Are you planning a mid-year assessment? If not, you should be!

It’s hard to believe that 2016 is halfway over, this means that we still have an opportunity to improve the remainder of the calendar year. A mid-year assessment may reveal some helpful information that will confirm the success of your hospital or raise your awareness of areas needing improvement.

A mid-year analysis of your facility’s performance these past six months is important in recognizing what has and has not been working. Without such an assessment, you could be setting yourself up for setbacks that may not be easily reversible.

To help you begin, I’ve compiled a few tips that may help you plan this mid-year review. In my 35 years of professional experience, I’ve found this overall approach to be helpful for me and my clients.

Goal Assessment

The best way to begin reflecting on your progress is to simply review your list of goals. The best way to return them to the front burner is to fish them out.

Having your goals in front of you (and your team, for that matter) helps to order your priorities and manage your time in such a way that will aid in the attainment of your goals.  With them in front of you, review each carefully and quantify or qualify each one, as appropriate.

Update Your Team

After assessing your goals, alert your staff about your facility’s progress. Raising the level of awareness is important step in changing habits and setting procedures in place to utilize the last half of the year to reach and, hopefully, surpass your goals.

When updating your team, it’s important to not only deliver the bad news but also to celebrate the good news—your/their accomplishments. Offering praise for a job well done is important in building morale and setting a positive tone.

Ask for Feedback

Since you’re assessing performance, it’s helpful to ask your staff for feedback. You have the opportunity to gain insight that could lead to workflow improvements. In addition, employee feedback gives your team input into operations and helps to improve morale.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and each step counts! Don’t fall into the trap of wondering why the year seems to run so fast, with precious little to show about your goals for this year. You can get there! It’s only a matter of time.