Words of wisdom: OR leaders offer tips for new managers.

Efficient throughput—difficult to achieve, yet essential to long-term financial success— is a Holy Grail for OR nurse leaders, who spend much time and energy seeking it. Given all the demands of their role, how can leaders best use their time to gain the most benefit from throughput initiatives? One method is to focus on communication—the underlying component of any successful throughput effort. But leaders need to narrow the broad topic of communication to be most effective. “You have to pick something specific to work on,” says Randy Heiser, MA, president and CEO of Sullivan Healthcare Consulting, Inc, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Too many people try to do everything at once.” Three strategies to improve communication are building trust, implementing technology, and using checklists effectively.