The GEMBA Walk: Turning Business into Focused Productivity

Do you or your team feel like you’re always busy?  Do you wish you could do more? We’ve all been there, hustling through the day without getting the time to pause and evaluate how things could be better. This was a topic of discussion several years ago in an OPIE Users discussion and what we learned is that a great tool to use here is the GEMBA walk —turning that sense of frenetic activity into focused, purpose-driven work, all while spurring innovation and best practices. 

Many of you may not have heard of a GEMBA walk. GEMBA is a term from Japanese management culture that means "the real place" where work gets done. In an O&P practice, that could mean anything from the reception desk to the treatment rooms to the lab. During a GEMBA walk, you’ll immerse yourself in these workspaces to observe, ask questions, and most importantly, learn. 

Here's the kicker: A GEMBA walk isn't about increasing the speed at which tasks get done; it's about improving how they get done. For instance, you might observe that your front desk staff is consistently overwhelmed with phone calls, making it difficult for them to interact warmly with patients in person. That's frenetic business—lots of activity, but it’s not contributing positively to patient experience or work quality. Based on this observation, you might decide to dedicate a person to greeting the patients, ensuring a smooth visit, and turning that chaos into a streamlined, focused workflow. 

The beauty of the GEMBA walk is that it’s a team game. Your staff will likely be more open to changes when they know you've spent time understanding their challenges. Share your observations with them, listen to their feedback, and co-create solutions. This collaborative approach not only makes changes more palatable but ensures they're focused and effective. 

Chevron’s famous motto, "There is always time to do it right," couldn't be more appropriate here. The GEMBA walk is all about taking the time to understand how things are working (or not), so you can implement the right solutions—not just quick fixes. It's about transforming that sense of 'busyness' into genuine productivity, all while incorporating the latest technologies and best practices that actually make sense for your team and your patients. 

Imagine an office where your team isn’t just busy, but focused and productive, where new technologies aren’t dreaded but welcomed because they genuinely make everyone's job easier. This is what a GEMBA walk can facilitate. By observing, understanding, and acting in a focused manner, you're promoting a culture where there's always time to do it right, thereby ensuring that your practice isn’t just surviving, but thriving. 

So, take that GEMBA walk and turn the frenzy into function! Here's to a more productive and innovative future for your practice success!