staff

The way we speak about colleagues matters [practice management tip: leadership]

Do you tend to refer to staff or their roles in your practice with generic terms like “billing person” or “someone on phones”? These descriptors seem like innocuous shorthand. But when physicians and managers speak about people in this generic way, it can send an unintended message that you view your employees as interchangeable cogs. Employees may assume that their career progress will never be recognized, or that employees’ specific contributions are not appreciated. Morale may suffer, and, over time, that can mean higher costs due to turnover. Productivity may be suppressed, too. Whether you’re a physician or a practice administrator, you worked hard to earn the respect that comes with your title. Feeling recognized for your achievements and contributions enriches your work life. The “billing person” who is working to bring money in your door may have invested in education to learn their profession, too. Though the training is nowhere near as competitive or lengthy as medical school or climbing the management ladder, becoming a skilled medical billing professional takes energy and commitment. Perhaps you now have an expert biller on your team, where you once had an eager novice who needed to apply herself to becoming proficient—a point of pride for her, and a financial benefit for you. Even roles like receptionist that have few education or experience requirements can be done with inspiration and excellence when your staff is engaged—benefitting your patients and your practice. On the flip side, if your staff is disengaged and going through the motions, you’re missing a big opportunity for your practice to stand out. Regardless of the roles they play, most of your employees spend more time working in your business than doing anything else. An atmosphere where there are a few valued players at the top and everyone else is considered interchangeable is not one where motivated people will want to work for long. Investing some time in creating (and using) meaningful titles for your employees costs nothing—but may earn a lot in improved morale and stability. A happier workplace with a more positive atmosphere means lower costs -- and

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:44-08:00August 4th, 2019|

Cutting long-term staff to improve profitability? Not so fast [practice management tip: human resources]

A practice we worked with recently was struggling to improve profitability. The practice’s new manager wanted to make an impact fast, so she decided to try replacing longer-term staff with less expensive newbies; since staffing was such a big practice expense, she reasoned that this was the best way to improve profitability. The physician owners were surprised not just that the strategy hadn’t worked, but that we questioned the decision. “Isn’t that the kind of thing you practice management consultants recommend?" they asked. But cutting experienced staff members who perform well just to save a few dollars isn’t something we’d recommend trying. Those exiting employees will take with them all the knowledge they’ve accumulated – knowledge that is easily taken for granted. While cuts might boost profits temporarily, it likely won't take long for patient service to deteriorate. Service will also be undermined by the panic felt by the rest of the staff. When employees see their most loyal colleagues being shown the door, they’ll wonder if – or when – the axe will swing their way. Once those doubts creep in, your most energetic and ambitious employees will begin job-hunting in earnest. Swapping out older workers for younger ones may draw a charge of age discrimination as well. Worst of all: the potential upside is probably small. Differences in pay for experienced versus new staff are typically large enough to cause a big swing in profitability. For example, a $5 per hour difference translates to $10,000 per year. The costs of recruiting and on-boarding a replacement could easily exceed these small savings. It’s natural to look critically at expenses when profitability is flagging. But insufficient revenue is often the main reason profits disappoint – and cutting your best people will severely impact your ability to fix that problem. Instead of cutting valued but ‘expensive’ employees, look for ways to refocus staff and make the practice more productive.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:46-08:00June 1st, 2018|

Resist the temptation to surveil your employees [practice management tip: human resources]

It’s easy to monitor your employees’ every move with modern technology. So should you? The temptation is understandable. The key question is: Are employees motivated to do a good job? Or does getting the most from them require constant oversight? Intuition might suggest the latter – but experience says otherwise. In the early days of business theory, the idea that management was primarily about surveillance (and “cracking the whip”) was popular. But over time, managers learned that employees aren’t just a cost – they’re an asset. Beginning in the 1980s, lessons from Japanese companies illuminated the value engaged employees bring to an enterprise. Toyota, in particular, found that by encouraging employees to be more involved in decision-making, they could improve product quality and productivity. Toyota’s success at improving manufacturing quality – which endures today – started with trusting employees. A culture of trust and respect tells employees their contributions matter – in turn, encouraging and empowering them go beyond the rote requirements of their job descriptions. With engagement tied to higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and better customer service, it’s easy to see how engaged employees can uplift a medical practice. But it won’t happen without trust – and electronic monitoring is a sure-fire way to communicate that you don’t trust your employees at all. Rather than trying to control your employees with surveillance, consider setting goals and incentives that encourage the behavior you want. Rely on reports and data, not constant monitoring, to evaluate how employees are doing. Start by hiring carefully, so you don’t have doubts about trust right out of the gate. And relax a little: Most people want to contribute and do their jobs well. Give them the structure to do it, and you won’t need to watch them all the time. Another thought to consider: If the huge potential benefits of an engaged staff aren’t enough to make you rethink surveillance, remember that every minute a practice owner or manager spends on monitoring is one that can’t be invested elsewhere. Surveillance is very time-consuming (read: costly). Odds are there are more valuable ways to use that

By Morgan|2018-04-29T12:24:55-08:00May 23rd, 2018|

Consider rolling recruitment for key jobs [practice management tip: human resources]

Do you find yourself reluctant to discipline difficult employees because they’ll be hard to replace if they quit? Is that same fear causing you to retain employees who’ve failed to improve, despite being counseled again and again?When the consequences of poor performance never materialize, underperforming employees will soon perceive they’ re exempt from the standards you’ve set for everyone else. Even worse, your better employees will have to pick up the slack and tolerate negative energy from complainers – increasing the risk you’ll lose the people you value most. Many practices feel squeezed for talent in their local markets. It’s understandable to be concerned about a key job staying unfilled for too long – but, still, keeping underperforming employees can harm your practice much more. Instead of going soft on performance problems, consider amending your hiring practices. For example, a little redundancy in your medical assistant ranks (e.g., maintaining one or two “extra” floaters) ensures coverage when someone’s out sick – or ends up leaving the practice. Those additional hands can also tackle valuable ad hoc tasks that might otherwise get skipped, such as recalls that serve patients better and generate additional revenues. A rolling system of recruiting can also ensure you don’t miss a chance to hire talented new grads. Establish recruitment relationships with local training colleges and med schools, and maintain key job postings for year round. (Be sure to use screening questions on recruitment sites and filters in your email software to help manage the applicant flow.) Even if you don’t need help immediately, being aware of available talent will allow you to hire opportunistically if someone exceptional becomes available. It will also provide a clearer picture of the current talent pool, so you don’t feel compelled to hold on to employees who aren’t measuring up.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:47-08:00May 1st, 2018|

Hire slow, fire fast [practice management tip: human resources]

So what does this old saw from Silicon Valley really mean – and how can it help your medical practice? Just like in Silicon Valley startups, medical practice teams are usually small enough that every person has an important role to play. When a key position in your practice is vacant, near-desperation can set in if the right candidate doesn’t materialize quickly. That can lead to hiring impulsively and compromising too much on important traits, skills, or knowledge. Because even the best candidates will have a learning curve, you probably won’t realize you’ve made a bad hire for months. Those extra weeks that you “saved” by not extending your search to find a stronger candidate will, in retrospect, seem trivial in comparison to the lost benefits of having the right person in a key position. When a key role is held by an underperformer, your entire practice is dragged down. But – just like in the tech startup world – the small size of practice organizations can feel family-like. In fact, that’s one of the most appealing aspects of working in an independent practice. However, that close-knit culture can make it hard to confront under-performers, who wind up staying in their jobs longer than they should. Physician owners and practice administrators often move slowly in dealing with performance problems out of compassion for the underperformer – not recognizing that their other employees are picking up the slack and, in effect, being penalized for doing a better job. Hire slow, fire fast is an important lesson mainly because most people’s natural tendency is to do the opposite – hiring too fast out of urgency, and firing too slow out of misplaced kindness. Both of these can lead to having the wrong employees in place for far too long, dragging down performance and morale in your practice.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:47-08:00March 31st, 2018|

The power of managing details

I'm working on an ebook right now about medical practice staffing. More specifically, it's about how the instinct to cut staff, to be as leanly staffed as possible, can backfire*. There are dozens of little details that any practice can explore to improve profitability. These small changes can be made with much less risk than eliminating a job or cutting staff hours. And because they improve the profitability of your processes, they are a gift that keeps on giving, making your bottom line a little bit bigger every day. Here are just a few of the possibilities I explore in the ebook. Are you taking full advantage of these opportunities to improve your bottom line? Reduce no-shows: Take a quantitative look at your no-show rate. Are you tracking both true no-shows and last minute cancelled slots that can't be refilled? Audit your reminder process and results. Is your timing right? Experiment with reminding further ahead or closer to the appointment. Remind people using the technology they prefer. Capture email and cell info: Being able to reach people electronically opens the door to multiple efficiency improvements, including more effective reminders and better collections. And your patients that want to be emailed or texted, not called, will appreciate the option. Win-win! Train patients on portals: Too many practices make portal adoption a low priority, or abandon the effort altogether, because they find it hard to get patients engaged. It is hard! But it's still very worthwhile. As more patients use your portals, you have more ways to reach them for marketing. Portals make other key tasks more profitable, too. Notice I said "portals," plural? If you don't have the ability to collect payments through your EHR portal, investigate the option to set up a payment portal with your PMS vendor. Patients want to help themselves -- and they want to pay without having to write a check or find a stamp. They'll reward you by paying faster and more reliably. If you cut staff before checking out all the possibilities to improve your operations, you may not have the people you need

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:56-08:00May 8th, 2016|

It’s holiday time again. Will you honor staff with bonuses, a party, or something else?

It’s not too soon to think about the holidays and how you are going to honor staff for everything they’ve done to get you through the year. Will it be the typical holiday party and a gift exchange or do you plan on giving Christmas bonuses – which can be troublesome? I say this because most practice leaders just aren’t sure how to handle bonuses. I mean, really, maybe staff has just come to expect a bonus and don’t even realize it is intended as a reward or gift of gratitude. Maybe Andrea doesn’t understand why Heather, who has been with you less than a year got the same amount she did. Sometimes staff are actually disappointed – expecting more and feeling the bonus is paltry. It is not that unusual for staff to assume the practice can afford much more. This is unfortunate for the practice that struggles to maintain a reasonable profit during these difficult times. Is it time to change how you manage holiday giving how you recognize staff? Do you need to deal with the mindset of staff and get aligned? Is it time to educate the staff that it isn’t business as usual and profits have been sliding or are being threatened by healthcare reform? And do you even know if you are paying staff appropriately in the first place? This all seems burdensome to deal with, but it is that time of year again. I suggest practice leaders get a jump start on addressing holiday bonus and recognition programs and analyze how they financially honor staff once and for all. Begin by getting a grasp on your current pay scale to make sure you are paying market rate for each position based on the qualifications and responsibilities that each job requires. This will ensure you attract and keep the best employees. If you want staff stability and longevity you must create and maintain a desirable workplace environment where staff is respected and treated fairly. Next, think about the value of the paid holidays you already provide for staff. Not all practices are equal here.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:03-08:00November 7th, 2014|

Using benchmarks wisely: staff, staff expense per provider

Our work with medical practices often involves analyzing a practice's data against benchmarks from sources like MGMA, NSCHBC, specialty society surveys, etc. But, it's not enough just to compare against the averages and percentiles; you have to know whether meeting or beating a benchmark is a good thing. Believe it or not, this is not always obvious. Among the benchmarks most subject to misinterpretation are staff per provider and staffing expense per provider. Most physicians and practice managers we work with are very focused on keeping headcount and staffing expense low -- and so they're pleased to learn they're in the lower tiers for headcount and staff expense ratios. The pleasure shifts to confusion, though, when we explain that squeezing staffing down to the lowest possible expense is not usually a path to higher profitability -- and can often be associated with lowering profitability! There are several reasons for this. The most important is that well-trained, well-paid, motivated staff -- and enough of them -- free up providers to focus all their attention on the tasks only they can do. Coincidentally, the tasks that only providers can do are almost always also the only tasks that generate revenue for the practice. Increase provider time spent on revenue generating activities (and not on unpaid tasks that don't require their training), and you're on the way to more profitability. Consider that an additional medical assistant might cost a practice about $100-$150 per day. If that additional assistant allows a practice to see as few as 1-2 more patients per day, that's a profitable addition. Often, one additional assistant can help more than one provider -- and help the practice quickly generate more revenue than is needed to make the addition a profitable one. When a practice is focused primarily on expense control and minimizing headcount, sometimes that results in providers doing too many tasks that could be handled less expensively by staff -- an opportunity cost for the practice and a direct hit to revenue potential. What's more, when a practice is too reluctant to add headcount, existing staff can quickly become

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:09-08:00March 3rd, 2014|

Resolve to give better feedback to staff in 2014

Turnover and hiring are costly. Staff are so important to your practice's patient service, financial performance and overall functioning. Given these things, one of the best investments you can make in your own leadership abilities as a physician owner or practice manager is to develop the skill of delivering effective feedback to employees. The importance of giving effective feedback to staff really can't be overstated. Your ability to nurture better performance and address inadequate performance impacts everything from employee skill development, to team morale, to legal risk. Every aspect practice performance depends on getting the best from your staff, and that depends on giving the right feedback at the right time(s) and in the right way. Giving employee feedback is not easy, and getting really good at it requires effort and focus. But your efforts will be rewarded many times over. One of the best recent summaries I've seen lately on delivering effective feedback comes from the Stanford Graduate School of Business -- a summary of a lecture by Carole Robin. It's a short list of seven pithy tips, and you can act on it now! Highly recommended reading. (A couple of previews: "Do it now" and "Stay on your side of the net." Read the piece for quick explanations of these ideas -- and five more.)

By Morgan|2013-12-24T10:06:33-08:00December 28th, 2013|

Six steps physician leaders and practice managers can take to improve the patient experience

Leadership sets the tone for the entire practice. Staff will model your commitment and follow your expectations. Much of the manager’s role focused on managing practice finances, maintaining practice viability, and keeping a highly motivated and efficient staff that is respectful and trustworthy. Add to the list a new yardstick that changes how physicians get paid based on a patient experience that improves compliance to result in better outcomes. Develop a plan and set up programs to help staff understand how the patient experience relates to both outcomes and practice finances. Show your commitment through continued communication and actions that reveal a consistent effort to improve the patient experience. Give staff the education and tools to succeed in delivery consistency in your customer service organization-wide. Coach staff to improve performance. Provide them with the support and encouragement with implementing essential changes on the road to being more patient-centered. Manage progress well. This means conducting a baseline patient satisfaction study based on key performance areas and periodic follow-up to be sure targeted areas of improvement results in satisfactory results. Set your goals for becoming a best practice. Be explicit in what you expect and intend to achieve. Honor each person’s contribution and celebrate successes that achieved along the way. Leaders have the ability to set the stage for success, instill a sense of pride and hope within the organization, and meet the challenges of strengthening the relationship between the clinical practice and the patients they serve. In the end, we seek to improve the health of our patients, enjoy the relationship we have with patients and be among the best.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:11-08:00December 14th, 2013|

Teaching your medical practice employees vs. coaching them
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Teaching your medical practice employees vs. coaching them

human resources, leadership and inspiration, managing people, medical practice business, morale, practice management, productivity, staff, team support, training

Teaching your medical practice employees vs. coaching them

Today's Harvard Business Review features a wonderful tip for medical office managers: Know when to coach versus when to teach. Teaching -- i.e., demonstrating or instructing an employee on exactly what to do -- is key for bringing new employees up to speed (aka, training). It can also be useful when corrective action is needed -- e.g., "Emily, please be mindful of HIPAA when speaking with patients about private information -- ask them to step out of the reception area, like so." Teaching can backfire, though, with competent and motivated employees who just need a little help with problem-solving. Coaching -- supporting and gently helping staff find the right solution -- is the right approach in that case. For example, let's say one of your receptionists is having trouble collecting co-pays -- but, she's a quick learner who's eager to try new things. Giving her ideas and asking questions about what she's already tried could help her develop an effective style she's comfortable with -- and that she'll be able to use routinely. By coaching employees with ideas and, most important, asking questions, you help your employees feel competent and trusted. What's more, even though it might take a little longer to solve today's problem, your coaching might lead to your employee finding a better solution that will pay off over the long run. For example, if your instinct would have been to pick up the phone to get urgent payer feedback, but your encouragement leads a biller to find an important source of information via the payer's portal, that could save a lot of time for you and your biller down the road.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:15-08:00October 8th, 2013|

Think your staff work only for money? Think again
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Think your staff work only for money? Think again

human resources, leadership and inspiration, managing people, medical practice business, morale, staff, team support

Think your staff work only for money? Think again

If you haven’t read Dan Ariely’s entertaining, highly-readable and best-selling book Predictably Irrational, consider adding it to your summer reading list. Ariely, a cognitive psychologist at Duke, designed and conducted many experiments that illuminate some surprising reasons that guide behavior. Many of these experiments have relevance for the way that medical practice administrators manage their staff for greater productivity. Many of Ariely’s study participants are college students that are paid modestly for their efforts to complete routine tasks – i.e., their incomes are low enough that small increases should matter. In one such experiment, the subjects were paid to identify and circle instances where the same letter appeared side-by-side on a page of text. Test subjects were paid for each page on a descending scale - the most for the first page and less for each subsequent page - until they declined to continue. Students were randomly assigned to groups that would have one of three variations on this basic theme: 1) Subject wrote name on page, the examiner visually scanned the page and gave a verbal cue to acknowledge the work before placing the work on the pile of worksheets. 2) Subject did not write name on page. Examiner simply placed the finished page on a pile without visually scanning or acknowledging. 3) Subject did not write name on page. Examiner immediately placed finished worksheet into shredder. If participants cared solely for the compensation they received, the study results would indicate that all three groups ceased to work at approximately the same pay rate (remember the descending pay rate). The study results showed that the group that had its work shredded immediately upon completion stopped working at almost twice the pay rate than the group that had its work cursorily acknowledged. The group that had its unnamed worked immediately placed on a pile? It stopped working at very nearly the same pay rate as the group that had its work shredded! These findings are consistent with what we find in our tour of medical practices across the country. When we talk with practice staff members, we find that the

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:31-08:00June 19th, 2013|

Prepare for employee salary negotiations

Practice managers and physicians often feel like they're fumbling in the dark when negotiating salaries with prospective employees, and feel unsure about whether their compensation structure is adequate to retain their best people. But, this is at least partly because they're not utilizing all of the tools available to stay on top of market compensation rates -- some of which have only really taken hold in the last five-ten years. For example, sites like Salary.com provide market data on job content and salaries -- all matched to your local market. (This type of data used to be available only in pricey salary surveys! On Salary.com, the base data is good -- but, more detail can be had for a fee.) Even scanning online ads, such as on Craigslist, can give you a quick read on what others are offering. We often work with physicians and practice managers who are very concerned about over-paying staff. If you're among them, take heart: as this story from Freakonomics observes, sometimes getting the 'best deal' on labor is no deal at all. I'm usually much more alarmed when practices are under-paying than over-paying by a bit. Freakonomics (via Marketplace): A Cheap Employee Is ... A Cheap Employee

By Morgan|2016-08-19T18:12:26-08:00May 31st, 2013|

Lessons and reminders from the Yahoo! work-at-home flap

Practice managers and physician owners might look at the media attention focused on Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer's decision to end work-from-home at her company and think, well, that doesn't apply to me. And it's true, with only a few exceptions (say, billing), medical practice staff members are unlikely to be able to do their work from home -- not just because they need to be where the patients are, but also because of the privacy risks of bringing documents out of the office. That doesn't mean, though, that the controversy and discussion that Mayer's decision engendered (and now Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly's as well) are completely irrelevant to physician practices. Because even though working at home is an option that won't often make sense for medical office staff, the media frenzy about one company's HR decision does illustrate how challenging it can be to make management changes without unintended consequences, even when the need for the change seems obvious. Change sparks fear One of the theories that immediately emerged about the Yahoo! telecommuting ban was that Mayer was simply implementing "backdoor layoffs" -- i.e., that she'd determined that forcing everyone into the office would be an easy way to encourage telecommuters to quit to achieve needed cost reductions. Naturally, this theory provokes fear in all staff -- what if there aren't enough quitters to bring costs down, and my job ends up on the chopping block? There are mixed reports of how the end of telecommuting is actually playing with Yahoo! employees -- despite the ongoing outrage of bloggers, there are also reports that many current Yahoos understand the need for and actually support the change. But, certainly the situation is a good reminder about how important it is to communicate effectively with employees, to help prevent unnecessary fears from taking hold -- otherwise, you risk losing your most valued employees, who will begin job hunting in earnest when they sense trouble. (I have seen changes as small as eliminating free coffee to save a few bucks lead to swirling rumors that bankruptcy is imminent! When communication is missing,

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:33-08:00March 9th, 2013|

Do you have staffing troubles ahead?

A poorly-timed departure of a key employee can really put a crimp on your enjoyment and profitability. Recent survey data reported in the online Business Insider cite a lack of trust in corporations and wanting to be their own boss as the top two reasons these workers leave. These data bolster our oft-repeated recommendation that every practice administrator should put a high priority in nurturing the careers of their key employees. After all, how better to foster trust than to take a sincere interest in your employees well being? What's more, such interest often takes the form of giving more responsibility and autonomy to these employees thereby helping to satisfy their desire "to be their own boss." Read more about here about the 5 Reasons Why Gen X Workers Quit.

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:37-08:00November 16th, 2012|

Prevent and uncover embezzlement: webinar

Joe and Judy's recent webinar (sponsored by Kareo) was a big hit! If you didn't have a chance to attend 'live,' you can register and view it here: Embezzlment-proof your practice Most medical practices are victims of embezzlement at some point -- yes, you read that right! -- so if you haven't already learned how employees can become thieves and employers become marks, this is a must-watch webinar.

By Morgan|2011-11-18T11:27:10-08:00November 18th, 2011|

Could your team be great? Aim for real.

Harvard Business Review posted a great tip today about "real teams." The pointed out that "real" teams -- i.e., groups that really work together as one -- all share three important characteristics: Shared sense of purpose Flexible skills Mutual accountability There's a great lesson here for medical practices. Physicians set the tone of purpose and accountability. Good training policies and skilled practice management ensure cross-training keeps everyone fresh and the practice able to withstand absences and staffing changes. Hiring people who can fit with the ethos of the team keeps everything humming along. Read more at Harvard Business Review.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:54-08:00August 23rd, 2011|

Master referrals and build a medical practice that rocks!

Mastering referrals is an art and a powerful tool in helping you create the practice of your dreams! Define your perfect patient, the demographics, the type of cases and the kind of patient you like to treat. Identify how you can reach those people and build a solid referral network. Create a marketing plan that nurtures the ideal referral sources and keeps your name front and center. Train staff on the solid principles of mastering referrals: Probing the patient to ensure you accurately documenting how the patient heard about your practice and tracking it in your practice management system Provide an outstanding patient experience: an aesthetically attractive and comfortable office; well dressed professional staff; staff and physicians that make each patient feel special from the time she or he calls the office until the bill is paid in full and everything in between; and thank the patient for choosing your practice. Conduct patient surveys to be sure you are on the mark with delivering an awesome patient experience. Honor and nurture referral sources. Thank them, ask if they are pleased with your service and find out if there is something else you can do to make sure they are satisfied. Network and be visible throughout your community. Be grateful and give back: giving of time and resosurces to support the community and causes you believe in. Stay constant in your efforts and measure your progress every quarter. This will help you build strategies that work and make your practice shine. You can be the master of your practice and build the practice of your dreams! Capko & Company; experts in medical practice management, strategic planning and medical marketing.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:55-08:00May 7th, 2011|

Dream Teams

Here's seven key points that exist within a Dream Team. Players are motivated toward the same goal. There are effective communication channels between each team member. Criticisim is respectful, honest and constructive. No idea is considered stupid. The culture is deep-seated in team unity. Team is willing to compromise to achieve goal in real time. Ability of team members to face obstacles objectively. With a strong leader you can inspire your staff and work toward creating the Dream Team. It's worth the effort! Capko & Company is one of America's leading healthcare practice management and marketing consulting firms.

By Judy Capko|2010-12-14T17:42:34-08:00December 14th, 2010|

A Winning Team

Employees emulate management, so if you want a winning team you gotta set the example. Positive interaction with staff drives better performance and makes everyone as winner. It's all about the tude, the attitude! Here's my top list of BE attitudes: Believe. Recognize individual strengths,set high expectations and praise their achievements. Be visible. Make the rounds by walking through the practice at least once a day. Greet each person and ask how the job is going. Be approachable, be part of the team! Be supportive. Recognize when a staffer is struggling or has a problem that interferes with his or her ability to perform the job. Provide support and seek meaningful solutions. Be Timely. Don't disregard employees or compromise the relationship by putting things off. If you've scheduled things that involve staff and are inclined to postpone them, don't. Here's a few examples: - Annual performance reviews - Staff meetings - Employee training and feedback sessions - Celebrations - Purchasing promised equipment or supplies Keep morale high, value staff and be a winning team. Hey readers, if you have additional tips share your comments. Judy Capko is one of America's leading practice practice management and marketing consultants.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:58-08:00June 5th, 2010|

Hire a team that follows your practice dream

Here's some power tips for creating a staff that keeps your practice at the top of its game.Know who you are. If you haven't already done so, develop your mission statement. A mission statement should not be vague nor grandiose. It should describe what your practice is all about. What defines your practice? Is it serving the under served, service beyond expectations, partnering with patients on health style issues or if your a pediatrician could it be to make each patient's visit fun? Whatever it is you must define and establish methods to make it a reality. This includes getting the entire staff on board on how to live the mission.Second, create mission-driven job descriptions. Make sure each position has specific responsibilities that support the mission statement, including points of accountability.Third, make the mission statement part of your hiring process. Whenever you are recruiting for a position in your office your mission statement should be at the helm. Applicants need to understand that living the mission is a job requirement and that they will be held accountable to act in a manner that endorses and supports the mission.Finally, execute mission training. Have a formal orientation program for new employees that talks about the mission and each staff's role in achieving the mission. Have an annual "Mission Possible" employee training program each year that includes a review and discussion of the mission and a continuing education seminar on a topic that compliments what is needed to live the mission.If you do these things and your decisions and actions support the mission, you'll create a power team that serves the practice well. Contact Judy Capko, one of America's best known practice management consultants: www.capko.com

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:59-08:00February 14th, 2009|