Kenyon Connects

I often wake up in the wee hours of the morning wondering about change. As a professional consultant for the homecare industry, change – and all of its trappings – is often the focal point of my discussions with clients. On any given day, I help any number of agency owners and managers explore what change would mean for their organization.

Often we start by investigating what a Comprehensive Organizational Assessment would look like. Let me say up front that the fee for this type of assessment is worth more than its weight in gold. I don’t say this to drum up business for myself or other consultants. It’s just that change can be tricky, and if you don’t have a clear idea of where you are, it’s difficult to carve out a path to a better future.

A Comprehensive Organizational Assessment gives a clear perspective on what is really going on in all facets of your business. Sometimes these are obvious. Sometimes things are not so apparent. Without exception, even the best-run agencies in the country have hidden issues that can put the organization at financial risk. Often these are small things that go unnoticed until they explode into serious problems. In the personnel arena, every agency I’ve ever worked with has had some degree of internal moral dilemma that impacts recruitment and retention.

Compliance is another area that bears scrutiny. Regulations change all the time and it is almost impossible to keep up with every shift. Even when staff truly feel they have covered all the details, Comprehensive Organizational Assessment invariably unearths areas of compliance weakness. These inadvertent slips can be serious and, if not corrected, can put an agency’s license at risk. A Comprehensive Organizational Assessment protects the ’big picture’ and gives you the necessary tools to make changes.

The last and possibly most convincing reason to undertake a Comprehensive Organizational Assessment is that it can bring to light quality issues that improve your outcomes and increase your Home Health Compare scores. The Internet is making the public much more savvy and aware, and it is easier than ever for potential clients to conduct extensive research about your organization. These scores are an important indicator, and the higher they are, the better it is for your reputation.

Traditionally, Comprehensive Organizational Assessments have been tied to interim management contracts. This trend, however, is changing. More and more agencies contact me just to conduct an organizational review. These agencies tend to be forward thinking and usually have an extremely good track record but want to do better. They are looking for a competitive advantage. They clearly understand that having an outside expert review their work and deliver a summary of findings with plans for improvement will give their agency a leg up. If you are feeling a bit like you can’t see the forest for the trees, a Comprehensive Organizational Assessment might be just the ticket to spark up your agency’s performance and give you the competitive advantage you need to go from good to great.

Category: Ginny's Blog, Organizational Restructuring