Rounding is an opportunity for leaders to informally coach "on the floor." It is a great way to demonstrate active support for unit-based teams by engaging them directly and listening to their concerns. Rounding helps identify outcomes that have improved the member/patient experience as a result of improving in one or more of four points of the Value Compass.

Rounding is not a meeting with an agenda, delivering newspapers to patients, stealth observation to catch people loafing or making a mistake, management by walking around or socializing to connect with people.

Do use rounding to proactively engage a person in order to:

• Reward and recognize.
• Improve performance.
• Connect work with our purpose.

How to round

Open with a relationship-building question.
By starting this way, you'll be re-engaging staff in performance improvement work and/or engaging member/patients in the process.

What's working well?
This will harvest and reinforce successful practices.

Is there anyone I should recognize for doing great work?
Taking time to celebrate accomplishments rewards good work, boosts morale and encourages further good work. (For ideas, visit the Rewards and Recognition section.)

Are there any systems or processes that need improvement?
This question can help improve performance/staff engagement in solutions.

Do you have the tools, equipment and information you need to do your job well?
This gives you the opportunity to remove service/safety barriers.

Provide key messages and link what you heard to our purposes.
Connect all you heard to the key messages for your department/facility – for example: attendance, teamwork, member/patient satisfaction

Close by asking if there is anything else you can do for them.
Thank the person and follow up with them later.

For an easy-to-print version of the information on this page, download the Rounding for Outcomes tool.