Comments on: Butterfly Leadership. Does It Keep You From Achieving Desired Results?

By: Cathy Christensen

Cathy Christensen — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:54:13 +0000

I have been doing quality assurance statistics for many years in our lab. Sometimes the kinds of desired changes defined by leadership were not popular with the front line people.

Persistant publication of objective and statistically valid data eventually won out and the improvements seen have been a source of pride for our team. Ninety days may be enough time to implement something, but my experience has been that it takes much longer than that to hardwire a desired change. The things we measured were essentially individual team member actions as documented in a variety of ways. Tedious, yes. Time-consuming – not bad once the measurement process was in place.
Department meetings have been good forums in how to achieve consistency.

Because details were available to leadership on a timely basis, individual shortcomings were addressed in a ethical manner. I think of QA activities as a communications and hardwiring tool that help leaders effectively use their time and energy.

By: leanne trosper

leanne trosper — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:40:30 +0000

great, short article. we can all gleam insight from these pearls. i like to be associated with butterly management

By: Stephanie Baker,RN

Stephanie Baker,RN — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:03:42 +0000

Tommy, I am a coach with the Studer Group and wanted to give you my thoughts in reponse to your question about how to deal with a manager that uses 30 year old management techniques, but claims to use the Studer group method. First of all, I always go back to the health care flywheel. As leaders, we must all hold up the mirror and ask ourselves if we want to have purpose, worthwhile work and make a difference, do we have the fortitude to show the passion and implement the principles (prescriptive to-do’s) “as prescribed” in order to get the bottom line results we want to achieve? I have been a nurse for 20 years and know that if a medication is not given as prescribed, that the patient has less chance of being compliant, getting well and staying well. Role modeling the expected behaviors is the first role of the leader. Secondly, I go back to the evidence-based leadership slide that references aligning goals through leader evaluation and leader development, aligning behavior through implementation of the Must Have behaviors and identifying the performance gap, and aligning process through standardization and accelerators. We find if the leader is not held accountable for meeting their evaluation goals and development requirements that they are less likely to implement the Must Have behaviors “prescriptively.” The reverse is true as well. If the Must Haves are not implemented “prescriptively” the leader is less likely to get desired results. Lastly, achieving and sustaining results requires relentless focus (not the butterfly approach) and a “no excuses” culture. Senior leaders have the opportunity to mentor those leaders who are resistant to change or are modifying the prescriptives to re-connect them to the “why.” I find that most leaders desire to do an excellent job, yet oftem struggle to fit it all in. My method has always been to work smart, using tools and tactics that are known to get results ans that’s what the Studer Group offers. Thank you for the question and best of luck on your journey to excellence. As Quint always says, never underestimate the difference one person can make…keep being that difference maker!

By: Mike Tamisiea

Mike Tamisiea — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:16:25 +0000

Butterfly Manager was a great article. I have found as I have developed my 90 plans how important it is to really look at what you are doing in your account, what the hospital is striving for and what short term goals you can achieve line up with these goals. It is the difference between creating additional non productive work through goals that sound good but don’t really match up with what you are striving to accomplish on a day to day basis.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:56:52 +0000

How do you deal with a manager that uses 30 year old management techniques but claims to use the Studor Group method? I see no evidence of them using what we learn at Studor Group meetings. They pick and choose what seems to fit their style and objective. Everyone who has attended, is frustrated with this style.

By: Kristi Bradley

Kristi Bradley — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:34:20 +0000

What a great article. I find that I am most successful when I am on the unit at least 5 hours out of 8 rounding on staffs as well as patients. Unfortunately, meeting schedules don’t allow time to do this every day. I had cut out most of my meetings and was spending the majority of my time on the unit with staff and patients. We had just implemented hourly rounding and I was spending a great deal of time to ensure compliance by staff. In addition to interviewing patients, we had implemented a rounding log in each room that staff were expected to check off when they left the room. In the two months I was consistent with this, we had 74 days without a fall, 83 days without a skin breakdown, 0 medication errors and 2 patient complaints (that 1% mean factor!). We had a fall, and it felt like someone had put a pin in the balloon of success. I felt it when I arrived on the unit and the results were immediate. I was given a second unit to manage and couldn’t spend every day on the first unit and our problems began surfacing again. I am now back on the unit and I can tell how much of a difference it makes. I don’t think it’s because I am so important, but the staff feels the support and concern my presence invokes.

By: Becky Hewitt

Becky Hewitt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:17:43 +0000

I often feel that I am “flitting” from task to task because there are so many
requirements and tasks assigned by others. Setting priorities is hard because each department and supervisor believes that his/her priorities ought to be my highest priority.
How do we communicate that some tasks and activities might be needed but cannot be our highest priorty. What words can we use which will foster good relationships but make our point in a meaningful was?

By: Marcia

Marcia — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:24:44 +0000

The article on butterfly leadership is insightful and from my experience very accurate. Often, leaders try to “look” busy to give the appearance that progress is being made when in fact the organization is just “spinning it’s wheels”. Picking your battles and chossing those action items that yield the most results is the key to an already over-taxed, over-worked organization. It is our job as leaders to be sure that we never assign busy work, but focus on those value-added initiatives.