Active problem solving is a means to aid in the engagement of employees in the process of problem solving, that is auditable and visual to the entire workforce.

1. Leading Through Continuous Improvement

2. Top 5 Board – What is it?
 Visual management tool that centers the team through
the usage of a departmental measurement board
listing the top five key areas of performance, specific to
the department or area.
 Formal process to focus everyone's efforts on the most
important issues impacting the area, and activities to
resolve them.
 Tool that allows the team to highlight efforts and gain
support from leadership and internal customers.

3. Why do it?
Creates “line of sight” between daily work and goals.
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Outcomes
Goals
•Certain resources are
needed to operate your
program.
•If you have access to
them, then you can use
them to accomplish your
planned activities.
•If you accomplish your
planned activities, then you
will be more apt to deliver
the amount of product
and/or service that you
intended.
•If you accomplish your
planned activities to the
extent you intended,
then your customers will
benefit in certain ways.
•If these benefits to customers
are achieved, then certain
changes in people,
organizations, communities or
systems will occur.

5. Which Measures to Use?
 Is the measure important?
 Will employees relate to the indicator?
 Is data available? (If not get it!)
 If you stopped tracking the data, would anyone notice or
care?
 If the measurement is improved, will it have a noticeable
/significant impact on the working area/on the overall
business?
 Is the measure easy to track?

6. Measurement Considerations
 Is the measure in positive terms?
 Measure the things that will lead you to take action.
 Is the measure readily visible to all those who can
influence it?
 What data is already being collected?
 Will employees understand the measure?
 Record measure on visible charts, showing past
performance, and target.

8. Area Supervisor Top 5 Questions
 Is the issue important to our customers?
 What is the problem statement? When was the problem
first seen, where was it seen, and what is the magnitude?
 Is the problem measured in terms of Quality, Safety, Cost
Efficiency, Patient Experience, or Employee Experience?
 Does a goal statement exist that defines the results
expected to be achieved? Is the goal a SMART goal?
 Have constraints been identified?
 Who are the customers of the issue?
 How will they be involved in the project? How will
progress be communicated to them?

9. Senior Leader Top 5 Questions
 Has the team developed clear definitions for each
measurement and tested them with others to ensure
clarity and consistent interpretation?
 Has a clear, reasonable choice been made between
gathering new data and taking advantage of existing
data?
 Has baseline performance and process capability been
established?
 Have any new risks to project success been identified?

10. Senior Leader Top 5 Questions
 Has the team examined the process and identified
potential bottlenecks, disconnects, and redundancies
that could contribute to the issue?
 Has the team analyzed data about the process and its
performance to help stratify the problem, understand
reasons for variation in the process and generate
hypothesis as to the root causes of the current process?
 Has an evaluation been done to determine whether the
problem can be solved without a fundamental
recreation of the process?

11. Executive Top 5 Questions
 What lean techniques were used to generate ideas?
 What criteria were used to select a recommended solution
or solutions?
 Do the proposed solutions address all of the identified root
causes, or at least the most critical?
 Were the solutions verified with the staff members?
 Has the proposed solution been documented, including
process participants, job descriptions and if applicable,
their estimated time commitment to support the process?
 What kinds of barriers/obstacles will need assistance to be
removed?
 Has the team been able to identify any additional “Quick
Wins”?

12. Executive Top 5 Questions
 Has the team prepared all essential documentation
including the Standard Work Instructions, training plan,
training matrix, and a control plan?
 Has the necessary training for process owners / staff
members been performed? If not, when will it?
 Has the solution been effectively implemented? How do
we know?
 Has the financial benefit been approved by the finance
team?
 Has the process been transitioned to the process owner?
 Is there a best case (best practice) from the project to be
used by other areas or departments?

14. Process Flow

15. Review
 Used to keep everyone informed
 Hold short daily meetings by the board
 Act upon problems
 Make measures visible
 10 seconds status determination
 Keep it current!
 Set the Target Goals to strive for what is the industry best
 Set targets that can be achieved and the date(s), by which it
should be achieved
 Audit Scores
 Continually increase targets as they are achieved