

Partner of Choice for Physicians:

Strengthen the Core:

Regional Resource:

Scorecards/Dashboards:

Executive Rounding:

Testimony from Toolkit Users:Dennis Winders, Director of Imaging Services:

How has the ‘Making the Connection’ toolkit benefited your division/ departments?Leads and frontline associates shared department results at the January division meeting – areas of great improvement were evident!

Do your associates enjoy the goal setting process?Yes, it was challenging the first year – but in a good way. We saw a lot of associates working on developing their goals and sharing ideas with their colleagues during the process.

Briefly describe the goal setting process in your division?Division goals set by division leadership. Hospital and division goals then taken to department level – leads, supervisors, and frontline staff help set department goals. Frontline associates are then asked to develop supporting goals.

Since implementing the toolkit, do you feel like your associates have a better understanding of how their work contributes to St. Luke’s overall success?We had great success last year. We witnessed an increase in frontline ownership and involvement in many aspects of the work.

Testimony from Toolkit Users:

How has the ‘Making the Connection’ toolkit benefited your division/ departments?The toolkit has provided a clear, easy to understand set of directions on how the process should come together and align with the strategic framework. The toolkit has provided a great deal of support to managers in one of their most important focuses.

Do your associates enjoy the goal setting process?Sharon Hill, Manager of Witwer Children Therapy – ‘I love the toolkit. It makes sense to me and helps me organize the process to make sure we are aligned with the strategic focus of the organization. Associates have a much better understanding of how their goals align with the work of St. Luke’s overall’.

Briefly describe the goal setting process in your division?A division retreat is held every year to review current year progress and set goals for the coming year. Division goals are then shared with departments to develop related goals, using associate input. Associates then set annual goals with the help of department leaders.

Since implementing the toolkit, do you feel like your associates have a better understanding of how their work contributes to St. Luke’s overall success?Definitely! The challenge is keeping the information in front of them so we maintain progress.

Joe Linn, Director Physical Medicine and Rehab:

Testimony from Toolkit Users:

How has the ‘Making the Connection’ toolkit benefited your division/ departments?The toolkit has made the goal setting process much clearer, not only for associates, but for our supervisors as well. Having clearly outline hospital goals has enabled us to better define department and associate goals that align and support the organizational focuses.

Do your associates enjoy the goal setting process?Previously the goal setting process seemed disjointed and associates commented that they had a hard time coming up with personal goals. It is now much better – the toolkit is the reason!

Briefly describe the goal setting process in your division?Hospital goals used to set divisional/departmental goals. Managers then work 1:1 with frontline associates to set related individual goals.

Since implementing the toolkit, do you feel like your associates have a better understanding of how their work contributes to St. Luke’s overall success?I truly believe our associates have taken some time to think about what they do every day in their work, and how that contributes to our laboratory and hospital success. I believe it has made them proud of the work they do each and every day.

Carol Collingsworth, Director of Laboratory Services:

Testimony from Toolkit Users:

How has the ‘Making the Connection’ toolkit benefited your division/ departments?It makes it easier for managers to communicate how everything fits together, and helping associates see how their work is meaningful.

Do your associates enjoy the goal setting process?One of my managers had the following to say, ‘they are all a little apprehensive about goals, but once they have 30 minutes of my time and I make it about what they do, it is less threatening and more exciting’. It is important for us in helping each associate become stronger and personally successful.

Briefly describe the goal setting process in your division?Nursing directors meet to discuss goal priorities for the coming years. These priorities are affirmed with the unit managers. Managers then develop department goals and a guide for associate goal setting to impact the department and division goals. Associate goals are set with manager and supervisor assistance.

Since implementing the toolkit, do you feel like your associates have a better understanding of how their work contributes to St. Luke’s overall success?I have newer managers in my division. They have reported to me that the focus on individual and department goals has resulted in notable progress on several initiatives.

Carmen Kinrade, Director of Nursing Services at St. Luke’s:

Discussion Questions:

Do you think this tool might work in your organization?

Does your organization have a different tool or process for

‘making the connection’ that has been successful?

Initial ideas on how the tool might be improved?