title: Workshops as a useful tool to better understand care professionals' views of a lean change program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For change programs to succeed, it is vital to have a detailed understanding of employees' views regarding the program, especially when the proposed changes are potentially contested. Gaining insight into employee perceptions helps managers to decide how to proceed. The authors conducted two workshops in a radiotherapy institute to assess the benefits and drawbacks, as well as their underlying causes, of a proposed Lean change program. Managers' views on the workshops' usefulness were charted. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two workshops were organized in which employees predicted positive and negative effects of a Lean program. The workshops combined a structured brainstorm (KJ-technique) and an evaluation of the expected effects. Eight top managers judged the workshops' value on supporting decision making.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 15 employees participated in the workshops. Participants from workshop 2 reported more expected effects (27 effects; 18 positive) than from workshop 1 (14 effects; six positive). However, when effects were categorized, similar results were shown. Three from eight managers scored the results relevant for decision making and four neutral. Seven managers recommended future use of the instrument. Increased employee involvement and bottom-up thinking combined with relatively low costs were appreciated most.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The workshop could serve as a simple instrument to improve decision making and enhance successful implementation of change programs, as it was expected to enhance employees' involvement and was relatively easy to conduct and cheap.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The workshop increased insight into employee views, facilitating adaptive actions by healthcare organization managers.
authors: Patient Safety Research Group, Faculty of Business Economics, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors: Pascale A M
authors: PA
authors: Simons
authors: Jos
authors: J
authors: Benders
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Marneffe
authors: Madelon
authors: M
authors: Pijls-Johannesma
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Vandijck
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006270:Health Facility Administrators; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D009426:Netherlands; D015279:Organizational Culture; D061214:Patient Safety; D011340:Problem Solving; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Decision making; Employee involvement; Lean thinking; Management; Quality improvement