Role Of Lab Manager In Strategic Planning

A strategic plan is a piece of document used in communicating with organisation about the laboratory goals and necessary action require to achieve that particular goal. Strategic planning is a structural process aimed at moving the organisation forward. However, this requires strategic thinking, the lab manager is responsible to think about what strategy to be used to improving future performance of the laboratory. It is your responsibility as manager to have vision for your laboratory and be able to drive it to success by asking yourself series of questions, where are we? What can we do to facilitate our main objective?, are we on the right path?. All these questions would enable you to think in a strategic way which will bring about a good decision making.

As a laboratory manager, your role involving designing or drawing a plan and find resources to implement those strategies. A tool called SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) can be used when constructing a strategic planning. Strategic planning usually focus on the hard aspects of the external environment rather than the internal environment because it has something to do with markets and products necessary for the laboratory. It is all about designing a strategy rather than implementation. lab managers examine, analyse and discuss different way of achieving goal, drive decision making, be optimistic for positive outcome. This strategic planning provide guidelines for the laboratory manager to get different departments involve in the laboratory projects. This strategic plan is used to formulate the workload plan thus allow employees to prepare for the process management. Laboratory manager encounter challenges in term of understanding the evolution of a business model which accession-centric to that of patient-centric. According to the HSE Laboratory Manager Grade Code 393X job specifications, the lab manager must capable of:

• adopting a corporate overview, have vision for delivery service and always welcome interconnection issues and anticipate to many important issues.
• Putting forward planning approach for delivery excellent service by consulting relevant stakeholders
• Showcasing effective planning, organising and administration skills.

Importantly, to be aware of managing finance and other resources for example successful VFM initiatives.The lab manager should be able to developing appropriate financial resources and infrastructure to support the Department. This can be done by using your strategic plan by pursuing additional revenue in all mission areas to enhance sufficient financial status of the department. Ensure you divert research funding sources; focus on research support and increase funding to support education. It is essential to exercise your leadership role in ensuring that you numerate new and existing pathology. (Smuckler, 1980)

Example of strategic planning reflected in the HSE report called implementing a new system of service delivery for Laboratory Medicine Services. Here they emphasises on the role of the more specialised laboratories in the future pathology model. The teamwork management of HSE said laboratory medicine model in Ireland so far has been described point-of-care testing, the ‘cold’ laboratory and the hospital ‘hot’ laboratory. They reported that more specialised laboratories has been added to complete the description of the future laboratory medicine model. (‘Health Service Executive Implementing a new system of service’, no date)