In my daily telephone calls, physical meetings, or email correspondence, I hear a lot of complaining – both from staff members who are upset with management and doctors who are disappointed with staff behavior. Most of the time these complaints are the result of unrealistic assumptions or promises made but not honored. On further review, the issues can almost always be attributed to inadequate or poor communication between the doctor and the staff. And the larger the practice, the bigger the problem.<\/p>\n
A Seth Godin post from a number of years ago has always resonated with me.\u201d If you want to build a vibrant organization, the simple rule is: the rules apply to people in power before they are applied to those without. People might hear what you say, but they always remember what you do.\u201d So understanding that the buck stops here, and that you as the doctor bear the ultimate responsibility for creating a wonderful workplace, what can you do to change the culture in your practice? Or more simply stated, how can you be a more influential and inspirational leader?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Show up on time to begin the day. The first lesson of accountability is to lead by example. If you are continuously late, it shows disrespect for your patients and diminishes your credibility.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Show empathy and generosity to your patient population. Patients don\u2019t care how much you know until they know how much you care. We certainly want our staff to act in the same manner.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Resist the urge to micromanage. Delegate to the extreme. Assign specific tasks and hold people responsible for their actions and the results. Allow people to fail and learn from their mistakes. You can\u2019t do it all yourself \u2013 it is way too complex and way too much work.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Avoid favoritism. When you consistently tolerate inferior performance with no repercussions, it makes you look weak and ineffective.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Communicate your vision. Compliment and coach every day. Your staff needs to know that you appreciate them. Don\u2019t assume that they know. Assumption is the lowest form of human behavior.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Allow your staff to be more fully vested in the success of the practice. Try to include them in some of the management decisions in the office. Many times the best source of new ideas come from our staffs.<\/p>\n