Business Thinking in Home Care
3 minute read
Tell ‘em they’re dreaming?
Over the last 20 years we have seen a dramatic shift by governments towards trying to make social services more business-like or commercial. The new policy mantra is consumer choice and control and the thinking is commerciality will be the driving force. The idea is simple: if home care services act like businesses and treat clients like customers, they will be more efficient and effective, and older people will get better services.
Despite the government push, organisations are struggling to become more business-like at the frontline. Frontline workers remain steadfastly people-focused and not so motivated by commercial considerations and the bottom line. Most aged care staff are values-based with their motivation being to make a difference (not a profit) in older peoples’ lives.
So is it possible to meet everyones’ needs and develop a values-based culture that is also commercially successful? We sat down with our most experienced leaders and looked at the research to unpack what a combined values-based and commercial culture looks like if successful in practice.
We came up with 5 key insights where taking a commercial approach actually assists with delivering on organisational values.
1. Commerciality is experienced as a driver of better outcomes.
A commercially oriented organisation can make a surplus and invest that money in training, support and systems to deliver better client outcomes. If staff understand and experience these benefits they are much more likely to get on board with being more conscious of costs. Staff need to be made aware (through planned engagement processes) that decision-making is driven by value for money and that improves client outcomes. Top to bottom, everyone realises that we can achieve more of the mission and values with a commercially healthy organisation.
2. Greater staff autonomy is a win-win
A commercial culture has a focus on lower costs and better service. It is vital that wasted time and effort is constantly reduced. We see these outcomes when frontline staff are empowered and have a sense of responsibility for their work. Have you seen the awesome staff productivity stats from Buurtzorg? To make this work the management structure needs to be flat with systems that support individuals to make decisions.
3. Adaptability and learning drive performance
In a commercially driven organisation, everyone is constantly learning and there is significant organisational investment in training. Staff feel they are valued and there are informal and formal processes that capture and act on their ideas. Expertise is distributed – nobody owns it. Leaders act as coaches and facilitators and there is an emphasis on learning from experience. The adapting learning organisation consistently sees excitement and opportunity in its people.
4. Client focus
Commercial organisations’ language and strategy focuses on client outcomes, not organisational needs. Staff view choice and control as essential to achieving the outcomes they seek to support. Staff feedback is valued and embedded in everyday work through multiple channels. There is a small distance between the CEO and clients (in all kinds of ways). Staff know that their work is supported by the organisation and they can ‘make a difference’.
5. Teamwork makes the dream work
Collaboration is everywhere in commercially successful values-driven organisations. Teamwork enables everyone to do what they are best at. Staff often communicate in short-hand and have each other’s backs. There is minimal blaming and both problems and successes are shared. There is a “we language”, it’s sometimes hard to tell who does what. Informal communication is positive and effective. Head office is not seen as a pain but rather as a partner.
Putting it all together
All of the insights above have both a values-based outcome and a commercial orientation. The key ingredient is engaging staff to understand how being commercial aligns with their values.
But (and this but is big) the organisational values need to align with staff values and include a genuine commitment to autonomy, teamwork, personal development and client outcomes. If staff understand the benefits for clients and themselves they will want to assist in driving commercial success.
Ultimately it does not have to be about walking a middle ground between commerciality and values. In outstanding organisations, business thinking supports values-based work and that’s good for everyone.
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