An Experienced RN s Seven Commandments for Healthcare Project Management Success

Transcription

1 An Experienced RN s Seven Commandments for Healthcare Project Management Success Patti Hope, MSHI BSN RN DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily represent official policy or position of HIMSS.

2 Conflict of Interest Disclosure Patricia Hope, MSHI BSN RN Has no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report HIMSS

3 Patricia Hope, MSHI BSN RN

4 Learning Objectives 1. Define the qualities of an effective project manager and why this role, when performed by a nurse, can be an integral component of a successful healthcare project implementation 2. Identify five myths about healthcare project management, reasons why projects fail, outline critical success factors necessary to ensure an effective project implementation and why it is important to recognize when key stakeholders are operating from a false perception 3. Explain seven rules of effective healthcare project management that can be followed to ensure a successful IT deployment under scope, within budget and on time 4. Discuss examples of powerful techniques to clarify project goals and project scope, define resource roles and responsibilities, and to create and lead a high-performing project team while constantly tracking milestone achievements 5. Define lessons learned from a multi-facility IT project implementation at the Baptist Healthcare System of Kentucky

5 Learning Objective 1: Effective Qualities of a Project Manager Leadership Builds cooperative relationships Administrative Staff Vendors Project Stakeholders Project Manager Customers Project Sponsor & Champions Functional Managers Project Team Adaptable, out-of-the-box thinker Can cope with complexity Inspires the team Leader, not micro-manager Creates beneficial alliances Fosters self-esteem of team members Manages upward, shows loyalty, follows through on management requests, adheres to established boundaries set by management TIP: You cannot manage a team from your desk. Get up and go where the action is! This is called MBWA [Managing By Walking Around].

6 A Nurse Project Manager: The Integrator Role A nurse: Understands workflow and processes, and is able to communicate with care providers Respects patient comes first, proactively prioritizing when to act and when to stay back Is ethically held to do no harm, understanding ramifications of workflow changes Can problem solve, interpret potential workflow impacts, and document new processes Speaks the same language as the care provider, acting as their interpreter and advocate

7 Learning Objective 2: Project Management Myths Once you have a project plan, it is easy to keep the project on track. The vendor s project plan is the only plan we need for our project. The Project Manager can do everything. It is better to not communicate bottlenecks and delays to stakeholders. If you get off track in the beginning, you can make up the time at the end.

8 Why Do Some Projects Fail? Project scope not well-defined, or too large Changing regulatory, legal, or organizational conditions Lack of communication between leaders and stakeholders Organizational resistance to change Lack of project ownership or system champion/s Shifting organizational priorities Failure to meet customer needs

9 Project Management Critical Success Factors Executive leadership & management have a common vision Project expectations are understood and accepted Roles and responsibilities are defined Effective use of communication channels Strengths-based resource alignment Continuous risks and barriers assessment Decisive, action-oriented, collaborative team All project stakeholders are identified Good working partnerships with the vendors

10 Learning Objective 3: 7 Rules for Effective Project Management Thou Shalt: #1. Have a voice as the project manager #2. Know thy product #3. Know resource needs and obtain sign-off #4. Constantly track the project s progress #5. Strive for excellence and create system matter experts #6. Create a one-stop shop for all project needs #7. Bond the team and celebrate milestones

11 #1. As the project manager, have a voice Be comfortable initiating conversations Speak when others are silent to make the dialogue engaging You are the voice of the project Be prepared to give project status updates anytime, anywhere Look for ways to bridge gaps of understanding about scope Speak clearly and often about what is out of scope Collaborate, and disseminate progress information Always follow up with stakeholders about outstanding issues/questions

12 #2. Know thy product Become a product expert and create other system matter experts Accept that you cannot know everything but commit to learning as much as you can Foster team competency and system expertise by making vendor documentation readily accessible If you do not know an answer to a question, seek the answer Perception is reality: Make the team feel you understand what needs to be done to be successful Uncover training needs early and address them

13 #3. Know resource needs / secure sign-off Understand your needs before you need something Strive for the A team; come to the table with recommendations If you do not know, ask others for recommendations Have data to support your resource needs Provide estimated time commitments; gain trust with accuracy Do not underestimate your resource needs; beware not to overestimate or pad your estimates Get management approval - very important to get this upfront - DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED HELP - allow time for coordination

14 #4. Constantly track the project s progress Tracking a project starts at the beginning Warning: the team does not have a sense of urgency at the beginning and can easily let things slide If you think you are behind, you are Constantly monitor all the moving parts; do not take anything for granted Let the team know their time is being monitored Share the timeline all the time

15 #5. Strive for excellence, create SMEs Develop System Matter Experts, as many as possible Assess talents and match team members to their passions, thus capitalizing on their strengths Develop with future support in mind; create support documentation along the way Do not create busy work, but rather streamline work whenever possible

16 #6. Create a one-stop shop for all project needs Be organized from the start when you create a document archive Do not bury important documents under too many drill levels Do not share documents via ; Drive users to the library Help them find documents independently Create intake forms: contact lists, issue tracking, FAQs, future project need lists and change requests

17 #7. Bond the team and celebrate milestones Have fun! Laugh a lot Order food when you schedule meetings over lunch or all-day sessions - the brain needs food to operate efficiently and effectively During go-lives, feed people and they will be there to help out Order nice shirts to make the team visible Understand when you reach a milestone and celebrate small victories are just as important as big ones

18 Learning Objective 4: Tools and Techniques Understand how to relate to your audience Visually present your data Make information accessible Create powerful and therefore unforgettable presentations Make everyone feel like a part of the club Be consistent in your presentation and message

19 Understand Competing Project Timelines Collaborate with other Project Managers Look for resource conflicts Educate management Work with functional managers in advance of needs Prevent confusion

20 Document Roles & Responsibilities Include Roles & Responsibilities document in Kick-Off meeting hand-out packet Provide document in advance to help understanding of project needs Re-direct stakeholders back to this document when questions arise Be specific with resource needs - Everyone must trust the information is accurate

21 Graphical Displays of Information are Powerful A picture is worth a thousand words Graphical documents make the system come alive; they are the roadmaps and the compass They should be easy to follow They will be your future support documentation Post graphical documents in PDF format to prevent changes and to simplify printing Secure updatable versions with a password

22 Display the Timeline in Multiple Formats Be organized and clear about the project timeline Use many formats a calendar helps to put time into perspective Post timelines as a visual clue about progress

23 Status Updates Help Everyone - Especially the Project Manager Never be too busy to create one. It helps to focus activities and attention Weekly status updates help the Project Manager keep on track and remember important issues and interactions management needs to know about They should focus on last week, next week, and key events They should keep management up-to-date without overload They should be easy to follow, with emphasis on where decisions are needed They are a historical record of events. Incorporate them into the Lessons Learned

24 One-Stop Shop: Document Library Recommend using Microsoft SharePoint as the document repository Store ALL project documents in one location Never use to send documents Direct users to the site Keep it organized Post the URL link everywhere Create intake forms Contact Lists Issue Lists FAQs TIP: SharePoint allows users to set up custom alerting. Train the project stakeholders on how to set up alerts that will notify them when changes are made to a particular site.

25 Virtual Gold Stars Rewards come in many forms. Try sending pictures of gold stars in ; not everything has to be tangible to be rewarding Recognition is important to team members Reward excellence, not mediocrity Copy the team on the ; make it a competition Make them feel proud about a job well done Small successes give the team hope

26 Pre-Go Live Dinner Enthusiasm builder Creates relationships Introduces the site to the project team Invite all superusers : leadership, physician champions, and the project team Makes go-live day an event and not an introduction Small price to pay to achieve a big impact Coordinate with restaurant in advance Persuade management of the value and include them in the invitation

27 Learning Objective 5: Baptist Health of Kentucky Lessons Learned Learn and adapt with each implementation - change what does not work Celebrate all significant milestone achievements - small ones count too Balance support and implementation across the team to avoid burning people out before the finish line Understand the difference between unit and integration testing Pre-flight checklists keep everyone on task Mock Go-Lives are valuable! Make them real

28 Baptist Health of Kentucky Lessons Learned (cont.) Reinforce and manage scope, especial the key functions Address basic needs of the team during Go-Lives Feed them well: breakfast, lunch and dinner Secure adequate accommodations for Command Centers Consider having additional rooms available to use as quiet space, for conference calls and break-out meetings Print out key resource contact sheets (implementation team, site team, ancillary support staff) and be sure to list everyone s cell phone # Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

29 Thank You! How to contact the author: Patti Hope, MSHI BSN RN Baptist Health Corporate Clinical Informatics 4007 Kresge Way Louisville, KY