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News Some materials managers need to know how to do it, others want to learn how to do it, but few have mastered it To be a successful materials management executive – or any kind of supply chain leader for that matter – you have to master the art and science of facilitation. Attend any materials management conference or trade show and that idea of being a facilitator will somehow be worked into a formal presentation or into a casual conversation. For materials management directors to be effective facilitators they first have to understand what the term "facilitate" means before they can apply it in practice. So what does it really mean? Presenting options and maneuvering conversations to help participants work through and find the optimal solution? Or merely giving directions? And can you really facilitate relationships between buyers and sellers? Various department heads? Clinicians and operations managers? Finally, how do you acquire facilitation skills? Healthcare Purchasing News Senior Editor Rick
Dana Barlow posed the following question to a variety of materials
managers and consultants with materials management experience and
expertise: To work effectively with physicians and others you have to
present options and facilitate conversations with end users to the one
that makes the most sense clinically, financially and operationally.
What does facilitation mean to you? What are some clues that demonstrate
true facilitation vs. simply giving directions? I have worked with a number of volunteer organizations and held local political offices for several years. Facilitating change in healthcare organizations is similar to effecting change in churches or political entities. People want to be heard and know that you as a leader understand their concerns. Many times that is the key, simply listening. When we are leaders we listen and then people with concerns are more likely to listen to our solutions and allow us to negotiate with them solutions which will be long lasting. The first clue is therefore listening. Secondly, you must create a shared vision for what it is you want to accomplish. We have received some excellent training in our system on doing just that. If end users don’t have a similar vision to where you want [supply chain management] to go, then they will never buy into the end goal. Thirdly, is to involve the users into developing solutions with you for success. If they are involved in developing the process then they are accepting of the changes being made. The best solution in the world will never work if customers won’t accept the solutions being provided. You must get buy-in to be successful. Sometimes you have to let others fail before they are willing to accept your solutions. You have to pick those battles to remain long-term in SCM.
A well-defined process of how items are reviewed and enter the supply chain is a good beginning. This establishes a method for the ongoing review of items by a multi disciplinary team and communication between the various parties. This also lets all of the users know that your process is open and objective. Making sure that there is a good network across the system to share/broker information and to receive feedback is extremely important. When implementing the new program, service or product we make sure that everyone knows and is agreement to the time frame, and what to expect and that the information is being communicated effectively across the system.
Facilitation, above all else, requires great listening skills to achieve a consensus when parties may have vastly differing perspectives and requirements can be difficult. The successful facilitator may not achieve all parties coming to a 100 percent agreement, but if the parties conclude the process with first, understanding why decisions were made, second, committed to the conclusion drawn, and third, why their differing perspective could not necessarily be adopted, then you have successfully facilitated.
To me, facilitation means being an almost invisible part of the intercourse required for bringing an issue to fruition. People should be able to see you there, take the direction you give them, but never feel your opinion present in the conversation. The facilitator is a neutral third party who helps to move things along in conjunction with a structured approach… 1. True facilitation has a structured process with formal rules and roles 2. In true facilitation agenda and schedules are used and adhered to 3. In true facilitation, the ‘facilitator’ is absolutely there to aid the process — nothing more.
Definitely in a large system, facilitation skills are critical. Facilitation means soliciting the input of all stakeholders and listening to all points of view, then building consensus by focusing on common ground. Those three factors – soliciting points of view, listening, and building consensus – are keys to successful collaboration. One final clue: We’ve learned that if given proper data and information, clinicians will drive the process and will ultimately decide on products that deliver quality and the most economic value.
I was once given a coffee cup with the phrase, ‘Facilitation is the art of getting others to have your way.’ It is possible to do this, particularly if you start with engaging the users of the supply chain, convincing them that you are committed to meeting their needs, but need to help the enterprise be cost effective. Get them to define their needs and distinguish them from their wants (ask questions like, ‘Is the most important outcome of the supply chain that you have the items needed when and where needed?’ Then follow with, ‘Does it matter from where the items are delivered, by whom and when/ what time of day or how often?’) Once the needs are defined in measurable terms, sound supply chain principles can be applied, and all goals achieved.
Interesting question. To me, effective facilitation means guiding a process or discussion in order to arrive at a desired endpoint. That endpoint may be very general, as in ‘I need the group to pick one of these options to recommend to the CEO’ and the successful endpoint is simply ending up with an option, regardless of which option is selected. Or it can be very specific where your goal is not only to drive the discussion or process but also to end with a choice that you have already determined is the best. I think true facilitation differs from giving directions in that there is involvement in the process by others who cannot only affect the outcome, but who also may not be under your direct supervision/control. For example, a [materials manager] can ‘give direction’ to a member of his or her staff and not allow for any input or choice on their part. In that scenario, the outcome is pre-ordained because that employee cannot affect the decision and they must comply since they work for the [materials manager]. In true facilitation, people participating in the process can affect the outcome specifically because they are not under any obligation to be concerned about you or your perspective. To me, true facilitation requires leadership, which I define as the ability to influence the behavior of others over whom you have no formal authority or control. In the end, I think successful facilitation results in people who felt they were involved in the process, has an ability to affect the outcome and can support the end result even if it was not their personal choice.
Facilitation is where we provide comprehensive but clear and concise data to our audience that allows a positive outcome form our medical staff, our patients, and our organization. A mistake many make is to establish a premise and then provide data that only supports that premise. Not only does that generally fail, it also may result in the audience not trusting what you give them. My experience tells me that when fair and balanced information is provided, people tend to make mutually beneficial decisions but if their comfort zone is threatened by misleading information, they tend to become entrenched. Clue No. 1: Honest and open information. Provide the advantages, disadvantages of any outcome without "leading" the audience to a preconceived answer. Clue No. 2: Don’t waste time with ‘fluff’ information. The more clear and concise you can be, the more likely you will maintain audience interest. Clue No. 3: Respond to inquiries immediately. If you don’t know an answer, agree on a time frame to obtain the answer and respond.
I believe facilitation should be defined as leadership bringing a diverse group to a common goal based on both the fiduciary and clinical facts given. Direction on the other hand, to me, is defined as a decided goal which leadership must bring members to. There is a vast difference in thought processes and meeting room methodologies in facilitation vs. direction. The top three clues that I notice in a true facilitation event are: 1. A positive outcome with a majority of the participants in agreement and excited about the decision. 2. Every option and every fact was observed and weighed in the decision process. 3. Active discussion and participation in the decision. Facilitators should must know when to speak, when to listen, and when to hear. A good example is the WNCHN Materials Management Work Group and the leadership of Mark Landau. In the WNCHN our members make the final decision on savings opportunities. The network is not in the business of forced participation, but rather we offer up opportunities for our hospitals to aggregate volume and all reduce cost. The facilitation Mr. Landau exhibits is exceptional in allowing our members to see all the opportunities, examine all the facts, discuss the possibilities and make a decision that is best for all our members. hpn What does facilitation mean to you? Send us your opinions at editor@hpnonline.com.
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