ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author begins by showing readers why a healthcare institution must ensure that each of its departments possesses a continuous improvement (CI)-supportive culture if it wants to incorporate Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous quality improvement (CQI) methodologies into its corporate infrastructure. The author demonstrates why a healthcare organization, at the very least, needs to contain a critical mass of employees who possess these abilities and perspectives. He highlights some of the ways in which disengaged workers can hinder or even stymie CI initiatives. The author identifies key traits that many or most of the employees in a CI-supportive department should possess. He also focuses on some additional skills that an office's staff might require in order to make optimal use of CI methods. The author suggests strategies that administrators can employ to ensure that their particular department culture fosters these traits.
