Blog
Keys to Generating Innovation in your Home Care Agency
Everyone knows that now is an exciting time to be in the home healthcare industry. Technology has become mandatory for efficient agency operations, providing easier access to information, streamlined workflows, point-of-care transparency, and ultimately improving patient outcomes – all the while operating in an environment where regulations constantly change our business.
While some agencies are quick to adopt to these evolving trends and are actively encouraging innovation, it’s not uncommon to see some agencies struggle with so much rapid change.
While innovation starts with industry leaders, there are a number of best practices (going beyond great leadership) that can be implemented in order to foster growth and creativity within your home care agency:
Welcome new ideas – In order to implement a culture of innovation, employees need to feel comfortable bringing forth their ideas. According to and article in Forbes, “innovation only comes from invitation.”
Place suggestion boxes around the office, schedule time for brainstorming sessions, or hold regular workshops to stimulate creativity. You want to create an environment where people can freely raise their ideas, and give them the opportunity to bring them to life.
Encourage teamwork – Innovation comes to life with the help of collaboration, trust and creativity.
While one employee might come up with an idea, in the end it is the effort of a team that has the power to get it off the ground.
This means getting every level involved, from interns to senior leaders; teamwork is essential. Consider your operations or IT staff building a forum or committee of peers, who will ensure that all levels of your company are deeply involved with the process.
Iterate – No idea is perfect. Many innovative ideas could be left in the dark because employees feel the need to strive for perfection before the idea is even presented.
If innovative ideas are generated, employees should be encouraged to put them to the test, make mistakes, and build upon their key learnings. Quickly and thoroughly testing an idea will aid in the process of deciding whether it is something you should invest in.
Hire people who love what they do – Employees who have a passion for the industry and genuinely love their jobs are more inclined to give more effort and go the extra mile.
It’s that passion and attitude that can be infectious to fellow employees and are often key to generating new ideas. It’s important to continuously seek employees who align with your company mission and culture in order to foster an innovative environment.
Reward good ideas – Employees want to feel like their opinions and ideas are valued.
Rewarding those who bring creativity and new ideas to the table gives employees incentive to share their thoughts and ideas, and creates an open culture that encourages innovation. Make an effort to actively recognize those who bring forth their ideas—even a simple “thank you” for all their hard work can go a long way.
At AlayaCare, we aren’t shy about idea generation and creativity. We launch our innovative ideas early on through AlayaLabs and then iterate, constantly looking for new ways to improve the way home care is delivered.
We learn what agencies need, we use next-generation technology to make it great, and perhaps most importantly, we have fun in the process.
Given the disruption facing the home care industry, agencies that rely on yesterday’s ideas and solutions are quite vulnerable to decline.
Request a free demo from AlayaCare, and take a look at how innovation is changing the future of home care.