From Input to Implementation: Better Lab-Wide Decisions

<p>A lot of optimization efforts go off track not because the analysis was wrong; but because the decision process was ineffective. A change gets designed by the person who owns the problem; approved by the person who owns the budget; and then lands on three other areas that were never asked what it would mean for them. A few months later; the change is quietly reversed and the idea gets blamed; when the real problem is often the decision structure.<br />
In this interactive workshop; participants will work through a realistic lab-wide change proposal in small groups; taking on department roles outside their own; acting as the advocate for that area rather than a status reporter. Each person will evaluate what the change affects; what could break; and what they would need before they could support it. Groups will then modify the proposal rather than simply approve or reject it.<br />
Participants will also examine different decision models and how the stakes of a decision determine which model fits; then map their own “decision circle” to identify where key perspectives or backup coverage may be missing. The approach is drawn from the model the instructor used to lead a 150-person anatomic pathology operation; and it scales across roles; from leads and supervisors to managers and directors.<br />
Attendees will leave with:<br />
A framework for matching the decision model to the stakes of the decision<br />
A reusable proposal review process built around cross-functional input<br />
A baseline and post-change measurement approach for evaluating decisions<br />
A map of their own decision circle; with gaps in representation and backup coverage identified Note: This workshop requires an additional ticket. Space is limited.</p>