Gemba Walk: Stop Blaming People, Start Fixing Systems

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00:00:15: You know as leaders one of the biggest challenges we face is getting a truly clear view what's actually happening in our practice Day In and day out.

00:00:22: I'm Dr Martin Baxman And this explainer will dive into powerful method.

00:00:27: I'm willing to bet.

00:00:28: this thought sounds familiar, doesn't it?

00:00:30: It's that deeply frustrating feeling you get when a system you tried to delegate just breaks down.

00:00:35: You feel like all the progress has stalled and despite your best efforts, it all lands right back on your plate!

00:00:40: But let's reframe for moment.

00:00:41: what if issue isn't lack of skill or motivation in staff?

00:00:45: What If The Real Problem Is The Gap The Distance Between Your Leadership Perspective And The Actual Hands On Work Being Done?

00:00:52: Its That distance that can hide real roadblocks your team is running into every day Alright, so let's dig in and really diagnose this thing.

00:00:58: In this first part we're going to explore exactly why the cycle of failed delegation and frustration is so common.

00:01:03: It often boils down into a simple yet profound misunderstanding Of how people truly learn and master new skills.

00:01:09: See on the left you have a common expectation.

00:01:11: We think our team members can just absorb complex clinical procedures by watching us do them A few times.

00:01:16: but true mastery Is never that passive.

00:01:18: The reality as You Can see On the right?

00:01:20: It needs dedicated, hands-on practice.

00:01:26: And critically it needs a system for consistent quality control.

00:01:29: Without all three we're honestly just setting everyone up to fail.

00:01:31: So how do we close that gap between our expectation and the reality on the ground?

00:01:35: Well The solution comes from A powerful concept in lean management Its tools specifically designed To connect leadership with front lines In systematic way.

00:01:43: its called the GEMBAWALK!

00:01:45: What is GEMBBA?

00:01:46: It's Japanese term and simply means THE REAL PLACE In our world, the GEMBA is anywhere and everywhere.

00:01:52: value-is created for patients.

00:01:54: And let me be clear – that's not the manager's office!

00:01:57: It's treatment chair… it's lab... and reception desk where first crucial patient impression is formed.

00:02:03: The protocol of a GEMBawalk?

00:02:04: Well, it's beautifully simple.

00:02:06: Step one — you physically go to real place.

00:02:08: Step two — observe work as actually happening in time without interrupting or judging.

00:02:13: And step three ... you work to understand the real friction points and get to root cause.

00:02:18: It's a discipline of seeing, not just

00:02:19: assuming.".

00:02:20: Okay let's make this real!

00:02:22: We're gonna apply this protocol now to diagnose few very common problems issues that your probably facing in our own clinic right now.

00:02:28: Let start with classic clinical headache inconsistent poor quality impressions.

00:02:32: When we see bad impression Your immediate instinct might be blame the assistant who took it.

00:02:36: But is their skill really the root cause?

00:02:38: A Gemba walk forces you to challenge that assumption.

00:02:41: Instead of just blaming, You go into the operator and try to take an impression yourself using the exact same tray The same material everything!

00:02:47: You might discover this material is hard work with or the room's layout is terrible for getting a right angle.

00:02:51: Maybe we even notice the disinfectant spray creating aerosols that are messing With the set.

00:02:54: These are system problems not people problems.

00:02:57: Ok here another one That so often misdiagnosed as just behavioral issue Consistently bent arch wires when your team removing them.

00:03:04: Your first thought is probably carelessness, right?

00:03:06: A lack of focus.

00:03:07: But if you go to the Jumba Go-to-the-chair and observe You might find a simple tool failure!

00:03:11: You might realize that the distal end cutter Is dull And instead of clean snip It's actually bending and torquing The wire All of sudden.

00:03:18: your assistant isn't being careless.

00:03:19: They're fighting with faulty equipment on every single patient.

00:03:22: Now this whole jumba principle Isn't just for clinic.

00:03:25: It is just as powerful, if not more so for fixing administrative workflows which are absolutely critical for patient satisfaction and the overall health of your practice.

00:03:34: So If Patient Callbacks Are Getting Delayed The answer isn't to tell you front desk to call faster.

00:03:38: You have go their Gemba Sit with them For an hour Watch.

00:03:42: How do new emails actually get processed?

00:03:44: Where do phone messages physically Go?

00:03:45: What does the recall system really look like at three p.m on a Tuesday?

00:03:48: A little bit observation will show exactly where the bottleneck in this system.

00:03:51: So seeing the problems is the first step, but the real goal here to be proactive.

00:03:57: To build robust systems for training and quality control.

00:04:00: so these issues don't happen in the first place.

00:04:03: Let me give you two advanced tools to help build that discipline.

00:04:05: First role playing.

00:04:06: it's absolutely essential For helping your team master those difficult patient conversations like discussing treatment costs.

00:04:11: And second undercover checks have a friend anonymously call or email Your practice.

00:04:15: It gives you raw unfiltered look at actual experience patients are having.

00:04:19: And if you really want to take role-playing, record the sessions on video.

00:04:22: This is where magic happens!

00:04:24: It creates this powerful aha moment when your team members can actually see their own body language and hear their tone of voice.

00:04:29: they can self correct in ways that simple verbal feedback could never achieve... ...and it brings us into a crucial leadership mindset.

00:04:35: This isn't about you dictating every single step.

00:04:37: If your team through there handson work discovers better more efficient way to do something You have be flexible enough to adopt them.

00:04:43: That innovation becomes new standard operating procedure.

00:04:46: Ultimately, it really comes down to a choice between two leadership models.

00:04:50: On one side you have the firefighter leader.

00:04:52: They're constantly reactive putting out fires feeling frustrated and becoming The bottleneck to progress.

00:04:57: on the other side You have the Gemba leader.

00:04:59: they are proactive strategic and disciplined.

00:05:02: they build systems that empower their team And prevent the fires from ever starting.

00:05:06: so I'll leave with this question to reflect on Is your practice running on a disciplined, reliable autopilot?

00:05:10: Because by closing that distance between yourself and the real work you can transform your practice from source of daily fires into system that runs smoothly freeing up to finally lead at strategic level.